Daylight
I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn't give in
When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin
I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn't give in
When the dawn comes
Tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin
Sunlight through the trees in summer
Endless masquerading
Like a flower as the dawn is breaking
The memory is fading
Endless masquerading
Like a flower as the dawn is breaking
The memory is fading
I got through the summer holidays and had no idea what lay in store for me. Unbelievably 1996 would be one of my best years.
I gave one weeks notice to Taxi's Combined. As much as I liked working there and benefited from the extra money it gave me, I didn't need the emotional baggage that went with it.
Everyone there had been lovely to me since Matty's death - in fact too nice. It was uncomfortable to have to take everyone's sympathy and try and put on a brave face. Everywhere I looked there was a memory of Matty. On top of that Christine was finally returning to work and even though we would only see each other for an hour each day it was more than I could handle.
For the next three months I threw my heart and soul into my teaching career. Again I had a composite class of Year 2/3/4 (plus some year 5 & 6 students) but as hard as this might sound it was just what I needed. The new year brought with it new students as well as the loss of some old students. Wayne and Dale were amongst these. They had been put into foster care while their mother was put on a rehabilitation program.
Our new students brought new issues. Our old students had, due to the fire incident, formed themselves into two distinct groups. Based upon their parents view of who was to blame for the deaths of Joey and Serena. Class teaching wasn't an issue but playground duty became a nightmare for us 3 teachers who would be constantly trying to prevent fights between the 3 groups.
On top of this we had to manage a school with very little support from the Principal. Camperdown is one of the oldest public schools in Sydney and it's buildings reflected that. The main building was built in the 1870's and had 3 wings. The front entrance housed the office sections which formed the middle of the building. On either side of this area were single classrooms which led to and east and west wing consisting of three classrooms. The east wing had been turned into the assembly hall. Then there was the original school teachers house, which was Carol's Year 5/6 classroom.
The other buildings consisted of three double classrooms, all built in weatherboard and put there during the post war era when the suburb was booming. Now we were all assigned classrooms in the 'out-buildings' while the Principal had the main building entirely to herself. Being classified as a 'small school' (with less than 100 pupils) the Principal was supposed to be a 'teaching Principal'. Basically this meant that she was supposed to give us each 1.5 hours of teaching time off as per Department regulations.
While she was happy to do this for the Kindergarten/Year 1 teacher, Carol and I had to share 1 hour per week between us, where the principal would take Years 3-6 into the assembly hall and do singing lessons. Not only was this outside of the 'curriculum specifications' it meant that Carol and I had to teach all curriculum subjects as well as deal with behavioural problems and facilitate the non-english speaking children into our very busy schedule.
The first, while comical, was also highly dangerous and resulted in the expulsion of two students. The Principal had gone for a toilet break during the singing lessons, leaving the school secretary to supervise. When she returned she apparently had toilet paper hanging from her dress which had got stuck in her waistband. Unbeknown to her she continued the lesson, amidst the giggles of the children, and at one point when she had her back to the children, one of Jack's sisters borrowed a cigarette lighter from a boy and set the paper on fire. No serious damage was done, but you can imagine the terror of the Principal as she ran from the room trying to put the flames out, while the kids screamed with laughter and called her a 'dirty bitch'!
The second incident was not only classic but deservedly earned by her. Towards the end of the term she organized a parent/teacher night. Or rather she announced that we would be having one. It was up to Carol, Michelle and myself to do the organizing. The basic agenda would be a welcome to the parents in the assembly hall which was then to be followed by a showcasing of the new Maths and Computer teaching which Michelle and I had initiated into our teaching programme.
When I had first arrived at Camperdown there were no computer lessons ( only 12 computers still sitting unpacked in their boxes) and maths lessons were all 'chalk and talk'. Between us Michelle and I introduced a more hands-on interactive maths program. Carol was by no means unwilling to adopt 'modern teaching methods' but had been prevented by the Principals lack of monetary support and refusal to let her attend development sessions.
Between the three of us we basically bought hundreds of dollars worth of equipment to be able to teach according to the current curriculum requirements. I would take my class along to Carol's where I would teach both classes and Carol could help supervise and also gain knowledge and skills. By the end of term we had a really good program established.
The big night arrived and the three of us spent 2 hours setting everything up in one of the connecting classrooms of the main building, while the Principal went home. Everything was completed and we went out to have dinner together at the local pub to return at 7pm. We had a fantastic turnout, considering that most parents hardly showed their faces during normal school hours, and the evening got off to a great start.
The Principal made a great fuss of how 'she had instigated a whole new teaching system' and ' how much money she had spent on new equipment'. The parents were suitably impressed and all followed her to the classroom where Michelle and I were to demonstrate the new maths and computer lessons. As she triumphantly opened the door we were all hit by the overpowering smell of human faeces! One of the children had snuck in at an earlier stage and deposited a huge dump right inside the doorway. We got through the night....
Given all the playground issues, the lack of teaching support from the principal and the almost impossible task of being able to provide the full curriculum requirements I began working on a plan which I believed would solve our problems.
Daily I was at school by 7.30am (this early start meant I didn't have time to smoke dope) I was able to leave straight after school and be home before 4pm. I had weekends free and my only activities were walking the dog, smoking dope and visiting John & Trudi (to smoke dope and buy more to smoke at home). So I had plenty of time to re-structure our school program and present it to the teacher's and principal in the hopes we could start it in the second term.
Basically it changed our day from 3 breaks into four with a shorter lunch break and an added mid afternoon break. This meant the children had less time to get bored, frustrated or wound up and begin fighting.
The biggest change of all though was that Friday would become an 'extra curricular day'. Meaning that between Michelle, Carol and I, we would all teach each group of children and get our allotted 1.5 hours off. In the morning I would teach the groups Art while Carol taught the groups singing/music and Michelle had her time off. I had the middle session free and then took sport lessons in the afternoon while Carol had her time off. Michelle then had two sessions to teach Computer.
Instead of 3 classes we combined Kindergarten, Year One and Year Two into one group and Years 3-6 into the second group, giving us two 45 minute sessions with each group.
It sounds complicated but it worked really well and the children loved it. It not only gave them new social groups to work with, but also ensured that they got to cover activities which we had had little time for previously.
The Principal was even happier. Once she realised that she was free of any classroom duties she had 'rubber-stamped' it. She only had to take over the before school playground duties, which was easy as the official school entry time was 8,30 am and the children dribbled in slowly. She could also appear to be more involved with the children as their parents dropped them off.
The Principal was even happier. Once she realised that she was free of any classroom duties she had 'rubber-stamped' it. She only had to take over the before school playground duties, which was easy as the official school entry time was 8,30 am and the children dribbled in slowly. She could also appear to be more involved with the children as their parents dropped them off.
I promise not to ramble on about school so much in the future, but that would be my life for the next 18 months. As time went on I became more depended upon and the key figure in the school for the teachers, students and parents. This is what gave me a new life and helped the memories fade away. That and my neighbour introducing me to Ecstasy which would open up a whole new chapter in my life.......
