Show when I grow up" a Right now the Class of 1998 is disposed to love first grade despite rumors their days will be filled with spelling tests "I've liked every school I've been in" says Rohini Patel with worldly confidence Most of the children blush at the suggestion they might marry or have children but Justin Gartman openly savs he will "Hell have 20 kids" scoffs Doug Eoff Elisha Dow has even more specific plans: "I'm going to live in a green house with blue trim and my kids' names will be Cabby Lamont and Levon" "Can you believe it?" exclaims Leslie Blair the would-b"She wants to be a quarterback housewife!" Believing in progress the parents of the Gass of 1998 want a better life for their children They worry farming in Oklahofew indusma and Frederick's tries may not support such hope Jane Blair 31 Leslie's mother who has lived in four houses in her life — all in Frederick — dreads the inevitable moment her daughter will choose her own way "I know I'll just blink my eyes and she'll be gone To do the things Leslie talks about she'll have to leave" be But mothers insist their must be more indeSays Rose Sims who is after a divorce and remarried has a daughter in first grade: "When I was young I thought I'd marry and a man would take care of me But it doesn't happen that way I want it to be different for Sara" 30 sees her Cecilia Nuncio daughter Michelle already making heady advances "I hated school from the start" she says "My family spoke only Spanish I never spoke up in school The kids picked on me "Michelle is doing so well She has no problem with language vri tol if lY CORPS: John Bryant holding the apple likes to draw "monsters — scary ones — and funny people" He plans to live in Frederick in "a big brown and white house" Above Andre Connywerdy and Michelle Nuncio share paste Andre wants to be a cop Michelle plans to become a movie star APPLE DOWNTOWN: At right chelle Nuncio in dad Joe's arms with mom Cecilia sister Gina Joe a trash collector plays in a family U band daughters pendent iHii She gets good grades Maybe they're just average but I think that's fantastic — average I never did that well" As a child Mrs Faulconer the children's mentor in this pivotal year worshipped teachers and wanted to do well in school memories are Her from Vernon Texas 30 miles south of Frederick "I remember a spelling test The word was 'gun'" she recalls "And I spelled gum' It was wrong and it broke my heart" She also remembers that her mother had warm cookies waiting when she got home After graduation from West Texas State University Mrs Faulconer taught her first class in Carlsbad in 1949 She NM met her husband Buck on a blind date in Vernon He is a retired fire chief and head of the Frederick Sanitation Departhave 29 a a fedment They son eral bank examiner in Dallas Mrs Faulconer began teaching in Frederick in 959 and former remember her with great devotion "One time I got in trouble and she pinched my arm" says Randall Lewis vice president of the National Bank of Frederick "I don't even remember what I did It wasn't a big deal "She me out straightened right there" "I know some of them get to idolize you a bit" Mrs Faulconer quietly admits In April teachers in Frederick including several former pupils voted her 1986 Teacher of the Year Mrs Faulconer regrets to say that first graders' lives seem to have changed since she greeted her first class Fewer plates of warm cookies await them "There are so many broken homes and single parents — or homes where both parents work" she says "They don't have enough time to take care of the kiddos They're not being read to at home" Across the USA both parents work in 596 percent of families e with children Also 236 percent of this year's are being raised in households Mrs Faulconer believes this has added to the problems that come through her classroom door Some children already can read or are close to it For others this basic breakthrough can be far off or mysteriously difficult "Sometimes you worry even lose sleep over why a child can't read" she says But a good teacher is patient ever patient Mrs Faulconer will lovingly lead Leslie Michelle Ashante and the others though a labyrinth of new experiences The youngsters will change find new ambitions grow taller fill out into the shape of those they once knew as big kids At day's end Mrs Faulconer will leave a trademark signature on their work No day in first grade ends until she sings four lines an echo from the world of her youth: Work time is over Home we will go Mother is waiting For her little one What's ahead for 8 page 6 nnnnnoQQQnoQOQtmQnnnnnnnnnnnnpnfTrTnnnnnn I — r— rjDDooooBoootfoooooTrooTO Mike Arumugam Michelle Justin Gartman spin Benjamin Rozela cuts up Doug displays style Angelica Cantu heads USA Weekend home August 1986 5 |