A few unconnected snippets come to mind about my time at
Elwood Central in the 1960s. I recall the great big tree in the front courtyard
facing Scott St. I and three other girls, had lunch there on my first day at the
school. All of us were new to the school on the day. The tree was magnificent.
It provided shade on hot days and shelter on wet days. I recall walking along
the first floor verandah and peering into its canopy hoping to spot birds and
nests. Apart from the courtyard, the school-yard was grey concrete. I recall
that there were floor-boards which creaked on the first floor verandah. I came to know them
well.
In French class, in year 8, we had a French boy come to our class. It was
great fun to watch him trying to understand our Aussie French teacher speak
French. A very polite boy was he. I recall the ‘Pardon Monsieur’ being
voiced in a beautiful French accent.
In those days it was a ‘god given rule’
that all children had to be out of the building during recess no matter what. I
did not do this one cold winter day and together with 3 or 4 others was lined
up in the corridor and given the strap. It was a very light whisk on the back
of my legs, but not something, which would happen now. The rest is just a grey
non-defined blur of day to day routines.
In : 1960s
Tags:
elwood schooldays 1960s strap "french teacher" tree friendships