Year 2 teacher Carol Ingram began teaching in 1976 and has taught at Henschke in a part-time capacity for about 35 years. 

“When I came out of high school in the late ‘60s there was still an expectation that women would give up work when they had children and I guess teaching had flexible work arrangements,” Mrs Ingram said. 

Over the course of her 42 years in the education system Mrs Ingram said a lot of social change has occurred. 

“When I first went into teaching there were headmasters and infant mistresses, so it was very gender specific,” she said. 

“I remember my verandah in 1976 and every afternoon it was filled with mums picking up their children and there was a very active mothers’ club and a lot more community involvement with the school. 

“It’s very difficult these days to get that same level of community or parent involvement, because of mothers working now.” 

Mrs Ingram also noted the classroom changes from the “beautifully handwritten” chalk boards, which then progressed to jelly pads, to photocopies and now Google classroom activities. 

In Mrs Ingram’s early teaching years tragedy struck her class. 

“I lost one of my students in my class who was killed on her way to school,” Mrs Ingram said. 

“Until her mum came to see me and continued to do so, I realised how important my profession was and the important role I played as that child’s teacher. 

“That was a significant event and still very sad and in those days there was no counselling and I was only 22-years-old and it was difficult.” 

Kindergarten teacher Anne-Louise Fitzpatrick will be joining Mrs Ingram in retirement, coming to the end of her 30 year association with Henschke. 

In 1980, Mrs Fitzpatrick graduated as a teacher and began her teaching prac at Henschke. 

“I took some time out of the workforce to have four children, who all went through Henschke, and have been teaching in a permanent position there for 20 years,” she said. 

“The essence of what goes on in a classroom is still pretty much the same; it’s just now technology enhances it.”

Mrs Fitzpatrick said she will miss the relationships she has fostered with her students over the years. 

“I think as teachers of particularly young children there’s that sense of wonder and awe of the world around them and everything is brand new,” she said. 

“It’s a pretty lovely thing for your own soul and spirit to constantly be reminded that we live in a pretty amazing world.” 

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