Mrs. Glogowski

In fifth grade, I finally returned to public school, after two years of asking my parents to let me do so. I was restless and wanted a “normal” school experience. Public schooling gave me the perspective I needed to appreciate my WVCS experience. I felt a bit alien, though, coming from my self-directed education and lone classmates to a class of twenty in a grade of 105. Lehman-Jackson Elementary School was one of two elementary schools in the Lake Lehman School District. The kids at L-J came from the vast farmlands of western Luzerne County. We were a fairly homogeneous bunch, from a similar SES background ranging from rural poor to middle class kids. No one appeared to be too high in the SES bracket there. I learned what curse words were there.

I remember the early bloomer in our grade, Marc Ronczka. Marc had become quite tall in the summer between fourth and fifth grade, and he had longish hair, and his voice had prematurely lowered, and all the girls thought he was dreamy. I, on the other hand, was definitely firmly entrenched in an awkward chubby phase. I was experimenting with fashion (not a good idea for a 10-year old) and wasted many hours of my life fixated on my hair. At the time I thought my hair was fashion-forward. Looking back, it was kind of a cross between a pompadour and a waterfall. I'd post photos if I were less embarrassed.

My fifth grade teacher was a dynamite elementary school teacher with just the right blend of experience, enthusiasm, and platinum blonde hair. Marilyn Glogowski stood out, even at that young age. I remember thinking, "Man, this lady is good at teaching." I'd had plenty of good teachers before. My mom was, is and remains the finest teacher I've had. Yvonne Marshall was a family friend who'd been my vacation Bible school teacher, Sunday school teacher and teacher-mentor at WVCS. Dad was my coach in more ways than one, and Yvonne's husband Fred was also a Little League coach of mine who'd had a real impact. These people were great, but I think with Mrs. Glogowski I was finally just barely old enough to start to notice and appreciate good teaching while it was happening. Marilyn is now the Principal of Lehman-Jackson Elementary, I'm proud to say, and she would probably still recognize all of us 5th graders to this day, even as we're shaking her hand at the age of 30. That's how sharp she is.