Sophia Thomas Holm
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What years did you attend Shepparton East Primary School, and what are some of your strongest memories from your time there?
I commenced school aged four years and nine months, and was a student from 1954 until 1961.
My strongest memories of early years were that we all assimilated well in the school. There were lots of different nationalities and it was inclusive.
Every child had a chance to be their best.
The teachers cared.
Especially Jean Osborne. I liked her, as she would listen to us read one-on-one. She would encourage us to do our best. I loved art lessons.
Miss Osborne was my Grade 2 and 3 teacher, she actually inspired me to want to be a teacher.
My younger sister and I would play schools at home, as well as playing in the orchard. The area was an orchard district.
There was a pine tree plantation behind the principal’s house and we would role play hospitals and nurses. Some girls had kids’ nurses’ clothes sets. We would make rooms (low walls) made out of pine needles. Very amicable.
One winter sports day the netball team crammed into Miss Osborne's Morris Minor car and she drove us to Orrvale State School for our inter-school winter competition.
Miss Osborne also taught us needlework, on a Friday afternoon. I've still got the sampler!
We also drank a third of a pint (200ml) of milk in glass bottles every day. Everybody drank it. There were no excuses. The milk would be freezing cold in winter and nearly curdled in the summer heat! Boys in Grade 6 were milk monitors, including my brother Thomas, who was in Grade 6.
In the school playground there were three monkey bars of differing heights, the very long slide and two see-saws. This equipment was always a busy area at recesses and lunchtimes.
We also played hop scotch, with several games drawn in the earth and our hoppy taws our prized possessions.
In Grade 6 everyone had a turn at being the bell monitor.
I remember walking to school through flood waters in 1954, when the Goulburn and Broken rivers flooded, with my oldest sister Ann, brother Thomas and younger sister Christine. The gumtrees either side of the road helped us stay on the bitumen. From our orchard we walked a quarter of a mile to school.
We would bring flowers to school and our classrooms smelt and looked beautiful.
We had wood heaters in the classroom. And we were allowed to warm our legs in winter!
In 1954 Queen Elizabeth II came to Australia and all students waved our little flags to her as she drove slowly by in an open car, at Deakin Reserve, in Shepparton.
What was school life like during your time at Shepparton East?
Class sizes classes were big — over 25 kids, from memory.
Miss Alice taught Prep/1
Miss Jean Osborne taught 2/3
Mr Robert Freeman taught 3/4
Mr Jim Lyle, headmaster, taught 5/6
Mr Lyle was strict and used the strap a lot. (It would frighten and upset me as a kid.)
Assembly on Monday mornings. Allegiance to the Queen. “I love God and my country etc.” And singing the national anthem, which was God save the Queen.
We would all collect items for the school fete — fruit, vegetables, home-made lollies, toffee apples, cakes, jams, chutneys that our parents made. These days were lovely, as our parents would come for the half day.
There was also a concert held at the Shepparton East hall, at the end of the year. We would have practised our songs. Book prizes were given out.
Sports day, Friday afternoons. Athletics, sack race, skipping, long and high jump, relay races. These were also held with other schools — Orrvale, Grahamvale and Lemnos.
Is there a particular teacher, lesson or moment from your time at the school that has stayed with you over the years? Why?
My favourite teacher was Miss Jean Osborne. She influenced me to become a teacher. We remained friends and corresponded, until her death a few years ago. It was a wonderful friendship. Jean took a genuine interest in her students. A good role model.
How do you think your time at Shepparton East Primary School helped shape the person you are today?
I believe the characteristics I gained from state school days, and my family, were the values of caring and kindness. Trying always to be my best. Sometimes that didn't happen, but I learnt.
Striving to be better and caring I became a shire councillor, one of four women to be elected to the Heywood Shire Council in Victoria. It was a record at the time.
Professional study: I studied art and teacher training and became a technical/secondary school art teacher. Then a TAFE art teacher. I also studied for my MCA, Master of Contemporary Art, at UTAS.
I have enjoyed my teaching experiences.
I am a community-minded person, having volunteered at galleries, and I am a justice of the peace. All giving back to the community.
I walked 800km on the Camino Santiago in Spain with my younger sister, Christine. A very special experience.
What does it mean to you to see Shepparton East Primary School celebrate 150 years, and what do you hope continues for future generations of students?
I was last at Shepparton East State School in 2001 for the 125th celebrations.
I hope that the school cohort endeavour to do their best. Always have a go and never give up. Remember to share and care about each other. It will make school a wonderful place to learn and grow, and set you up for adult life.
As I wrote this I recalled many more vivid memories, I loved school.