On the Last Day of School

June / July 1961 (5th Grade / 11 years old)

For the last day of I wrote a short play which I remember performing with some of my class mates. My school was Naranca Elementry School in El Cajon, California. Teacher was Mrs. Marge Pottorff. (minor grammar and spelling errors were corrected, other wise I left it as it was originally written)

Characters

Girls:

Chrisi - Carolyn M.

Carolyn - Barbara T.

Joany - Bonnie C.

Christien - Cinda K.

Mrs. Pottorff - Dorrie V.C.

Boys:

Narrator - Frank G.

Mike - Jones

Mike W. - Mike W.

Tony - Tony L.

Sammy - Don

Scene:

at school, children are seated quietly

Teacher:

Now children, open your spelling books

Narrator:

(wait awhile)

When they were finished, they put their books away and began talking.

Teacher:

Quiet please! Now I want Chris to watch the class while I'm gone.

Narrator:

The teacher left and the children began talking.

Mike W.:

Let's play a joke on the teacher when she gets back.

Carolyn:

What would we do?

Mike W.:

We will throw all her papers on the floor.

Joany:

What about Chris? She might tell.

Mike W.:

I don't thnk she will, I hope.

Mike:

Will you Chris?

Chris:

No, I want to be in on it! But so the teacher won't get mad at me, I'll say I had to go to the office and come in after she's come back.

Tony:

What if she's in the office?

Chris:

Well, I'll say that a teacher wanted me to help her with something.

Christien:

Hurry! She's coming out of the office, so Chris go the back way!

Narrator:

Chris leaves and teacher enters.

Teacher:

What happened? What have you been doing and where is Chris??

Tony:

She had to help a teacher.

Teacher:

Well then, how did this happen?

Mike W.:

The wind blew the papers all on the floor.

Sammy:

Teacher, may I get something out of your desk?

Teacher:

Yes, Sammy, you may.

Mike W.:

Don't forget the tack!

Sammy:

I don't have one!

Mike W.:

That's what you take out of her desk!

Teacher:

Take your arithmetic books out children.

Tony:

What? more work?

Teacher:

Put your name on the board, Tony.

Tony:

Shut up!

Narrator:

Chris enters

Teacher:

Where have you been, Chris?

Chris:

Helping a teacher.

Teacher:

Well, next time have someone else do it so that you can be in charge! Hurry and get what you want, Sammy, and get to your seat.

Sammy:

I found it!

Teacher:

Get to your work and I'll grade papers. OUCH!! (children laughing) Stop laughing!

Narrator:

There was silence.

Christien:

I know who did it! Sammy did it!

Teacher:

Well, put your name on the board, Sammy.

Christien:

The whole class was in on the paper throwing gag.

Teacher:

The whole class will stay after school but Christien.

Mike:

She was in on it, too!

Teacher:

This is the last day of school and we were going to have a party, but there will be no party.

Mike W.:

That dumb Christien had to tell on us!

Teacher:

Finish your work right now!

Narrator:

Bell rang, children went to recess.

Mike W.:

That dumb Christien. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't be in this mess!

Narrator:

Bell rang, children come in.

Teacher:

I decided it would be OK to have the party if you are good the rest of the day.

Narrator:

at 2:00 the children had their party.

Carolyn:

This is the best party I have ever had.

Mike W.:

Yummy, yummy. This ice cream is good!

Carolyn:

Cold, too.

Narrator:

(wait awhile)

When the party was over, it was 2:30.

Teacher:

I'm going to help the room mothers, so wait here a minute.

Mike W.:

Do you want to pull another trick on the teacher?

Mike:

Yes, but what about Chrisien?

Tony:

Well, how about asking her if she will tell?

Mike W.:

OK. Will you go along with it and not tell, Chrisien?

Christien:

OK, I won't tell.

Chris:

This time I won't leave. I'll say the wind blew and threw her papers.

Joany:

Well, your not in charge this time, no one is.

Tony:

That's right!

Narrator:

Teacher enters.

Teacher:

What happened here? Did you throw the papers again?

Chris:

The wind blew in.

Joany:

That's right. We tried to save the papers but couldn't.

Teacher:

Why aren't you picking them up now?

Joany:

We heard you coming and ran to our seats.

Teacher:

Well, you still stay after school.

Narrator:

At 3:00 they were waiting to go home.

Teacher:

Why did you throw the papers all over the floor? And no excuse for going to help a teacher, Chris, because I asked all the teachers and they all said they didn't need help.

Mike W.:

We wanted to pull a trick on you.

Sammy:

Yah and I was to put the tack on your chair for a trick, also.

Teacher:

Well, at least I will have some rest tomorrow and the weeks following for 2 months because this is the last day of school! Well, go home now and have a good summer!

Narrator:

At 3:30 they were excused and ran home.

The End

Things needed:

1. ice cream on dishes

2. forks and spoons

3. paper on desk

4. arithmetic and spelling books

5. tack