Museum of Science and Industry

When I was in the seventh grade at Howalton Day School I and my classmates plus the boy I had a crush on Timothy King had a picnic at Jackson Park! We had a picnic lunch and drinks plus played games! Then we walked to the museum of science and industry! We saw all the exhibits plus the coal mine! It was a fun day for me and all of my classmates! It was a beautiful day all around and I plus my classmates will never forget it as long as we lived! I just wished that Timothy King would have sat next to me in the coal mine ride then it would be a that I will never forget!

L.A, Hawaii and San Francisco

When I was in the fifth or sixth grade and was a student at Howalton Day School my parents and I went on a summer vacation to L.A, Hawaii and San Francisco! First we went to L.A! L.A had perfect weather and I and my parents did everything! We went to a German restaurant, Mohland  Drive and Universal Studios! Next was Oahu, Hawaii and my parents and I did everything there too! We went on tour, church and a luwow. I spend most of my time either pool side or on Wakiki beach! Our last stop on our way home was San Francisco! San Francisco was the coldest place of our trip! We went to Fisherman Whaif  and seen many of the sights! Than home and there no place like it!

Mayfair Academy

When I was a student at Howalton Day School and lived on 79th street there was this dance school called Mayfair Academy the jewel of the south side of Chicago! Annette and Karen took ballet and tap dancing lessons there and the first lady Michelle Obama took dance lesson there! This famous dance academy taught a many of famous people! Mayfair Academy was beloved by a many of students all over Chicago! I didn't take dance lessons there, but took them some place else! I took ballet lessons at Avalon Community church and at gym at school! Mayfair Dance Academy is closed now due to low student enrollment! Hopefully it will reopen soon!

National Grocery Store

When I was a girl growing up I live on 79th street and Kimbark! I was also a student at Howalton Day School! There was a grocery store in the neighborhood called National grocery store! I remember this because me and my mother shopped there a lot! When we shopped at National it was a nice store! I would ride in the shopping cart while mom did her grocery shopping! Back in the day the neighborhood was the bomb! There was also Red Carpet liquor store, a neighborhood dry cleaners, and Sears and Robucks! National grocery store close it doors when some of the people in the neighborhood that the store didn't sell any soul food! The building changed from National into a welfare office, walgreens, and finally a family dollar store!

Nigerian Princess for a day

When I was going to Howalton Day School I took African studies and my teacher name was Mister Eco! He would visit my house and my parents bearing gifts! So one day he dressed me up in his native cloth from Nigeria! I looked like a Nigerian princess! There was good events in that school. When he dressed me up it was during an event in the school! I felt very special! Mister Eco was the African studies teacher from kindergarden to eighth grades!

Block Party: 1974-1977

When I was going to Howalton Day School and lived in a house on 79th and Kimbark the whole block had block parties! I remember this because I was riding my big wheels when I was a little girl! Me and my neighbors had a lot of fun in those days! The years the block had those parties was from the time that I was in the second to firth grades! The fun ended when people from other blocks started out running the neighborhood kids and that what ended the block parties! While the block parties was going on there was food and fun!

Avalon Community Church: Horse Riding Trip

When I was a student at Howalton Day School and a member of Avalon community church we went to the stables of the suburbs outside Chicago to go horse back riding! There was me, Brandon,Karen,Kimberly and Annette. The horse back riding trip was fun for the first time that I rode on horse back and I was a natural! It was the most fun I had during my childhood! It was a time that I will never forget as a member of that church!

Preschool and Kindergarden

When I was three or four years old the neighborhood where I grew up founded a preschool in the house where I was raised up! Karen, Joyce, Brandon , Ann and Annette was a part of it! They help out because they was already enrolled in Howalton Day School! I was enrolled in that preschool when the whole block was a real village as it goes the proverb It  takes a village to raise a child! Everybody knew each other and cared for each others children! It was one the wonderful times in my childhood!

My spectacular dive

When I was a upper classman in Howalton Day School I and my classmates went to the Y.M.C.A for swimming and gym classes! In swim class I and my classmates had to dive in the deep end of the swimming pool. When it was my turn I got on the diving stand and did a spectacular swan dive and everyone clapped for me. That was the best swimming class of my life ! I bet my classmates are talking about it till this day!

