Subjects I liked reading and writing
English. I didn’t like Maths, telling the time. I learned cooking and sewing. I
liked sewing so much. I wish that I had learnt more to be able to teach
children nowadays.
Teachers I remember Margaret Gieke,
Ruth Jones and that old Principal, Holt Thompson. Margaret was good because
every after school we went back to her place and talked to her. She was just
like a family to us. Holt Thompson was really open, going down to the
community, talking to people and parents in the camps about their children
going to school.
Culture We learned culture at home
and school too. Some of them old ladies that passed away, they taught us to
weave baskets and string bags. We learnt about skin names and culture side.
It’s a good thing to do to pass it on to children.
We had the literacy centre going. We used to come in and do cultural things, activities
Discipline We had to listen to the
teachers but at home we would not listen sometimes to our parents, but at
school it was really strict.
For punishment we would write up words. At
assembly we’d see people with shiny legs where the Principal gave the cane as
punishment.
People in the community at the council had
vehicles picking up children not at school. Teachers would write the names down
of children not at school and gave it to people in the vehicle to pick them up.
Friends My friends were Anita, Carol
(now at Manyallaluk) and Bernadette (now at Beswick). After school we got our
parents to give us money and we would race to the shop. We used to be together
buying suff – lollies, chips and drinks – and going down to that swimming pool
and have fun there until the sun goes down. Then we go back home. We used to
play around there too with older kids who would look after us.
We talked about boyfriends, have secrets we wouldn’t tell them other girls what was going on.
Clothes We
had old clothes and uniforms at high school, red dress with red and white top
and 2 pockets. It’s a really good idea to wear uniforms.
Sports and games We had the Red and White School Sports at the oval. There was an old caravan we would take to sell hot dogs and drinks. We did javelin, discus, Sprint, 400 metres. I was good at running and so was Anita and some other girls.
I liked athletics, netball and softball and basketball.
We
went for sports to Katherine for Region Sports at Tindal. We used to go to
Katherine for softball. We had netball on the basketball on the court near where BRACS is now.
The best players got picked to go to
Excursions and Entertainment We had Christmas concerts in
the hall with lots of chairs and parents used to come in. Other classes had
children with flowers and little skirts dancing to pearly Shells. We had a
school band. We had a concert coming here that had people on stilts. We got on
the stilts hanging on to the rope.
Reflections One time I didn’t want to go
to school because my friends didn’t want to go. We were hiding out in the house
but the people in the council vehicle knew we were there and came in to get us.
We were scared.
I didn’t worry about anything – I was happy at school. The only thing my parents worried about was taking my young brother back home after school so he would not get into trouble, like teasing. Now I worry about children not getting enough education and about teasing.
The funniest time that we had was when
Bernadette was at school and one time that principal, Phil Prince, he said to
all the children “If you finish your work come and show your work to me.
Bernadette finished her work and went up to the table. The teacher saw that
safety pin she had on her T-shirt and said “Hey, Bernadette, you got a little
child or what?” She turned around and she laughed at us. And we said “No. Nothing!”
Another thing that was funny was that we
raced to be at the front of the line up outside our class. We wouldn’t let
those other girls go at the front.
I was happy at school, not sad or scared.
The only time I was a bit scared was when the boys used to shoot pins at us
with rubber bands. The boys were sometimes our President, my brothers, Marcus
and Robert (Anita’s husband). All the people from the community working at the
school found out and told the Principal. The boys had to stay after school and
do words.
Boarding school was all different. My
teachers and parents decided I would go to boarding school. At first I felt a
little bit scared. I went with Anita, Mavis and Helen.
My advice to Go to school or you won’t get
anything. Keep going to school.
young people