Teacher bids fond farewell
Horsham primary school teacher Brenda Evans will farewell the busy and bubbling world of classrooms when she retires at the end of next week.
Horsham Primary School’s Rasmussen campus assistant principal said she believed the time was right to explore what else life had to offer.
“I believe there is another life out there for me and it is a good time to move on when things are going really nicely at the school,” she said.
“The campus is in a very healthy position, with good staffing, a good successor in Chris Kellett and a good over-arching principal in Chris Walter. The whole school is motoring along nicely.”
Mrs Evans described her years teaching children as ‘a long, long time’.
“I’ve been teaching in Horsham since 1981, but it’s around 40 years if you take into account all the different places I’ve taught,” she said.
“My husband Geoff was in the forest commission and was constantly moving around – so I was too.”
Mrs Evans grew up in Ararat and said she was always leaning towards teaching, guiding and helping people.
“Even as a little child I loved helping. It was just one of those things,” she said.
“When we played games I was always the teacher and I eventually went off to Ballarat Teachers’ College with a studentship. It’s such a long time ago. I then went back to Ararat, where I taught for two terms and was married that year.”
Mrs Evans said she then had stints teaching at various centres in outer Melbourne, suburban and regional Victoria before moving to Horsham where departmental changes with her husband’s work allowed the couple to settle.
“I started at Horsham 298 in July 1989 and stayed until 2010,” she said.
“I had been in various ‘acting’ roles and then took on the acting principal position at Horsham North at what is now the Rasmussen campus.
“Horsham 298 and Horsham North schools merged to become Horsham Primary School and I’m still at the Rasmussen campus.”
Mrs Evans said she had no regrets about anything involving her career.
“I’ll miss the people, miss the staff and certainly miss the children, but the children will thrive given what we’ve set up. I really have a soft spot for Horsham North. The kids are very loving,” she said.
“I had a big retirement do at Horsham Golf Club and it was just amazing with lots of colleagues and friends.
“We also have a community breakfast at 8.30am at the Rasmussen campus on December 18 where everyone is welcome to come and join us. I’ve had a retirement that just seems to keep giving.”
Mrs Evans said in retirement she would lend a hand to her husband with his logging business and ‘finally’ explore her passion for gardening.
“We also have seven grandchildren with two in Horsham to keep me occupied and we also want to do a lot of travelling while we can,” she said.