Highs and lows of Feilding alumni
Philip Jeffreys, Streamline Print and Mail, $40. Reviewed by George Heagney
If you’ve been to Feilding High School in the past 40 odd years you’ll know someone in this book and you’re bound to know Mr Jeffreys.
Long-time Feilding High School English teacher Philip Jeffreys has published a book called All About Them, profiling 104 students he has taught from 1976-2020.
The book was released to coincide with the school’s now-postponed centenary celebrations and it covers success, heartache, jobs, children, travel, teaching and hardwork.
Some of the tales are more interesting than others and many are refreshingly honest, delving into former students’ highs and lows.
It’s packed with words, the most important part Jeffreys says, so no pictures, but the profile format makes for easy reading.
Feilding folk are likely to know someone in the book and it’s good to see where people have ended up. Success isn’t just judged solely on someone’s grades and there are standouts in different areas.
Many students have gone straight onto university, but there are people from all walks of life: farming, history, rugby, government work, health and journalism.
Food HQ chief executive Abby Thompson, Black Sticks hockey player Stephanie Dickins and police detective David Wishnowsky are some of those profiled.
The book is meant as a thank you for Jeffreys’ time at school and to inspire students.
Jeffreys estimates he has taught more than 4000 children in his tenure at school and worked with many others as a dean, or coaching hockey and athletics.
Of course not everyone can be covered, so for the book he selected students at random from nearly every year group, asking about their time at school and afterwards.
The tough bit was collatingmultiple different fonts and formats into one for the book.
People can email pjeffreys@feildinghigh. school.nz to purchase a copy and proceeds from books sold at the school will go to the school’s Kia Toa Kia Ngakaunui fund for helping children.