Primary School Memories: We take a look back
Egg rolling, science, and quarantine time
This week, as our First Class supplement is published, we celebrate children taking their brave first days at school. It made some of us fondly recall our memories of primary school life across the county. Jess Sharp, Kent Messenger reporter, Lordswood Primary School, Lordswood Lane, Chatham, 2002-2009
“One of the best classes was when the Roomba Robot would be used.
“The small dome-shaped device would be placed along the floor and we would tap buttons on the top of it to direct it where to go.
“Tasks would be set based on getting it to a location in the room and minds would whir on how to get it there.
“Who can forget the huge loss of Turkey Twizzlers from the lunchtime menu.
“Once a huge treat for a Friday lunch, they disappeared from children’s trays in 2005, after a campaign led by celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver.”
Mary Graham, Kent Messenger news editor, Bromstone Primary School, Rumfields Road, Broadstairs, 1983-1990 “Growing up in an era before health and safety became all-encompassing means others might find some of my memories a little questionable.
“We were once set homework to establish what could conduct electricity. Me and my best friend guessed water would. Cue a class experiment with metal clips attached to wires being plunged into a jug of water. Precisely nothing happened. When asked if we’d tried this experiment and home and whether it had worked, we just nodded.” Rebecca Tuffin, Kent Messenger apprentice, Hollingbourne Primary School, Eyhorne Sreet, Maidstone, 2004-2009
“Moving from south east London aged seven, this little village school with less than 100 pupils, surrounded by fields and a short walk from the North Downs, seemed like a different world. “Besides hikes up the hills for the sole purpose of launching a boiled egg and chasing after it as the annual ‘egg rolling’ Easter celebration, my most memorable part of primary school was by far the headmaster, Mr Baldock.
“I distinctly remember Mr Baldock’s outfit for our Canterbury Tales excursion - a wild, ginger wig and bag pipes made of loo rolls. His face went a worrying shade of purple as he pretended to play them.
Katie May Nelson, Medway Messenger trainee reporter, Culverstone Green Primary School, Wrotham Road, Gravesend, 2001-2008
“If a school talent show was called you could be sure I was the first to sign up. My impersonations of Premier League managers (José Mourinho - poor Portuguese accent, Sir Alex Ferguson - just me pretending to chew gum) went down a treat. I guess you could say I was the Gifted One.
“My Year Five teacher Miss Huggett said to me, ‘Katie, you’re going to end up on stage one day.’
Ed McConnell, KentOnline news editor, Sandling Primary School, Ashburnham Road, Maidstone, 1996-2003
“My milk-bottle glasses and rotund physique earned me the nickname Fatty Four Eyes. Thankfully, it didn’t stick. “A mate of mine, called Jake, got impetigo. He became Jake the Flake until it cleared up. It was all good spirited. A steep wooded bank was a no-go zone. One day one rebel ran down and ate some mystery berries – he had to be quarantined.”