MARGARET REID EXCELS AT YALLOURN HIGH SCHOOL
This article was published in the ‘Morwell Advertiser’ in January 1948 and reports on Margaret Reid’s outstanding achievements as a student at Yallourn High School. The headline of the story was ‘Excellent Record of Morwell Pupil.’
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January 8th 1948 ‘Morwell Advertiser’ Page: 9
Excellent Record of Morwell Pupil.
Margaret Reid, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Alex Reid, of George Street, is a pupil with a promising future.
Coming to Australia 9 years ago and enrolling at Yallourn High School, she has been dux of her form over a period of eight years. In addition to topping Form VI in 1947, Margaret won the special prize donated by Mr. Chisholm for good citizenship.
On her record book last year the headmaster, Mr. J. Menadue (who by the way will not resume at Yallourn after the vacation) made this endorsement:-
"As head prefect Margaret has shown a power of organising capacity for leadership and a thorough attention to detail. She has shown conspicuous ability right through the year."
We understand Margaret will join the teaching staff at Morwell State School when the holidays are completed.
Footnotes…
1. Mr Menadue was the first Principal of the Yallourn High School. Mr Menadue departed in 1948.
2. For further information regarding the Yallourn Higher Elementary School and the opening of YHS in 1945 please refer to the story that was previously posted on this website.
3. Mr Chisholm, mentioned above, was the first President of the YHS Advisory Council which was established in 1946.
4. Margaret Reid was born in a small Scottish town called Inverkeithing near Edinburgh in 1929.
5. After arriving from Scotland, via Tasmania, the Reid family lived at Morwell; Margaret’s father, Alex, was employed at the Australian Paper Mill near Traralgon.
6. Margaret started school at Yallourn (Higher Elementary School) in 1942 and still recalls undertaking her studies in Matriculation Geography by correspondence though the agency of the school. Her lessons were sent to YHS by post from the Correspondence School* (then situated at Napier Street Fitzroy) at regular intervals. * Note: The Correspondence School is now known at the Distant Education Centre Victoria and is located in Thornbury.
7. Margaret was the Head Prefect at YHS and she has kept her badge and autograph book containing the signatures of the YHS prefects from 1947.
8. Margaret’s sister (Avril) was born in the Morwell Bush Nursing Hospital in 1944.
9. Margaret still has in her possession the book that Mr Chisholm presented to her, as a special prize, on that memorable occasion. The title of the book was ‘The British Countryside in Pictures.’
10. Due to the severe shortage of teachers in country areas following the Second World War; provisions existed that allowed Margaret to be employed as a student teacher* at Morwell State School ( Commercial Road) in 1948. *Note: It is documented that in 1944 that there were 962 student teachers in Victorian schools (715 females).
11. In 1949-50, Margaret attended Melbourne Teachers’ College for further teacher training and completed the Trained Primary Teachers Certificate and Trained Infant Teacher Certificate in those years. Significant changes in the system of teaching training occurred in1951.
12. Margaret’s first teaching position was at the Yinnar State School and she was then appointed to Grey Street State School in Traralgon in 1953.
13. Margaret left the Latrobe Valley in 1955; and her metropolitan school appointments, during her teaching career, included West Preston, Thomastown, South Preston, Merlynston, Reservoir and Nunawading.
14. Margaret taught in Victorian State Schools for 39 years and was appointed to the position of Principal of Templestowe Valley Primary School in 1974. She was one of the first female teachers to gain promotion to the position of principal in a Victorian school.
15. Margaret was the Principal at Templestowe Valley PS from 1974 until 1987; and following a most distinguished and celebrated career retired from teaching in 1987.
16. Margaret was very active on professional boards and educational committees throughout her teaching career and in 2003-4 she was awarded Life Membership(s) of the Victorian Principals' Association and the Retired Victorian Primary Principals' Association.
17. Margaret now lives in Burwood and still takes an interest in issues related to Victorian education and in the affairs of YOGA. Margaret has many happy memories of her years as a student at Yallourn.
Thanks to Margaret Reid for her kind assistance with this story for the Virtual Yallourn website. At the time of discussing the above story and footnotes, Margaret was 85 years of age. (February 2015).
The above article from the ‘Morwell Advertiser’ has been faithfully reproduced. The only amendments to the original copy are the font style, font size and spacing so as to enhance the article for purposes of posting on the Virtual Yallourn website.