School books, late 50s to 60s Queens NY

 I went to a Catholic elementary school but I think it was the same for public school, although they had less books.

You had to have a school bag to carry books and anything else you needed on a daily basis. Although your desk had a storage area you could only leave certain things in it and at times, you had to empty it every day.  This started in First grade.

At first the wood desk top would open for the storage,  later in the mid  60s the new desks had storage under the seat.  This is similar to what  our first desk looked like. 

After you got your books you had to have all your books covered. You would be in a lot of trouble if you went back to school on Monday with your books uncovered! Since we were 5 kids in the family, my parents had a large roller of brown paper in the closet.  It lasted many years and also covered all my cousin's books downstairs. 

We all learned how to cover books using paper bags too. This is what they looked like.

Then we would write the name of the book on the front. 

We had to carry many books back and forth. The higher the grade the more books. Many of us had calluses on the pads of our palms from carrying the school bag. I can remember switching hands and at times just having to put the schoolbag down and rest before continuing to walk to school.

I could not find one of the schoolbags I used but this gives you an idea.

 

Besides carrying this,  at times I also had to carry a lunchbox.  I walked a half a mile to school most of the time. 

Most of our books were thick and heavy. Most had to be carried back and forth from school. Our books included: 

History

Geography. Later, these would be combined into Social Studies.

Reading/English

Science

Math

Religion

Spelling

Some of those subjects might require more than one book.

Loose Leaf Binder/loose leaf paper

Note books

Then we had pens/pencils erasers ruler etc. 

We would have to empty our schoolbag into our desk and the school bag had to go in the back of the room. We did not change rooms. We were taught by one nun in the same classroom. 

I went to a public high school, at that time I used a shoulder schoolbag, like a pocketbook, when I went there because that was the style.  We changed rooms rooms with every subject and changed teachers. Maybe  I'll do high school another day.