Three generations of excellence at Bayfield

Three generations - Tor (Victoria) Kiore, Jack Kiore, Sandra Walsh.
Three generations - Tor (Victoria) Kiore, Jack Kiore, Sandra Walsh.
Bayfield High School is turning 50 next year and we are all looking forward to our reunion which will be held October 7-9 next year, writes Lynda Scott-Araya.

Although still a young school, we are already seeing the children of former pupils come through the school, and are delighted that our history and tradition of excellence is being passed on through the generations.

Jack Kiore, who began school in 2010 in year 9, follows in the footsteps of his mother Tor Kiore and nana Sandra Walsh (Victoria,) a foundation pupil of the school in 1961.

Sandra remembers many of the teachers including the rector, Mr John David Monroe Herron, and the Senior Assistant Mistress, Mrs Myrtle Isabella Kezia Currie, a ‘little lady' who commanded respect.

Sandra also recalls Miss Bisset, Mr Vann, Mr Maslin, Mr Williamson and Miss Briggs.

Of the school uniform she remembers the horrid gym frocks which she is sure girls today would hate as much as she did.

"Just imagine playing netball in those pinafores," she said. "As you lifted your arms to get the ball, up went your frock to your chest."

She said that the school was very small to begin with, and she had her home class in a little prefab by the old gym.

The woodwork room doubled as an assembly room, and that was also where the ‘tuck shop' was.

By the time that her daughter Tor came to school, the buildings were closer to the way that they look now, and it was interesting for Tor with Jack as she attended Open Night in 2009, to try and get her bearings again.

Herron Hall has barely changed, although there are lovely new additions to the school since her time, the most obvious one being the new gym.

Tor enjoyed playing netball at Bayfield, just as her mother had, and she also was part of a volleyball team, as well as being in the school's orchestra as a flautist.

Her older sister also attended Bayfield.

Tor remembers Mr Prasad and commented that "everyone looked forward to going to his class" and that "he was fantastic." Of Mr Benson Pope, who taught her German, she said that "he was really cool."

Mr Spence was also a teacher at Bayfield by this time while Mr Leadbetter was the principal.

She thinks that the teachers "were good....they were fair" and that "you could relate to them."

Tor has very fond memories of the school plays, which were performed in Herron Hall, and always to a packed audience.

She remembers in particular "Holy Smoke" in which Lynne Knapp had a lead role.

Both Sandra and Tor said that the discipline when they attended Bayfield High School was "good, strong and fair."

Those who broke the rules were often given lines to write out, with some students during Tor's time, managing to write lines more quickly through taping three pens together!

While the teachers were, according to Tor, "really obsessed with lines" other punishments included picking up rubbish or sitting outside the principal's office, punishments which still exist 50 years later.

Jack is enjoying Bayfield High School, and who knows? In time to come it may be him reminiscing and his grandchildren attending Bayfield.

 

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