At any rate I hope you find this interesting.
Jade.
Back in 1984 I started year 1 at Perth College in Mount Lawley, Western Australia, after coming from 4 years living in Asia. Perth College, as I remember it, it was a great school and I hated having to change schools at the end of year 1. It is a private, all girls Anglican school that caters for students from K - 12 with boarding facilities. Since I went there it has changed a great deal, now providing modern facilities to help students as society becomes more dependent on technology.
In 1985 I changed schools, mainly due to my Dad's job, and started the next three years of my education before moving on again. When I first arrived at Nedlands Primary I think I must have suffered a culture shock of immense proportions. I was comming from an all girls private school where most things were great, I had a good teacher that cared about her students, to a co-ed public school where there was often a lack of attention to detail.
Nedlands Primary School Web site
Later in '89, I started year 5, the school had just changed to a brand new, bigger campus (as if the old one wasn't mind boggling enough for a poor bewildered kid from Perth!). Year 5 came with a lot of ups and downs but what I can remember is mostly good. I think a lot of that is owed to my teacher Mrs Joyce Benes (If anyone knows her could you please contact me). Mrs Benes was a lovely person that remained a good friend through year six.
Year 6 signaled the end of elementary school and the start of middle school(and a whole new building to navigate). Year 6 turned out a little better that year 5 but yet again I can't remember that many bad points. The highlights of the year that I can remember were the production of "Cheaper By The Dozen" produced/directed by Mrs Nancy Mock who was also my year 4 teacher and year 6 English and Social Studies teacher. (If anyone knows her could you please contact me) There was also the Year 6 Camp to the south of Taiwan which was an interesting experience but also good fun.
At T.A.S. there were quite a few people that influenced my life and the education that I recieved put me ahead of the students back in Perth which was a big bonus when I had to leave Taiwan and go back to sleeply little Perth. The main people that influenced me in year 6 were:
Mrs Cherry Hart, my Computer teacher,
Ms Jean Bowden, my Study skills teacher,
Mrs Nancy Mock, my English and Social Studies teacher
Mrs Margaret Wort, my Maths teacher,
Mr Jonathan Weber, my Science teacher,
Mrs Su-Ru Chen, my violin teacher,
Mr Bob Forsgren, my sports teacher,
and Mrs Catherine Funk, the middle school principal.
Taipei American School Web Site
In the middle on 1991 my family moved, again, this time back to Perth and I was enrolled at Iona, an all girls catholic college. As I had only just compleated year 6 in Taiwan, and there was only a term or so left of the school year the staff at Iona Primary were not sure where to put me. I spent a few weeks in year 6 again with a lovely teacher, Sr Mai. It was then decided that I was to be put into year 7, where I was meant to be. Coming from the huge school in Taiwan were everyone had travelled overseas at some stage in their life, back to sleepy Perth where it was a novelty to travel was an immense culture shock. I slowly learned to deal with the ignorance that surrounded me. That year the year 7's were also due for their annual camp to Rottnest, a little island off the coast of WA which is often the only time that people get to travel "overseas". It was at this stage that I really noticed the way girls can be catty, something I didn't see as much in Taiwan. The camp turned out to be an "interesting" experience.
In 1992 I started High school, finally something that sort of resembled the American Middle School that I still missed. It was a new experience but it wasn't that bad. I continued on with learning the violin which I had started in Taiwan. Everything was done on a much smaller scale than in Taiwan which took a bit of getting used to. Sports, musical and theatrical facilities at Iona had nothing on those of Taiwan. The teaching however wasn't all that different, there was usually a fairly good attention to detail and my year eight home room teacher, Mrs Joan Easton, who also took me for english and social studies, was very caring and understanding. My maths teacher, Mrs Leonie Ridgway, also had the same caring attention to detail, and understood how bewildering such a change could be. In year eight I also joined the school orchestra which started out 5 years of involvement with the music department.
1993 marked the start of year 9 and my father getting transfered to Singapore. I stayed behind in Perth as a boarder as a school change in the last five years of my education was not thought of as a wise move. As I had spent a year as a day student it was hard adjusting and trying to fit in where friendship groups had already been established throughout the boarders the year before. I became more involved with music over the next few years as I hated the boarding house and it gave me an excuse to be away. In 1993 I also started violin lessons with Mrs Loretta Pell who helped me to take steps forward in my music development(as opposed to the previous teacher I was given). In year 9 I had a lot of support from Mrs Ridgway, who was now my Challenge maths teacher, and Mrs Hanavan, the school principal.
Year ten marked the halfway mark of high school and the start of pressure to get good marks or not be able to do the TEE subjects that I needed. In year ten I participated in the school production of "Toad of Toad Hall" which was run very differently to the productions in Taiwan. Auditions were more a case of turn up and you'll be able to get a part somewhere. I was also part of the "House Play", a internal school competition where we won. I also became involved with Amnesty International, lead by Mrs Heather Tunmore, who was also my Social Studies teacher, who brough a whole new life to history(yes it is possible) In year ten we also had the annual year ten camp at Waroona(a country town in WA). This I pretty much hated and felt was a waste of time. In year ten the school also felt that as we were getting older it was also time to teach us ballroom dancing. It consisted of 10 afternoons of dancing with boys brought in from CBC in Fremantle, and was ended with a social. I'd like to thank James Lamb for being my friend and partner for the classes. (If anyone knows where he is or what he is doing these days can you please email me or get him contact me).
I, yet again, saw the way girls could be utter bitches. In year 10 I had a lot of support from my English teacher, Mrs Doreen Bradley, and the school principal, Ms Margaret Herley.
1995 marked the end of my time in boarding school as my Mum decided that a home environment for the last two years of high school would be much better. I was studying Physics, Chemistry, Introductory calculus, Geometry and Trigonmetry, Geography, and English. In the first term I devoted a lot of time to music as I was involved in the school production of "The Sound Of Music", which was very ably directed by Mrs Sandra Gorringe. The main influence on my life in 1995 was Mrs Ridgway giving me a "Leeuwin" pamplet that would in time change my life. Year 11 also signled the year 11 dance, which was a total disaster for me.
Year 12, 1996, marked "Crunch Time", "The final Leg", "The home straight", or as some thought, "The end of the world". For my Tertiary Entrance Exams I was studying Physics, with Mr Clive Claudius, Chemistry, with Mr David Fitzgerald, Applicable Maths, with Mrs McCormick, Calculus, with Mr Allan Karasavas, Geography, with Mrs Burr, and English, with Mr Imms. Year 12 also ment the year 12 Ball which was held in April at the Fremantle sailing club, it was an interesting event as I had set up a friend and the girl wouldn't talk to him so I ended up with two guys for the night. Also in 1996 I was part of the "House Play" again but unfortunatly we didn't do as well as we had in 1994. At the end the TEE, on the 22nd of November the Class of '96 graduated with a Mass at the school church and a dinner at the Fremantle Sailing Club.