Debbie Pratt:  

IT SEEMS SO LONG SINCE THE GREAT DAYS AT ST. CHARLES! THERE ARE SO MANY MEMORIES I CAN'T WRITE THEM ALL HERE. I RECALL THE FIRST DAY OF MY FRESHMAN YEAR AND MANY OF US WERE STANDING OUTSIDE INTRODUCING OURSELVES AND ONE CUTE LITTLE BLONDE TOLD US HER NAME WAS "CHEE CHEE". WE LATER FOUND OUT HER REAL NAME WAS CECELIA BUT CHEE-CHEE WAS HER NICKNAME. BUT FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS SHE WAS CHEE CHEE TO US. I RECALL MANY BUS DRIVES TO BASKETBALL GAMES AND MOTHER DENISE WOULD HAVE US PRAYING WHILE THE BUS LEFT THE SCHOOL PRAYING FOR A SAFE JOURNEY. MANY DAYS WHEN SCHOOL LET OUT THERE WAS STILL PLENTY TO DO SUCH AS CHORUS PRACTICE TWICE WEEKLY AND THEN HAVING TO WALK TO DOWNTOWN PROVIDENCE TO CATCH THE CITY BUS. OTHER DAYS SPENDING TIME WITH FRIENDS IN SODALITY AND THE GREAT RETREATS BY THE JESUITS. DAYS WERE FILLED WITH LEARNING, LAUGHTER, LUNCH, AND WALKING TO THE CORNER SHOP FOR PICKLES! SKIRTS PULLED UP AS SHORT AS WE COULD GET THEM, BLOUSES IRONED "ONLY IN THOSE PLACES WHERE THEY WOULD SHOW"--OUR SWEATERS OR BLAZERS WOULD COVER ...Expand for more