AMONG the laughter and smiles of many was the 1964 Branxholme Primary School Prep class with their teacher at their 60-year reunion last week, as they looked through old pictures and shared stories of the wonderful memories they had together.

Nine students from Miss Sandra Scott’s (now Mrs Pevitt) 1964 class gathered, with Mrs Pevitt making an appearance herself all the way from Coolum Beach, Queensland to be a part of the occasion.

While some students in the class have regularly caught up over the years, Mrs Pevitt said it was only the second time she had seen the students since leaving Branxholme just under 60 years ago, with the first time being the Branxholme 150th reunion.

Mrs Pevitt began teaching at Branxholme Primary School when she was only 18 and a half years old, and straight out of Teachers College.

She had attended high school at Portland state school where she met her now husband, Mr Bob Pevitt.

Each day, Mrs Pevitt travelled from Portland on the train to Branxholme, where she initially taught the Year 3/4 class at Branxholme Primary School, before transitioning to the prep class in June 1964.

“Back in the day, it was a three-teacher school,” Mrs Pevitt said.

“The kids were just wonderful, very well-behaved and good kids.

“We adored her,” one of her former students, Jenny Crawford added.

“I think it was the fact that for us, this was our first time going to school and being away from our families, so she became a motherly influence for us.”

Mrs Pevitt taught at Branxholme Primary School for three years, followed by many years teaching in Portland before she moved up to Queensland around 30 years ago and worked for another 10 years as a teacher up until her retirement.

She has two daughters, Megan and Jane, who have also become teachers themselves.

“This mob are just fantastic,” Mrs Pevitt said, when she looked at all of her previous students who had attended the reunion.

“They have been here from day one.”

Mrs Pevitt shared some of her favourite memories from her time teaching the prep class, including the daily afternoon tea that would be put on by the students’ families after school and going for horse rides at Jenny Crawford’s house. 

“The Branxholme community was extremely welcoming,” she said.

“The families were lovely, and the kids were lovely.

“It was almost every single day that I would be treated to an afternoon tea of sponge cakes and cream puffs.”

Mrs Crawford said she has very fond memories of Mrs Pevitt, she especially remembered being very excited about having her teacher over to ride the horses at home or to share afternoon tea.

“It sort of become a competition in the class, of who could make the best afternoon tea,” Mrs Crawford laughed.

“And she gave us all nicknames- from day one I was ‘Jen’… and Mandy (Amanda Fairbairn-Calvert) was Toad.”

One story several students remembered was when they were in trouble, which Mrs Pevitt said wasn’t very often, they were told to sit under the table.

“That was the biggest punishment for us, if you were told to sit under the table, you knew you had been naughty,” Mrs Crawford laughed.

“I just love them, they were all just lovely kids,” Mrs Pevitt said. 

“And we love her,” Mrs Crawford added.