My old high school turned 50 this year. I’m not that old yet! As I still live in the same suburb I decided to go back and explore. I wondered what would have changed since I left. My sister and one of my brothers decided to as well. I am glad we did. Our Deputy Principal also took the oppotunity to return so it was great to catch up.

A lot of my life is now spent in schools so it was interesting to go back, both as a former student, and as a school marketer. When I was a student 1,200 students crowded the corridors and the playground. There were 12 demountable classrooms to cope with the population boom. I didn’t know everyone in my year group – but I really enjoyed school. I look back and am grateful for the opportunities, the friends and even remember some of my lessons! That’s probably why I organised our 20 year reunion.

Now the school is around 800 students. Parents have more choices in the area and transportation has improved. The demographics have changed. The school had dropped down to around 700 students but fresh leadership seemed to have turned it around.

One of my teachers was still there. He has now been there for 32 years. His science room still smelt of bunsen burner gas. It was good to see him still there. The rest of the staff I met were newer. I liked meeting a few of them and learning about what students were doing now. One former student from my year who also attended now teaches in another public school. He thought the facilities here were more like a private school than where he was teaching.

So what had changed in 25 years?

The assembly started with an acknowledgement of the original Aboriginal custodians of the land. That was new. Next it was some musical items. The school had a good reputation for music so it was encouraging to see this was still promoted – even if I have no musical ability . The Principal spoke. It wasn’t too short and not too long which was much appreciated.  She spoke of school history, some of the notable former students, family values and that their education philosophy was based on humanism.

Then the choir sang the school song. They did so with about as much enthusiasm as we used to – which I felt wasn’t a lot. It was interesting that I remembered the whole song but others around me in the crowd didn’t even remember there was a school song. It’s actually quite a good song – well at least when compared to some I have heard.

OUR SCHOOL SONG
Setting our eyes ever upward
We of the Forest High
Look to the towering tree tops
Straining towards the sky
And we will strive ever hoping
That each may achieve their goal
In work and in play together
For the Forest, green, red and gold

Some of us strive for Coolabah
Boronia and Waratah too
Others will fight for Kurrajong
Each to his house is true
But we all stand united
When the deeds of the school are told
Our pride will live on forever
In the Forest green, red and gold

There will be different faces
As the long years roll by
Others will take our places
Bearing the torch on high
But no matter where we may tarry
We’ll remember the friends of old
Still in our hearts we’ll carry
The Forest green, red and gold

It was at this stage it started to get confusing. You see some of the words in the second verse of the song didn’t relate any more. They were still sung but no longer applied. I was in the sport house Coolabah. We were yellow. I didn’t really ‘strive for Coolabah’ but I did enjoy the athletics carnivals but dreaded swimming carnivals. The sport houses were named after Australian fauna – trees and flowers. We were the Forest High School so it made sense. Now that I think of it they may include some Aboriginal names as well.

So when I saw four colourful banners at the back of the school Hall I didn’t know what they related to. There was no longer a yellow one. It wasn’t until we saw them again in the Gym that we asked what the story was. We were told they were the new sport house names. The old ones had been forgotten and become ‘red’ house etc. A couple of years back the students had decided to refresh them.

For a school based on humanism and acknowledging the Aboriginal custodians I found the student’s choice of house names quite amusing. Zeus, Ares, Athena and Poseidon. All Greek gods. The house names just wouldn’t fit the school song. I mean I could ‘fight for Kurrajong’ but isn’t Zeus going to fight for me? What happens when Poseidon, the god of the sea, sport house loses the swimming carnival?

Here was a school celebrating its 50 years of history yet showing it had forgotten parts of it. The messages were jumbled. Does it even matter that the song was still sung but had even less meaning now to students than it did when we were there. It reminded me of the importance of keeping alive the stories of a school community – asking WHY things were done rather than just WHAT.

Anyone who knows me would know I like to do new things in school marketing. To not just repeat things which have been done before. Yet schools need to take care they don’t lose something in the process. Student led initiatives like bringing fresh life into sport houses are great. Yet part of education is helping students understand where they fit in the bigger story and what mistakes and successes have happened before. Will the house names be changed again in a few years? Again does it even matter? Will the song ever be updated or just filed in a draw?

Looking around the School Hall I noticed some interesting things about education. The only photos were of past Principals. The list of Duxes was complete as was the School Captains. The Vice Captains list had gaps in it. Of the 1,000s of students and staff who have passed through the school only a select few names are recorded in gold print. What message does that say to the 800 students currently there? They asked the Alumni to let the school know of any students who had achieved ‘success’ so they could be acknowledged, reported and celebrated. Yet I realised that success means so many things. What is success to some would be failure to others.

Education – it really should make you think. And that is a very good thing!

Thanks for the Open Day. It was good to go back, remember and be grateful we live in a nation where education is both valued and available.

No more green carpet in the library!