Author Topic: Holy Trinity School 1950's  (Read 12461 times)

Offline prospectgirl

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Holy Trinity School 1950's
« on: January 10, 2009, 05:02:46 AM »
Does anyone remember any of the names of the Sisters of Charity who taught at HTS throughout the 1950's.
I remember Sister Rita...1st grade; Sister Elizabeth...2nd grade (who was transferred somewhere else mid- 50's, but don't remember where she went or who replaced her); Sister Joseph...3rd grade; and a woman who was not a nun who taught 4th grade; Sister Vincent 5th?; Sister ( Agnes?) 6th?; Sister Claire (mother superior?)7th?;Sister Juliana 8th? Anyone out there with a clearer memory or access to actual data such as an old year book? Has anyone else on the board attended during that period, or remember someone else who did?
« Last Edit: January 10, 2009, 05:04:18 AM by prospectgirl »



Offline Editor

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Re: Holy Trinity School 1950's
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2009, 10:50:14 AM »
I went in the 70's-80's and remember Sister Catherine Rose and Sister Rita.

I also remember Sister Emily who I saw at the Holy Trinity Carnival last year.  She's picked me out of a crowd from 30 feet away (not having seen me for 20 years) and said "now which Dib are you?".

Sister Anne Marie and St. Mary Hart were two of my favorites. 
« Last Edit: January 10, 2009, 10:54:14 AM by Editor »

Offline BLeafe

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Re: Holy Trinity School 1950's
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2009, 11:26:54 AM »
Does anyone remember any of the names of the Sisters of Charity who taught at HTS throughout the 1950's.
I remember Sister Rita...1st grade; Sister Elizabeth...2nd grade (who was transferred somewhere else mid- 50's, but don't remember where she went or who replaced her); Sister Joseph...3rd grade; and a woman who was not a nun who taught 4th grade; Sister Vincent 5th?; Sister ( Agnes?) 6th?; Sister Claire (mother superior?)7th?;Sister Juliana 8th? Anyone out there with a clearer memory or access to actual data such as an old year book? Has anyone else on the board attended during that period, or remember someone else who did?

Mrs. Frasca taught 4th grade when I was there - my last year in the old building. I don't remember Sr. Claire teaching - though I'm sure she did - I just recall her being principal.

There were 2 Sr. Margarets - fat and skinny - who I remember from my first year in the new HTS, but I'm not sure if they were in the old building. They taught 6th and 7th grade.

There are some other HTS threads you might find interesting on this site, so work that search box.



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Offline Warren from Summit Ave

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Re: Holy Trinity School 1950's
« Reply #3 on: August 14, 2009, 05:31:53 PM »
I stated going to First Communion preparation classes for public school students in early 1955, in the old building. We moved back to Hackensack in the middle of my first grade and there was no room so I went to Fairmount until the end of third grade. They had catechism class in the old school every Sunday after 10 o'clock Mass. When I started fourth grade (1957-58 school year) the brand new Holy Trinity grammar school opened, and the high school students continued to use the old building until the end of that school year. I used to go to the high school basketball games, held in the gym in the grammar school (though the grammar school had no gym classes!) to watch my upstairs neighbor, Kevin McKegney play. My fourth grade teacher that year was a Mrs. Benson, but she didn't finish the school year (no one knew why) and she was replaced by a Mrs. Fiori. Someone mentioned a Sister Liboria. I think she was the fifth grade teacher across the hall from us. My teacher sent me to her because I had turned during class and WHISPERED something to a classmate. (The teacher, apparently, was incapable of handling such a major, life-threatening incident herself!) I waited respectfully for Sister to finish her conversation and she glared at me, saying: "What are you standing there looking at me sad-eyed for? What do you want, a poke in the eye?" She told me and the other juvenile delinquent to write "obedience" 50 times. No, I'm not one of those disaffected Catholics who is still bitter. I had three very pleasant years at St. Paul's in Ramsey from sixth through eighth grade (1959-1962) and they also had Sisters of Charity, but those sisters were caring and kind.

Offline Long Ago

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Re: Holy Trinity School 1950's
« Reply #4 on: April 18, 2016, 10:53:07 AM »
My comments are in response to several questions asked by prospectgirl and others in earlier threads on this site about Holy Trinity School. 

I attended HTS from grades 7 through 9 in the original old building during the early-1950s.  Sister Alice was the Mother Superior.  My teachers were Sister Margaret for 7th grade, Sister Juliana for 8th grade, and I had a religion class from Sister Jude in 9th grade.  Sisters Margaret and Jude were thin, but Sister Juliana was quite heavy (300 lbs.?).  You could almost always tell when she was coming down the hallway because the floorboards would creak beneath her.

All of these sisters were quite strict in the classroom.  Sister Juliana accepted no nonsense and often maintained discipline among the boys by slapping them hard about the face and head if they misbehaved.  Even Sister Margaret was not beyond an occasional rap across the knuckles with her blackboard pointer. 

The thing I remember most about Sister Margaret was her habit of lining up all the students around the perimeter of the classroom and then quizzing each person about homework assignments.  Homework often involved going to the Johnson Public Library to look up authors of famous quotations.  If you answered her questions correctly, you moved up in line to replace those who answered incorrectly.  If you actually made it to #1, then you got rewarded by being allowed to wear a special gold lapel pin.  Although this was supposed to be a motivational tool for the students, I’m sure it often caused kids at the back of the line to feel embarrassed, and if you were absent or late coming to class you were automatically sent to the back of the line.

Although 9th grade was technically a part of the high school, students did not go to multiple classrooms for their subjects.  Instead, 9th graders were all required to take the same subjects in one classroom and the various teachers would come by at different times during the day.  Girls all sat together on the left side of the room by the door and boys sat on the right side by the windows.  Sister Jude taught religion and she would always open the windows when she arrived, even on the coldest days in winter.  Some of my other teachers were Mr. Cafasso for algebra, Mr. Campanella for English, and Mr. Conlin for Latin (yes, believe it or not, taking Latin was a requirement at that time).

After 9th grade, I transferred to HHS and completed my high school education there, but I still have fond memories of my days at HTS.  After all these years, it is sometimes strange what you remember from your school years.  One of my most vivid memories at HTS is of a little boy who would sometimes come by on his tricycle to watch students during our lunch hour.  He was said to have cerebral palsy, and he had some difficulty controlling his neck muscles.  I tried to speak with him on a couple of occasions but he would never reply and would just look wistfully at all of the activity going on.  I wonder if anyone else remembers this very special little boy.


Offline from overlook ave

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Re: Holy Trinity School 1950's
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2016, 02:22:03 PM »
I finished 8 th grade in 62.  I remember the boy though no so little then.  I believe his mother was the organist at the church and lived close by.

Offline Long Ago

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Re: Holy Trinity School 1950's
« Reply #6 on: April 21, 2016, 02:02:39 PM »
Thanks for your input.  I hadn’t realized that the boy was the organist’s son.  It was tough growing up with such a severe disability back in those days, but I hope he’s been able to lead a fulfilling life.