South Pasadena High School
Alumni Association - 1907-2024
*Tiger Talk Forums
| Forum: The 1960's: South Pas Back Then | |||||
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James Tomlin
Class Of '61
 Posts: 37 View Profile |
My Teachers in South Pasadena Posted Sunday, November 1, 2009 11:02 AM Letter to the Editor: [printed in the South Pasadena Review, 1995] I recently broke my collar bone in a bicycle mishap. This morning as I was doing my stretching exercises, struggling to return to normal, I reflected on the fact that Mr. Edwards taught me to do those exercises (properly) at South Pasadena Junior High School.
Having recently seen Mr. Holland's Opus, I considered what an outstanding group of teachers I had during the thirteen years I spent in the South Pasadena School System. If I took them for granted, or gave them less than they gave me at times, I plead the ignorance of youth, not as an excuse, but as an explanation. I was never good at thanking people.
For me, that has had to be earned, but I realize now that my teachers were dedicated, knowledgeable and professional. I learned something valuable from each of them. I cheer for them as the students cheered for Mr. Holland.
Miss Sutliffe taught me to color within the lines...and not to, if that seemed better.
Miss Oltman taught the number and letters. She also suggested I not ride my new bike down Las Flores School hill (as I was about to do) thereby in all probability saving my life.
Miss Burke spent countless hours after school with those of us who were (as they would put it now) challenged by reading. I am reminded tonight of the lines from a song by 10,000 Maniacs..."But all those lines and circles, to me a mystery." By the third grade I was finally at grade level. It never occurred to me that she was working overtime. She taught us that you can eventually master even a skill that seems impossible when you stay with it.
Miss Nash taught me about fair play, and she even came to see me in the hospital after my only other lifetime bicycle accident.
Miss Wiggins helped me to see that good writing is rewriting...and rewriting...and rewriting again. And how to discipline with a look.
Mrs.Tubman taught me not to be satisfied with just good. But not to be too disappointed if you'd done your best. "Success is resolve" she once said, and pointed out that Abraham Lincoln lost all his elections but one before he was elected President.
Mrs. Addis made me feel that someday I could be somebody special , and gave me a head start by treating me that way. In those days it was OK to suggest that God has a plan for everyone.
In Junior High School,
Miss Spellicy actually got each of us to write a book, and she can still send me a smile across the years.
Mrs. Oliver really refined my sense of the English language.
Miss Ryman showed me that Math could be learned even if not enjoyed, and
Miss Foster convinced me that I wasn't nearly as smart as I thought I was.
In high school,
I remember Miss Burr as the best teacher. I only realize later that she was hard on us because she really cared. Her strategies demanded your best efforts. The taxpayers had charged her with teaching us Spanish and she wasn't going to cheat them of even a nickel.
Twice in my life I have really needed to be able to speak Spanish, and when I reached back for it, there it was. I once asked her if there were just some people that couldn't learn Spanish. She replied "Fortunately, none of them are born in Spain." They were lucky they never had, to pay her by the hour.
Mr. Carpenter had a quiet dignity and a twinkle in his eye, and if Mr. Solari thought you were OK well then maybe you were. He taught us about hard work, courage and focus, just the kind of a role model a kid without a father needed.
Mr. Swift taught me to be organized, and Mr. Brownfield said that "In life, attitude is everything." I have found this to be true.
Mr. Hartsough asked me if I were going to college. It was late in February. When I said yes he asked if I had applied. Somehow I thought you just showed up and enrolled, just the sort of thing the first person in his family to graduate from college might think. "I think we need to get you on the right track." He did.
I really should include my summer baseball coaches, also fine teachers and good men who showed us by example what class, sportsmanship and being a man is all about, Bob Phair, Jim Woollacott, Chuck Doten, Fred Romero and Bob Sutton. I never knew a "Little League Parent," the kind we seem to see too much of nowadays.
It bothers me when teachers are portrayed in films as uncaring fools. I never had a teacher like that, never, and I have known lots of teachers like the fictional Mr. Holland. For that I can thank the South Pasadena Schools.
Jim Tomlin
Irvine
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Linda Johnson Hernandez
Class Of '63
 Posts: 1 View Profile |
RE: My Teachers in South Pasadena Posted Monday, May 31, 2010 09:41 PM Jim, We may have gone to Oneonta Elementary together, since I too remember Miss Sutliffe as my Kindergarten teacher. I however, do not have fond memories of her as she made fun of my drawing skills (or lack thereof) on the first day of school and made me finish up my milk after I had tossed it in the trash! I should have been Class of 1964, but skipped a year in Jr. HIgh and became Class of 1963. (As an educator, I wouldn't recommend doing this in Jr. High!) Miss Burr was also my favorite teacher of all time and really changed my life. See my profile for more info. Linda Hernandez -1963 |
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Paula Johnson Neckyfarow
Class Of '66
 Posts: 1 View Profile |
RE: My Teachers in South Pasadena Posted Tuesday, June 1, 2010 05:34 PM My favorite memory of kindergarten with Mrs. Sutliff was climbing on the big train that was in our classroom. Our class was held in the auditorium at Oneonta Elementary School because there was a real space crunch at the school at the time. The BIG wooden locomotive that we could climb on was a real attraction. I remember getting my photo taken on the train and it was in the South Pasadena newspaper and I felt like celebrity because of it! Paula Johnson Furst
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Bill Sampson
Class Of '64
 Posts: 8 View Profile |
RE: My Teachers in South Pasadena Posted Wednesday, June 2, 2010 03:47 PM The best thing about Coach Carroll Edwards was that he owned a 356 Porsche coupe. I'm guessing it was a B (59-62) since I know he had it when I was in 9th grade in 61 but I don't remember well enough to know if it was an A (55-58). It was Ivory. We've got a 64 C Coupe now - I wish I had had it back then. |
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