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POSA
Newsletters
For the last 10 years POSA has produced an annual
Newsletter which is sent out to all current members. The
Newsletter contains articles from members on a range of
topics under the headings of:
News A-Z; Archives; Memories; Staff Corner; Letters
and E-mails; Obituaries;
History of the School; Where are they Now? and
others.
The annual
newsletters have proved to be a very successful forum
for sharing reminiscences about our school days and a
tool for putting ex-students in touch with long lost
class ‘mates’ through the ‘Where are they Now’? section.
Committee Members
hold some back copies of previous Newsletters and some
of these are available at Reunions, though we must
ensure that some copies are retained for the POSA Archives
Cabinet which stands in the entrance hall of the North
Building of Plashet School.
On the following
pages you will find a few of the items which
appeared in the 2007 Newsletter.
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Chairperson’s Report 2006/7
I find it difficult to
believe that this is the seventh edition of the
Newsletter that I have edited. Each year I worry
that there will not be enough material for the
next edition but somehow you always seem to come
up trumps with your letters, e-mails and
comments from membership forms. As it is the
newsletter that keeps us all in touch it is
vital that your contributions keep coming – so
keep up the good work!
This year was a Reunion
Year and it was great to see such an excellent
turnout yet again, with, in excess of, 150
members attending. Once again we must thank Mrs
Nasir, Plashet’s present Head, for her active
support for our association and for giving us
the run of both the Grammar School and Plashet
buildings for the day. (We must also
congratulate her for being awarded an Honorary
Doctorate by The University of East London). The
Reunion was due to be based in the Grammar
School Hall but had to be re-sited into the
Plashet building due to the exhibition of GCSE
Art work which has to be displayed for the
examiners at this time of year. This may mean
that the date of our next Reunion, which will be
in 2008, may have to be moved from it’s
traditional last Saturday in June, in order to
ensure that we are able to use the Grammar
School Hall as our base. We will not know if a
change of date will be necessary until the
autumn term of 2007 when the school will receive
its examination schedules – but hopefully this
will give us plenty of time to inform members in
the next Newsletter.
Our Archives cabinet is now
in situ – and a group of committee members spent
some time at Plashet in early October sorting
through all the memorabilia, photographs, etc.
and displaying them, along with the old trophies
from East Ham Secondary School days, to the best
possible effect. If any of you have any further
items that you would like to donate please get
in touch. A key to the cabinet is being kept in
the nearby school office and is available to
members if they wish to visit to view the
archives. However you are requested to sign the
visitors book and not to remove any items from
the premises.
We have had quite a few
problems with keeping track of ex-students
through the Friends Reunited website recently
and would like to ensure that, in future, we are
able as an association, to contact members
directly by e-mail. So please make sure that, in
any contact that you have with any members of
the committee, and especially on your membership
form each year, you quote your up-to-date e-mail
address, if you have one. We are delighted that
Margaret Bell has offered to join the
committee to take over the task of dealing with
contacting members through Friends Reunited /
e-mail and hope that keeping this information
updated will assist her with this task.
We are very grateful to
Plashet School for giving us some pages on their
new school website to promote our association. I
have e-mailed them all of the items included in
our newsletters during the last few years and
they have included excerpts from these in our
section and also under school ‘history’. The
POSA pages will also give you news and the date
of the next Reunion, once it has been decided.
You can access this website at:
www.plashet.newham.sch.uk . Our long-term
aim is to set up our own website which would
give us a place to display some of our archives,
news, etc. This could also then be linked to
the Plashet School website and, if they are
agreeable, to the excellent Boys Grammar School
website, which has been running for some years.
It may also be possible to display all the past
copies of our newsletters.
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So, even though 2007 will
be ‘Reunionless’, as you can see it will be
quite a busy one for all the committee members
if we are to catch up with all the latest
developments in communications.
At the last reunion, I
chatted to an old student of Monega Secondary
School who had come along with her sister, and
we feel that, as the forerunner of Plashet
County Sec. School, it should become part of our
‘family’ of related schools. We look forward to
hearing from ex-students and perhaps publishing
articles about the ‘move’ from Monega to Plashet.
Finally I would like to
thank all committee members for their continued
hard work and commitment to POSA. Our special
thanks must go to Jill Dyer who has
played an active part in POSA affairs since the
very early days of our existence and who now
feels it is time for her to step down, in her
words, “in favour of younger members”. So where
are you ‘younger members’? We would be delighted
to welcome any new volunteers. We also send our
best wishes to Jenny Fink who is
temporarily standing down as Membership
Secretary, due to ill health. We wish her a
speedy recovery.
