In 1989 - yes you read that right!
I had been teaching for 4 years and this Year 6 I had was phenomenal.
I have enjoyed working with all my grades and we should never have a favourite grade - but this one was/is the same age as my youngest sister.
I was only at the school for this one year - then I moved. many of them went on to the same secondary school.
So over the last 26 years I have often thought of them as my sister has done certain things ie marriage, babies, changing jobs, travelling etc
They were my first grade here in Victoria - my first grade after moving across two states! So maybe I transferred my missing family onto them....
They were all friends and got along really well. (Of course there were issues to solve, hormones to sort out but they were a great grade)
I ran into one of the girls about 15 years ago as we had young children at kinder dance together.
We eyed each other off for a few weeks before realising who we were.
Another girl plays netball with a good friend of mine and we found each other on facebook after commenting on the same post!
Then another two realised I was on facebook and got in touch.
Then Daniel set up a Class of 1989 facebook group and slowly we are finding each other.
They are posting work and comments I made, laughing about things we did and connecting with some who have moved away.
So then there was a discussion about getting together for a dinner.
This photo below shows 5 of my "Grade 6" kids and I having dinner last night.
As a teacher - this is a special photo, how many kids track down a teacher 26 years later!
They still have the lovely traits they had as kids - it was gorgeously bizarre to have a meal, have a drink and a laugh with them.
They joked with me about having my wisdom teeth out and turning up to work to host and led a Family Science night and trying to hide the pain I was in. They laughed when I still didn't order steak, they said we should have ordered a week ago so it could marinate.
One laughed about me 'taping' an Aussie Rugby game instead of an AFL game.
We talked about the Parliament we set up and then re enacted in our Parliament House in Melbourne.
It was great to see what they had been up to and see that they all seem to be happy with their lot on life. They are amazing.
One of my girls had even found an old assignment - an A+ feedback sheet!
Such a lovely thing to be a part of.
