The end of primary school

I finished primary school in 1962. It had been a very happy time for me. I had my group of friends, liked most of the teachers I'd had and enjoyed the learning.

The years at primary school had passed by so easily that I wrack my brain (unsuccessfully) to remember teachers' names. In those days teachers didn't appear in school photos along with their class, which is a pity, because I'd probably have a greater chance of remembering.

I do remember Mrs Snedden who was our sixth grade teacher for part of the year. She had always been the teacher of 6A and we had all been a bit afraid of her because she seemed very stern. She was a heavy smoker and her clothes reeked of cigarette smoke. She was constantly sucking musk Lifesavers during class which she smuggled into her mouth via a hanky and pretending to blow her nose. We all knew what was happening and were highly amused.

Mrs Snedden died of lung cancer. She left suddenly during the year. We collected up money and bought her a toilet bag filled with talc and lotion, facecloth and soap and lots of rolls of musk Lifesavers and a couple of girls delivered it to the hospital. She was very touched. We weren't told when she died as in those days it was thought that children shouldn't know about these grim facts.

A lovely young teacher from New Zealand replaced Mrs Snedden. She taught us the New Zealand love song 'Pokarekare Ana' and I still pretty much remember the words. Also we made 'pois', the balls on string that Maori women twirl when they sing and dance and we became proficient enough to perform for assembly.

All through Infants' and Primary school we received 1/3 pint of milk to drink at recess time. Lots of kids hated the milk which was often warm but I didn't mind and drank it up with no ill effects. Others weren't so lucky and would vomit it plus their morning tea as well as breakfast. We were pretty used to people vomiting as it happened nearly every day. When school milk stopped being issued the morning vomiting epidemic stopped as well! Surprise! Surprise!

I remember the after effects of one vomiting episode most vividly when I was in sixth grade. Someone threw up hugely right in the middle of the doorway to our classroom. As was the custom, strawdust which protected the chalk in their boxes, was sprinkled on the smelly pile.

We had a girl in our class who was extremely academically clever and was like an absent minded professor. Her head was in the clouds apart from when she was doing schoolwork. She lived with her grandparents and had her hanky pinned to her uniform because she would forget it otherwise. She forgot to brush her hair, left most of her buttons undone and never polished her shoes. When I discussed her recently with some teacher friends we decided that she probably was somewhere on the autism spectrum which wasn't recognised then. We all took her under our wings and pointed her in the right direction.

On the day of the big pile of vomit in the doorway the whole class was sitting at their desks but as usual C. had forgotten the time, probably realised that she was alone in the playground and drifted up to the classroom. When she appeared we all shrieked, "Look out for the vomit!!!!" Surprised she looked at us and as her foot went splosh right into the middle of the pile she said, "What vomit?" Of course we all shrieked some more after that.

It was nice being the eldest students at school. Occasionally some of us would be chosen to go and help community nurses when the younger children were being immunised or we would go down to the Infants' school and read to the littlies.

Eventually the end of the year and the end of our primary schooling arrived. We all had autograph books which our classmates and teachers signed. Many people wrote little poems or drew pictures. We had the usual end-of-year class party and there was a special assembly on the last day of term before the Christmas holidays at which all of sixth grade stood on the stage and was applauded by the teachers and all the other students. We walked out through the middle of the assembled classes and that was it.

Lots of girls were crying hysterically, hugging each other and carrying on as though it was the end of the world. I was really looking forward to high school so was fairly surprised at this show of grief. Plenty of girls, including all my friends were going to Cremorne Girls' High, so I knew I'd see nearly everyone again.

I got my school case filled with end-of-year detritus, said goodbye to my teacher and friends and went home filled with the delicious anticipation of six weeks of holiday followed by a new academic adventure.