From opening bell to dismissal, and everything in between.
I had the opportunity last summer to visit the schools from my youth. It was bittersweet as both St. Francis of Assisi School and Sacred Heart High School have closed.
It was at St. Francis that I realized something I hadn't before; elementary school -- especially for those of us who attended grades 1 through 8 in the same building - is a long stretch for a kid to spend in one place.
Formerly St. Francis of Assisi School, the building is now home to the Compass Academy Charter School. The building that was once home to St. Francis of Assisi School looked almost the same last summer as it did when I attended decades ago. Except for air conditioners and a new sign for the current occupants, a public charter school, it appeared virtually unchanged.
MORE: Vintage photos around New Jersey
But it also occurred to me just how much a child's life changed along the length of the single hallway inside that building.
We entered as babies, really, first graders who were spending most of the day away from home for the very first time. We progressed up that hallway, and eventually left at the other end of the building as teenagers, only a few years short of adulthood.
Eight of the most important years of our lives, measured in numbered doors alternating even and odd along an unchanging hall.
Funny - so many times back then, I couldn't wait to get out; that day this past summer, I almost couldn't bring myself to leave.
Here's a vintage gallery of schools, students and activities in New Jersey. And here are links to other school galleries you'll enjoy.
Vintage photos of education in N.J.
Vintage photos of N.J. schools and schoolchildren
Vintage photos of going back to school in N.J.
Greg Hatala may be reached at ghatala@starledger.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregHatala. Find Greg Hatala on Facebook.