Gym teacher had to bear the bad news

The day Kennedy was assisinated, I was a physical education teacher in Ocala, Fla. I taught in a unique school setup where we had all the seventh graders in the county. My last class was finishing up in the gym that day, and were unable to hear our principal make the announcement on the intercom. He then walked over to the gym to tell me while the girls were changing into street clothes to go home for the day. He said to get them together and give them the news.

When they were finished changing, they met, as usual, on the front steps of the gym to be dismissed. I told them I had some very sad news for them, and they should talk about it with their families when they got home. I then said that the president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, had been killed by gunfire while he was in a motorcade in Dallas. These 12-year-olds were devastated; most burst into tears as they made their way home or to their bus.

Karen Schlabach

Glen Ellyn, IL