Armadale SHS 01

Photocopier for printing our books as school ones old, slow and unreliable; we got $100 which bought drinks at the pub; then school bought big, new, expensive ones but no party;

Chemistry room desks with holes; lab tech spent holidays filling holes, sanding surfaces, painting several coats of paint, then students defaced within days, talk about deflating; Front desk had holes where an appliance could fall over hence dangerous, First to be fixed.

Labs needed renovating. Not done but home science got all new gear BUT was then able to sell old gear and keep funds for themselves. Stupid decision by leader.

Took Year 9 students to SciTech opening. Rented a train. Jenny Quill stopped students without correct uniform from going. Stuffed up money as a result.

Rocks for geology. Two truckloads of waste from factory for students to have samples of different minerals and rocks. Dropped in lower paddock.

New office for teachers. Jim Fuller organised a trip to furniture place where government had desks etc. We took my milk truck.

Computers for school. Got science to look after as maths did not know anything about them. I had been using them at Melville SHS. Got all science teachers to take at least one class teaching computing. Jim Fuller got into them. I helped the Business Studies teacher who was at sea and had her students put the old science books I had onto floppy disks. I had free periods as I was Head of Science and I used them to take her class.

Used the material on the disks to produce books for the new science curriculum as books were not available. We sold copies to 78 other schools. Lab techs used our new photocopier to produce material for each class. Put on desks and students collated and punched to put in their file. Jim had scanned photos which were then on the last pages picked up. The appropriate pictures were cut out from the end pages and stuck in the book on the blank page opposite the relevant text material. Students were charged a fee for the books and the Science Dept had $7,000 in the department account when I left. We also sold floppy disks containing the books to other schools. This was 1989 and the year I left but the Principal did not mention our achievement as he did not know anything about it. Jim commented on the omission.

We had staff parties at other members houses. Joe Grossman was impressed with the size of our block – 1120 sq m.

Gerry Ford was at the school when I arrived. Told me he was now Gerald. Left after a short time as he had Parkinsons disease.

Yard Duty; students used tongs to pick up rubbish; Daughter of Parliamentarian lied about the process but her dad indicated at the meeting this resulted in that he was used to her lies.