Our Days At...
Our Lady Of Good Counsel Elementary School
Page 4
IN THE SEVENTH GRADE, THE ALTAR BOYS TOOK ON THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVENING RECTORY DUTY FOR THE PARISH IN ADDITION TO THEIR ASSIGNMENTS OF SERVING MASS. NOT TO FORGET, THE NEW YORK WORLD'S FAIR, IN THE SUMMER OF ’65 .HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE BLACKOUT THAT EFFECTED THE NORTHEAST? IT WAS NOVEMBER 9, 1965. REMEMBER HOW IT STRUCK NEW YORK CITY? IT WAS REALLY LIGHTS OUT IN THE BIG APPLE AND ALL OF US WERE CONCERNED FOR THOSE INVOLVED IN THE CRISIS. “TURN, TURN, TURN” BY THE BYRDS CLIMBED INTO OUR MUSICAL MEMORIES, AND IN JUNE OF OUR SEVENTH GRADE YEAR WE SAW THE FIRST GRADUATING CLASS OF ALL GIRLS FROM OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL HIGH SCHOOL, CLASS OF 1966. ON A FINAL NOTE, WE WERE SORRY TO HEAR OF THE RECENT PASSING OF SISTER GRACE MERCEDES OF THE SISTERS OF SAINT JOSEPH.
THE EIGHTH GRADE WAS OUR LAST AND FINAL STOP AT OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THE BRITISH INVASION OF MUSIC WAS REACHING IT'S PEAK,
ACCOMPANIED BY THE HIPPIES AND "THE MOD LOOK", THE T.V. SERIES STAR TREK, TAKING OFF INTO SPACE, WHERE NO MAN HAS EVER GONE BEFORE, AND TOPPED OFF BY OUR EIGHTH GRADE TEACHER, SISTER ANN DE CHANTAL. IT WAS A BUSY SORT OF YEAR AS THE BOYS AND GIRLS WERE TAKING THEIR PLACEMENT TESTS TO SEE WHERE THEY WOULD BE GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL IN THE FALL. WITH OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL HIGH SCHOOL NOW FOR GIRLS ONLY, ESSEX CATHOLIC BECAME THE MOST POPULAR CHOICE OF HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BOYS PLANNING TO CONTINUE PURSUING A CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION. LATER IN THE SCHOOL YEAR, THE NATIONAL SCENE SAW THE UNITED STATES REACH A TOTAL POPULATION OF 200,000,000 PEOPLE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. ALSO THE MUSIC INDUSTRY REACHED RECORD SALES THAT EXCEEDED OVER A BILLION DOLLARS IN ONE YEAR. WHILE JANIS IAN’S CONTROVERSIAL “SOCIETY’S CHILD” WAS ESCALATING THE TOP TWENTY, SISTER ANN WORKED UNTIRINGLY TO HELP THE STUDENTS MAKE THE MOST OF THEIR SCHOLASTIC PREPARATIONS FOR HIGH SCHOOL. EASTER BREAK AT OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL IN OUR EIGHTH GRADE YEAR GREETED US WITH THE NEWS THAT MUHAMMAD ALI, FORMERLY CASSIUS CLAY, HAD BEEN STRIPPED OF HIS WORLD BOXING TITLE FOR REFUSING INDUCTANCE INTO THE MILITARY. IN MID JUNE, “GROOVIN'” BY THE RASCALS WAS THE NUMBER ONE RECORD AND, ON JUNE 17, 1967, OUR CLASS OF 55 STUDENTS, COMBINED WITH 2 OTHER EIGHTH GRADE CLASSES, GRADUATED FROM OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OUR COMMENCEMENT WAS HELD IN OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL CHURCH.
HERE IS OUR CURRENT FIRST GRADE CLASS OF OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
REMEMBER
AS WE WERE ALL LEAVING THE SCHOOL ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON, THE DAY BEFORE GRADUATION,
WE WENT OUT THE DOORS SINGING OUR UNOFFICIAL CLASS SONG, “DING DONG THE
WITCH IS DEAD”? THE IDEA CAME AS A RESULT OF A CURRENT TOP 20 HIT THAT
WEEK BY A SINGING GROUP CALLED “THE FIFTH ESTATE“. A SCHOOL TRIP TOPPED
OFF OUR GRADUATION. SOME OF THE BOYS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT EXPO ’67
IN MONTREAL, CANADA FOR 5 DAYS. A TRULY GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR US. JUST THINK...
ALL OF THE HISTORY, ALL THOSE THINGS WE EXPERIENCED AND LEARNED, ALL AT OUR
LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. WE MAY FORGET SOME PEOPLE, PLACES AND
THINGS IN OUR LIVES, BUT I HOPE NONE OF US WILL EVER FORGET ANY OF OUR DAYS
WE SPENT AT GOOD COUNSEL.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU GREAT PEOPLE, WHO HELPED ME IN MY PREPARATION FOR THIS LONG AWAITED PROJECT. MY DEEPEST APPRECIATION GOES OUT TO THE ALUMNI OF OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL HIGH SCHOOL. YOU GUYS PUT ME RIGHT BACK IN TIME!!!! CHRIS C., GREG, LYNDA, JIM, JACK, PAT, ELLEN, BARB AND CATHIE!!! YOUR THE BEST!!! I HOPE I DIDN’T FORGET ANYONE, AS THERE WERE SO MANY WHO GAVE ME SO MUCH GOOD STUFF!!!. YOU ALL MADE GOOD COUNSEL THE PLACE IT WAS, AND WILL ALWAYS CONTINUE TO BE IN OUR HEARTS. LET ME KNOW IF YOU ENJOYED THE WEB SITE BY SENDING ME AN EMAIL. [email protected] OH! I MUST ALSO THANK OUR LADY OF GOOD COUNSEL SCHOOL, ALONG WITH THE "WOODSIDERS" DRUM AND BUGLE CORPS, AND VICKE KANOWITH DI CHIRIA FOR THE USE OF YOUR GREAT PICTURES OF YOUR MOM AND DAD. IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THEM AGAIN.