Markham Roller Rink: Skateing Party Part Two

When I went to Howalton Day School I lived on 79th and Kimbark and one summer me, my parents and some of the neighbors went to a skating party in Markham, Il. Markham rolling rink was the biggest most beautiful place in the state! On the walls of that rolling rink was the names of every high school in Chicago plus the high school I went to and my sisters high school. In this roller rink was a smaller rink where you can practice your skating. This skating party had a lot of food and fun! It was a wonderful afternoon!

Movies: Grease-1978 and Flash Gordon-1980

When I was a student at Howalton Day School I and my classmates saw plenty of movies! One we saw in 1978 starring Olivia Newton John and John T in Grease! This movie we loved because we could sing along with the songs and we sang every line of the songs! We sang Oh what a summers nights and We stay together! In Flash Gordon we remembered every line that was said! I along with my classmates saw Grease in the sixth grade and Flash Gordon in the eighth!

Peabo Bryson

When I was a student at Howalton Day School my older sister gave my first LP record album. That's when records were made of vinyl or rubber. The name of album was Peabo Bryson's Reaching for the sky or Feel the fire! The album was boring at first then the album grew on me! That when I first started to begin loving music! That wasn't the only vinyl record LP that I listened to! I listened to the Isley Brothers Winner takes all, L T D, The Brothers Johnson and Earth, wind and Fire. I will be old school until my last day on earth!

Where are my classmates now!

The graduates of Howalton Day School class of 1981 are in very good places in life! I Cheryl Green had three jobs, took three computer classes and volunteered at the library and plan to go back to college! Sonia Philix  I guess has a career in politics and is in a sorority, Toyia James works as a secretary in Jackson Park Hospital or has a better job someplace else, Tellis is a retired Marine and Kimberly Hern is a married lady! The rest of my classmates has passed away or has great careers too!

Howalton Classes

When I went to Howalton Day School I took many classes from 1972 to 1981. I took mathematics, African Studies, Reading, Literature, Social Studies, History, Spanish, Art, Science, Music, Swim and Gym classes. The teachers there were very informant and helpful. The teachers there also helped each student one on one! By the time the teachers were finish with each student we were well rounded!

Randy Jackson's Car Accident

When I went to Howalton day school I rode Mr.Draper's bus and heard on the radio about Randy Jackson's car accident in his brand new sports car! This happened in the late seventies and when it happened everybody was shocked and sadden! The D.J played every song the Jacksons made because everybody did not think he was going to make it! Two of Randy's legs was broken in two places! This was a very bad car accident! Everybody was very happy that Randy make it out alive!

History of Howalton Day School

Howalton Day School was started by three dedicated teachers who felt that the public school system wasn't working in favor of African American school children. The public school system was over crowded and there was behavior problems. Howalton Day School started in 1946 in bronzeville. The school at first was from preschool to kinegarden and as the years went on the school went from first grade to the eighth.

Earth,Wind and Fire: The soundtrack of my life

When I was a student at Howalton Day School I loved Earth, Wind and Fire. Besides Michael Jackson they was and still is the greatest soul band around. Their best songs was Love Holiday, On Your Face and Imagination. They played these songs in every skateing rink in Chicago and in all 50 states in America.The best is yet to come for this soul band as their c d drops with many new songs for generations to come!

Great America

When I went to Howalton Day School I rode Mr.Draper's school bus and one summer my family's club rented his school bus to great america. It was so much fun and I rode the demon rollercoaster and all the other rides. It rained that day and my sister's boyfriend Micheal Ian Howard hat got wet and he looked like a hillbilly. Everyone got wet because of the rain. Everyone had fun even if it did rain.

The beginning

When my sister Annette was in the first grade she went to the neighborhood school and the neighborhood was changing the teacher took mom to the side and told her to take Annette out of that school because of that reason! Avalon was becoming a bad school and this teacher told my mother about Howalton Day School! This teacher also told my mother not to send me to Avalon and to send me to Howalton Day School! The rest was history and it was a good one!

Hairstyles: 1972-1981

When I was in Howalton Day School from kindergarden to the sixth grade I wore a press and curl,but when I was in the seventh grade I got my first prem. I was 12 years old and with that prem I had a many of hairstyles. There was the style where the front of my hair was cut short and the back stayed long. There was the mustroom and many styles in between. I am sure my classmates had many interesting hairstyles too. The boys hair stayed the same and me and my female friends had a many interesting hairstyles too. When I was fourteen and graduating eighth grade my hair was cut short in the front and long in the back. Basicly it was the same hairstyle I had when I first got my prem.