Report Cards for Brookvale High School
The “Report Card” has always been a measure of academic standing from kindergarten to high school. There was no middle school or preschool in the Black community in the 1960’s.
All of the teachers that have poured education into the lives of their students, have done so out of commitment and dedication.
Admit it, that as students, there were days when your dedication was on a high level, medium level and a day every once in a while, where daydreaming of doing other things floated around in your head in class. As the daydreams floated around pulling you into another realm of time and fun, the grades were still being processed, test for knowledge were still being administered. Your “attention” was definitely required.
On the “sponge” days, absorption was constant. Those daydream fun and sometimes talkative days could result in demerits in high school. The demerit is a penalty point system for violating a school rule. Go on, raise your hand if you received demerits for actions or choices you made…chewing gum in class, being tardy. What could be more fun than paying attention in class…. basketball games if you were a player or cheerleader, the bus ride to or from school, the talent shows, dancing at Churchill’s Beach or the utmost thoughts of your current or future heartthrob.
Keep your hand raised if you hung out too long at the locker, got caught kissing your sweetheart and gossiping with your peers. What was going on during the “free period”? Study hall or not studying at all!
The report card reflected all of the possible situations that were encountered in school. The teachers made notations on each subject page. The parents responded in kind. You responded accordingly and took it in stride good or bad. You knew what you had to do for your future endeavors.
Andrea Williamson Curtis
