Racebrook Orange 6th Grade

Racebrook Orange 6th Grade.

Carl P. Aveni was my first male teacher ever. I was a bit nervous, wondering if a man might be more strict or intimidating than a woman.

First grade – Miss Duke
Second Grade – Mrs. Napoli
Third Grade – Mrs. Legoullan
Fourth Grad – Miss Troy
Fifth Grade – Miss Troy

Mr. Aveni was one of the most inspiring people in my life, next to Edward Karoll in Amity High, and Carl Yohans in 7th grade geometry (well, also, Mr. David Baumgartner for Sophomore American Literature).

Each and every day, Mr. Aveni would write one proverb on the blackboard. We were responsible for writing down each proverb in a notebook, and had to hand in the notebook each marking period for inspection.

When I was in my 30s, my father looked up from his Time Magazine and asked me what were the four kinds of people, thinking I would be stumped. I don’t know why, but I told him one of the proverbs that Mr. Aveni wrote on the board:

He who knows not and knows not that he knows not, he is a fool; shun him.

He who knows not and knows that he knows not, he is simple; teach him.

He who knows and knows not that he knows, he is asleep; wake him.

He who knows and knows that he knows, he is a leader; follow him.

My father was in total shock that I would come up with the answer. I was rather shocked myself, for it simply came into my head that this particular proverb represented the four kinds of people.

That year, Louis Esparo worked as a teacher trainee. Lou Esparo skyrocketed in his career, and in a few years was principal of Racebrook Elementary in Orange.