Lunch time, Kindergarten 1964, and I was sitting behind a boy on those very hot aluminium benches. To avoid burning his bottom, he sat on top of his lunch box with a very ripe banana between himself and his lunch box. I still have a very vivid memory of the melted banana oozing out of its skin, dripping over his shorts and onto the ground in a liquidised puddle. I've never eaten a banana since. Ms Halpin

I was every teacher's nightmare when I was in Kindergarten!! On the first day of school I ran home at recess because I'd had enough. They hadn't taught me to read and I still couldn't write my name, so what was the use of hanging around? When my mother brought me back I had some stern words for my teacher for so obviously failing me Mr. Hanlon

My first day in kindergarten holds fond
memories - my new friend Maree shared her
playlunch with me - 2 iced vovos.

Mrs. Salembeni

I remember riding home from school on my horse through a wild bush fire. It was very scary. Mrs. Davies

When I was a boy my mother made me wear my school uniform even when we went on holidays. Mr. Wallace

My first day at school brought my first detention! My brother
told me that I would have to be able to recite the alphabet so I
spent hours learning it and proudly raised my hand when we were
asked who knew the ABC. I confidently began to recite it but was
amazed when Mrs. McGillicuddy suddenly stopped me and told me
that she had never known a cheekier child. My dear brother had
taught it to me backwards.......beginning with "Z", and I had to
stay in at playtime to learn it the right way!

Miss Staple

I went to Turvey Park Demonstration School (in Wagga Wagga) where we all had to behave when the students were watching our lessons. Once I didn't behave myself - I didn't follow the teacher's script - and I called out a silly answer. I was caned by the Principal for acting this way. Mr. Wallace

I remember when I learned to write using a pen with a nib that had to be dipped into ink from an inkwell which sat in the corner of the desk. One of the classroom jobs was being the "Ink Monitor" which meant filling up all the inkwells. You needed blotting paper otherwise everything smudged. Mrs. Klein

What I remember most about this time at school is that, when I put my sports uniform on for the first time, I thought it would automatically make  me an elite athlete but it didn't. Debbie

A memorable moment from my primary school career was in Mrs. Wilson's class when my twin sister and I couldn't wait for the lunch bell to relieve ourselves so we opted for the sandpit instead. Jason

My schooldays...what do I remember? Prayers, marching, hats, gloves, inkwells, Perkins Paste, skipping ("if you miss a loop, you're out!"), times tables, Derwent coloured pencils, three of us sitting at each screw-down desk and seat, polio needles, being scared of getting into trouble, my mum waiting to meet me each afternoon. Mrs. Koffel

I remember one hot day in 1969 when our whole school stopped to watch some man jump out of a space ship and walk on the moon. I remember thinking that it was a huge trick and how well it worked to convince our teachers at school. A few years later I realised the huge feat that it really was. How could a man go so far to play on the moon? Mrs. Dunn

In the long twilight evenings I used to meet my friends on top of the coal bunkers and plan exciting adventures like ringing door- bells and hiding or following unsuspecting adults Ms Adam

I went to school in Yorkshire in the north of England. I remember trudging to school, up to my knees in the snow. If it was foggy you had to feel your way along the fence. Mrs Lakos

One thing that brings back memories of primary school are the wide variety of aromas. The musty smell of classrooms after they had been locked up for the Christmas holidays; the smell of Perkins Paste and Acrylic paint after the new masterpiece had been created; the mouthwatering smell of thick yellow cream on the freshly baked cream buns. No matter where I am or how old I'll be, I'll always have those aromatic memories Mr. Beames

One of my earliest memories is making my "debut" at the ripe old age of 5. The venue was Paddington Town Hall, the year 1951. My Kindergarten class all took part in this "huge" event. My partner, whose name was Gary, lived near us. Sadly I never met any of that class again, as my family went to live in Kogarah the very next year and I didn't return to the Eastern Suburbs to live again until after I was married. Mrs. Heavener

School in Year 1 was a mysterious situation in which to find myself. It was like
an all day game of "Let's Pretend". The teacher would ask us to "pull our socks up".
On inspecting mine, I found they were already in position. I watched the
other students and they all bent and did a curious thing. They pretended that
their socks were down and proceeded to pull them up! I soon realised that
to keep the teacher happy, I needed to play along. I was alarmed when she asked
us to put our "thinking caps" on, because I didn't have one. The other children
didn't either, but that didn't stop them! All the arms reached up and carefully
and meticulously arranged this headgear which I couldn't see.
A strange place indeed!

A.K.

Music Now Playing : The Way We Were

        

Go LEFT to the Contents Page - Go RIGHT to "The Parents Reminisce" Page.