I attended Elwood Central School in 1961-62, then went on to Elwood High School (EHS) from 1963 to 1966. I have many happy memories of my time at EHS, and kept in contact with some of my fellow students from those days, including Lynette, Tina, Jacki, Irene, Sandra,and Nanette. In Elwood I lived in Shelley Street, and often left home just as the school bell started to ring!

I had many fine teachers there over the years. Some I remember were Mrs Lewulis. Mr Clift (Science), Miss Wedd (she used to measure the length of our skirts above the knee!), Miss Purves ("One explanation mark is sufficient, Kathleen!"), Mr. Fugedi, Mr. Simpfendorfer, Mr Black (Art), Mr Pittock (History), Mr Crabtree (French - I caught my right thumb in a car door in matriculation year and had to learn to write left-handed. Mr Crabtree commented "I am now able to read your French homework, Katheen!"), Mr. Will (Maths), and Mr Field (a heartthrob to many of the girls. Mr Wade was the Principal, except for my last year there in 1966 when it was Mr Powell. We had all-girl or all-boy forms in those days, with only mixed forms for some specialist subjects in the more senior years. There were also separate areas for each gender in the grounds, where we had specific areas to sit for lunch, and only all came together for the outdoor assemblies.

The canteen was very popular at lunchtimes! I am pretty sure I was in Cuthbert House*. I did very well academically all through my school years (except for Leaving Mathematics, when I was the only girl in an all-boys class for the first term!). I was a member of the school tennis and hockey teams. I used to help in the Library, with Mrs Turner - cataloguing and repairing books, or recovering them - at the start of the summer holidays when the senior years finished up earlier.

The mix of nationalities at EHS made the school very interesting. There were a lot of Jewish students, and on Jewish Holidays/Holy Days, the population of the school was quite depleted! I obtained a Studentship for Melbourne Teachers College and became a Lower Primary School Teacher, teaching Prep, Grade 1 and Music at schools throughout Melbourne. I married an ex EHS student in 1971 and had two daughters, before moving to a sheep and beef farm in South Gippsland in 1989.

Kathleen Whelan (nee Myer)

You may also wish to see https://www.elwood.vic.edu.au/kathleen-whelan-myer-oam

*The school was divided into four houses for intra-school competitions. They were red, blue, green and yellow. In the early days they were named after Australian 1956 Melbourne Olympics competitors:Strickland, Cuthbert, Landy and Lawson.

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