10 Year Reunion 2015 HSC Cohort – October 2015

A wonderful morning tea catch up was had preceded by a college tour kindly led by Josh Jeremy (2015 HSC Alumni and current BDC staff). This was followed by a lively evening soiree where many more memories made and shared.

In attendance at Morning Tea, from left to right: 

Back Row: Kate Lowe, Athiya Azeem, Alex Parker, Lily Bately, Harjot Nahal, Heath Jones, Mark Bode, Carter Chen, Lachlan Smith, Joel Anderson, Zoe Burgess (now Musgrave), Taylor Garrels, Erin Mc Mahon, Morgan Lewis, Gracie Heme (now Brennan), Tyrone Stewart, Josh Jeremy.

Front Row: Arshiya Azeem, Annika Presser King, Liana Hall, Candice Wood, Jasmine Auld, Ellie Bishop, April Orme, Rebecca Rodger (staff – Kindy teacher for many of this group).

In attendance at the Pier Hotel, from left to right:

Front Row: Nick Murray, Erin Mc Mahon, Morgan Lewis, Harry Phillips, Harjot Nahal, Carter Chen, Trent Pade(behind), Zac Freuden, Taylor Garrels, April Orme, Jasmine Auld, Niamh Francis.

Back Row: Candice Wood, Courtney Robinson(now Smith), Jailena Craig, Zoe Burgess (now Musgrave), Ellie Bishop, Tyrone Stewart, Giles Tennant, Heath Jones, Mark Bode, Angus Chaffey, Oscar Sweeney, Joel Anderson, Josh Jeremy, Lachlan Smith. Not pictured- Abbey Carson.

Very Back Row: Lily Bately, Liana Hall, Kate Lowe, Alex Parker.

It was terrific to hear how eveyone’s lives have progressed, so many amazing achievements and lots of cute babies! The great BDC legacy continues.

The Depth of History in HSIE

Trying not to make this new Alumni gig all about me, but in part this one is all about me. Mick Klipin has been teaching at Bishop Druitt College since 1998, and Drew Kadwell and I, Barb Kiemski, both joined the college in 2000. This makes for 80 years combined of us working at BDC (yikes!) and, what is more, for the past few years the three of us have shared a corner in the HSIE Faculty staff room, where our desks are situated.

There have, of course, been many changes to our roles over the years. For a long time, Mick Klipin in his role as Senior Year Coordinator, and Drew Kadwell as Year Coordinator, spent years stationed in other offices. Regardless, with each of us being either in pastoral or Head of Faculty roles, we have always worked side by side in some capacity and shared important milestones and parts of our and our families’ lives.

We are pretty sure that this is quite a unique situation, and ever since we have been reunited in the same staff room, there have been nostalgic conversations aplenty. So many shared experiences of students and colleagues, along with challenges, changes, and cause for celebration.

It would be remiss of me not to mention another honorary member of long-serving BDC staff and a member of the HSIE Department, Craig Lang. A well-respected colleague and friend who joined the college in 2007, he also shares the hallowed mature corner (in age, not mentality, I assure you) of the staff room. Adding Clanger into the mix brings our combined years to 99. Some scary and remarkable statistics.

How many more years of service will each of us chalk up? Only time will tell.

Barb Kiemski