Hi from Mavis Shearman
After leaving Mayfield West I went on to Newcastle Girls High where I completed my HSC. From there I went to Newcastle Uni and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (1972) and Diploma of Education (1973). While at Uni I became involved in a group called Christain Youth Work Camps and spent 3 weeks each Christmas building houses for aboriginal families in country towns.
In 1974 I started teaching at Gunnedah and 3 weeks later was transferred to Binnaway Central School. Then in May 1975 I married Ross, a builder who I had met through Work Camp and we moved to Darwin where Ross was employed by the Uniting Church 'Tracy Building Fund' and I worked at Darwin HS.
We returned to Saratoga in August 1976 and I worked as a casual teacher on the Central Coast and at Parkes until the of 1977 when we moved to Port Macquarie. My 3 red headed daughters were born in Port; Christina in 1978, Fiona in 1980 and Adele in 1985.
In 1986 we moved back to Newcastle then to Sydney for 4 years. I worked at Model Farm HS doing lots of Industrial Arts so in 1989 I went back to TAFE to do an Engineering Drafting Certificate and in 1990 I was retrained as an Industrial Arts teacher.
My mother was failing and I wanted to be back near her so we moved back to the Toronto area at the beginning of 1991. This meant 4 years of leave without pay and casual teaching until I was offered a position teaching English at Mount View High in Cessnock n 1995. I taught English for 2 years, History for 6 years (all the time having a lA class) and then retained for a second time as a Careers Adviser - the best job in the school! I am still at Mount View HS and now part of the furniture!
Throughout my career I have maintained my church affiliation although I don't attend regularly and since the girls got involved, have developed an interest in athletics. Now I am Zone co-ordinator for Little Athletics in Lake Macquarie which keeps me very busy.
I was lucky enough to travel overseas to Canada, the UK and Turkey in 2005 (and be on the beach at Gallipoli 90 years to the day after my grandfather landed) and in 2008 Adele and I were part of the group at the first Dawn Service at Villiers Brettoneux on Anzac Day (my other grandfather was wounded there on the evening of 24th April 1918). They were very emotional trips but a great way to bring together my love of family and of Australian history.
What about the future? Well... I expect I'll retire in about 2 years and then we plan to travel Australia from a home base somewhere in NSW. With one daughter settled at Fassifern, one at Jimboomba in Brisbane and one about to finish Uni then off to God knows where. The next few years promise to be an adventure.
I am looking forward to seeing all of you at the reunion - I just hope I can recognize people (but don't we all!).
Hi Mavis check out a post about your entry - on the Guest Book
