📷‘Old school’ photos, memories shared by Orlando anchors, reporters

ORLANDO, Fla. – As Central Florida children head back to school, the News 6 talent shared what their school experiences were like with some throwback photos.

They discussed back-to-school memories, teachers who impacted their lives and what they wanted to be when they grew up.

News 6 Meteorologist Troy Bridges said when he was a kid, his mom sang a special song to wake him up on the first day of school.

“My mom always sang the old song ‘School days... school days... grand ol’ golden rule days...’ I hated that song,” Troy said.

[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]

News 6 Meteorologist Candace Campos shared this elementary school picture of herself, and this piece of advice.

“This little advice I try and give my girls: Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, smarter than you think and loved more than you know,” Candace said.

Justin Warmoth shared an unforgettable first-day-of-school memory when he attempted to sneak the family cat on the school bus in his second grade year.

“It was Griffy, my cat that I got two weeks before school. I loved Griffy, so I wanted him to come. I put him in my new backpack. He didn’t like it so he peed in my new bag all over my folders and my parents had to bring back the old backpack. I’ll never forget that, brings back some good memories,” Justin said.

Justin shared some old footage from his first day of second grade — click here to watch the video. The first clip shows him and his brother, Tyler, boarding the school bus in 1997. Of course, dad — Greg Warmoth — had to capture the milestone on camera. While Justin and Tyler appear excited to go to school, their younger brother, Logan, was not happy at all. He’s seen crying and attempting to run toward the bus to be with his brothers.

News 6 reporter Molly Reed said she had a unique experience in elementary school.

“Throughout elementary school, we moved several times and every couple of years I would switch schools. Although it was tough to make new friends at first, I now have friends all over the state of Florida!” she said.

News 6 reporter Mark Lehman said when he was a kid, he had interesting aspirations.

“According to kindergarten Mark, I wanted to be a ‘button pusher’ when I grew up. Some might say I pushed plenty of buttons as a kid,” Mark said.

While you would never guess today, News 6 Anchor Matt Austin was a shy child.

“I remember being so nervous for the first day of school. I was a shy kid and the thought of classrooms filled with new people terrified me when it should have excited me,” Matt said.

News 6 Anchor Crystal Moyer said she’s always wanted to be a journalist, even as a young child.

“I wanted to be a successful journalist like Oprah growing up and kicked off my career reading the lunch menu for the morning announcements in elementary school. I also anchored the school news when I attended Kennedy Middle School and Rockledge High School. I hope none of those old tapes turn up somewhere,” Crystal said.

News 6 reporter Troy Campbell remembers a teacher who made an impact on his first day of second grade.

“I started a new school when I was in the second grade. I remember crying almost the entire day, anxious and saddened by the change. Luckily, I was placed in Ms. Josephs’ class. Ms. Josephs was a first-year teacher, just out of college. I had moved from a school where I was placed in a smaller group setting when it was time for anything related to reading. It was just myself and about five other kids, all who struggled to read. Before meeting Ms. Josephs, my young self started to accept that reading and writing may not be in the cards for me. Everything changed when I entered Ms. Josephs’ classroom. I remember her sitting next to me, in a classroom of 20 other kids. She went through every reading question with me and was diligent that I got the education she felt I was capable of, while also tending to the other students. By year’s end, I no longer needed assistance with reading or writing. Well, fast-forward some 25 years later, and let’s just say I read faster than most, and I write for a living. It’s admirable to reflect it was a young, first-year teacher, just out of college that stepped in at such a pivotal moment in my life. I’m very blessed to have had such great educations throughout the years,” Troy said.

Lisa Bell shared this old school picture decked out in pigtails and yellow bows.

“Gosh, back to school feels so long ago! I can’t remember any specific memories, but I do recollect the sadness of summer being over, the dread of months’ worth of homework, but the excitement of a new and different year and to see my school friends again,” said News 6 Sports Director Jamie Seh.

Erik Sandoval always made sure to give his pup a squeeze before heading off to school. He said there was one teacher who made a lasting impact.

“Ms. Mona Dawer was my fourth-grade teacher in San Jose, California. I was a pudgy fourth grader. She took me under her wing to not only make me feel more confident about myself but also taught me a lot of empathy for my fellow students,” Erik said.

“I remember always being anxious the night before the first day of school. I was too excited! I was always looking forward to using all my new supplies. I still have an obsession with crayons,” said News 6 reporter Ezzy Castro.

You can share your back-to-school photos with News 6 using our PinIt page. We may even feature you photos during our newscasts.

You can listen to every episode of Florida’s Fourth Estate in the media player below: