Miscellany of Sixth Grade

This is a late posting of my sixth grade memories. I remember a lot of different things in sixth grade.

• Our classes were mostly on the first floor of the middle school. Mrs. Haley was my teacher for most of my classes. I remember a fire drill going off one day and she threw the book she was holding over her head and (I think) said a swear word. We, of course, that this was hilarious.
• Hormones and "girl cliques" came in to play. I remember some not liking me one day and hating me the next to liking me on an entirely different day.
• I remember jeans being the "in" thing to wear. I had one pair. I wore them every single day. That probably contributed to some not liking me one day. Then I blew a hole in them one day - right in the crotch area. My mom had to bring me a pair - of my older sister's - to wear. That was much worse. 
• My best friend got in a fight and ended up with a black eye. She was called "Rocky" by her family. (She won the fight.)
• The "other" sixth grade class was assigned to read Caddie Woodlawn and were complaining. I couldn't figure out why as I had read it a couple years before and loved it!

I need to explain how our middle school worked. There were three "groups" of students. There was group 1 (5-1, 6-1, 7-1, 8-1) who were the college prep or higher level students. Then there was group 2 (split the same way) who were more business/vocational minded. Finally there was the third group which were the students who struggled a bit more. For fifth and sixth grade I was in the top group for everything but math - then I was in the 2nd group. It all started back in fourth grade and never really improved.

• I was in the band. I had started in fifth grade. Our family owned a clarinet. Each of us played it in fifth grade as that is when band started in our district. Each of the older siblings would play for a year but no more than two. The clarinet would always be free when the next sibling started. I would go on to quit band my 7th grade year just in time for my little sister to learn to play it in fifth grade. Thankfully, she didn't continue and I joined again in 8th grade. I loved band and music and chorus (still do).
• I went away for two weeks to Girl Scout camp the summer between 5th & 6th grade. I hated it actually. It was the first time I was away from my family and not staying with family. I also hated the food. I still remember being told we had to eat "three big Girl Scout helpings" of all the food served - whether we liked it or not. I managed to avoid notice for most of the time I was there. In the last few days it was noticed that I hadn't eaten my baked beans. I despise baked beans - the smell, the texture. I know, it's not very New England of me, but I do not like them. The counselor made me eat one bite. One big bite. After I almost brought them all back up in her lap, she didn't make me eat any more. There were a few girls from my school who went with me so I did at least have some friends. We climbed to the top of Mt. Kathadin while there. My ankles hadn't bothered me once the whole time, but I ended up back on my crutches for a couple days at camp.

Overall I remember sixth grade as being an awkward and difficult time. It was a time when hormones hit hard and I was trying to figure out who I was in life. It really didn't get all that much better in seventh either.