In the meantime,
Margaret Edwards, our Press officer, will
stand in as Membership Secretary, until Jenny is
ready to return. Margaret can be contacted at:
9 Doubleday Drive, Bapchild, Sittingbourne,
Kent, ME9 9PJ.
e-mail:
Margaret@masedwards.fsnet.co.uk
Sue Foulsham (nee Wingrove) EHGS 1956-63
EHGS Staff 1968-71 and Plashet Staff
1973-2000
Items for the next Newsletter should be
posted to:
Mrs Sue Foulsham
‘Cranbrook’
Rattlesden Road
Drinkstone
Bury St. Edmunds
Suffolk
IP30 9TL
e-mail:
suefoulshamster@googlemail.com
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Letters/News/E-mails
E-Mail From Pearl Hannah
Weisbaum (nee Tuszynski) EHGS 1944-49
I was delighted to connect with the EHGS Website
and then in turn to receive the POSA newsletter
for 2005. In her e-mail to me Sue said that my
name had been mentioned in it several times. I
was truly amazed that after so many years anyone
would remember me!
As I look back over the years I realize that my
days at EHGS had a profound effect on my life.
At that time Miss Mitchell was Headmistress. I
remember the first assembly after the holidays.
It always began with a record of ‘Jesu Joy of
Mans Desiring’ followed by the hymn ‘I vow to
thee my country’ and the lesson was always on
consideration towards others. We all knew what
was coming and bowed our heads so that we could
not see one another’s faces. Little did I
realize that her messages would find a permanent
place in my thinking.
Miss Galloway is one of the teachers that I
fondly remember. She organised class visits to
the Robert Mayer Children’s Concerts, conducted
by Sir Boyd Neal. The Queen, then Princess
Elizabeth, and her sister Princess Margaret,
attended one of the concerts. The EHGS school
choir, of which I was a member, performed on the
BBC Children’s Hour as well at the East Ham
Central Hall. I sang in the ‘Stabat Mater’. Miss
Galloway was an enthusiastic teacher and gave
freely of her time. She nurtured my love for
music.
Miss Robinson came onto staff around 1946. She
also taught music and raised our level of
awareness as she dared to wear makeup and nail
polish! Her fine hair was bleached and she wore
low cut red dresses. Her appearance was not in
keeping with the school’s dress code, but it
certainly made all of us sit up and take notice
in her singing classes.
Miss Catherwood taught art and encouraged me to
her utmost but my attempts to please her were
pathetic. However, I must confess that she
finally succeeded but sadly, only to her
satisfaction. In the Form 4 final examination I
chose to paint a scarecrow in an empty field! I
didn’t believe my classmates when they said I
had passed the exam and my name was at the top
of the class list with a B+! From then on I was
constantly teased about my artistic ability! Sad
to say I never progressed beyond that exercise!
Miss Broan was my Form 5 home room teacher. She
was a kindly soul, deeply concerned about ‘her
girls’ and passionate about History especially
the ‘Unification of Germany and Italy’. At the
beginning of every lesson she would call on me
to read from our history text. I was always
amused at the way she would pronounce my name. “PERLE”!
I wish that my history marks had been more to
her liking. Today I enjoy everything of a
historical nature.
Miss Nathan comes to mind. She taught French.
She was an excellent teacher and organised a
student exchange programme to Paris as well as
well as inviting Monsieur Transpar to visit the
school as a French assistant, hoping he would
encourage conversation. His presence created a
lot of chatter and giggles!
I loved acting. ‘Thank you’ to Mrs Huddlestone
for her kind comments in the Newsletter 2005,
concerning my rendition of Shylock’s soliloquy.
I am a Jew! In Shaw’s ‘St.Joan’ I played the
part of Bluebeard. Miss Harper, who taught
English, played the part of the Dauphin. It was
an exciting production because of staff
involvement. The wardrobe mistress did an
amazing job. During my family research, I
discovered that a cousin established the
Tuszynski Theatre in Amsterdam and other family
members around the world are involved in the
Arts. Today my eldest son is a film and TV
Producer and in 2005 one of his productions was
shown at the Toronto International Film
Festival. So any acting ability I may have
demonstrated must stem from my genes! Following
my performance a s ‘Shylock’ it was suggested
that I audition for the Old Vic but my mother
did not agree and felt that an acting career
would not provide a
reliable source of income. So on the advice of
Miss Mitchell I decided to enter the teaching
profession. Although I did not follow my hearts
desire to act, my love for the theatre has
endured.
I left EHGS in May 1949 and taught as a student
teacher for two months in east ham before
attending Bingley Training College in Yorkshire.
Miss Duncan was the Principal and had been
headmistress of EHGS prior to her appointment at
Bingley. I was the first student from EHGS to
attend Bingley. Miss Mitchell continued to be
supportive and interested in my progress. I
needed a second instrument for my two- year
music course and she generously offered to lend
me her cello. I would visit with her during my
college breaks and share my experiences, and she
expressed the hope that other students from EHGS
would follow in my footsteps. (It was at BTC
that I met Shirley Draffen whose name was
mentioned in the 2005 newsletter)
The values I was exposed to at EHGS have stayed
with me. Not only did they influence my life and
work performance, but in turn have influenced
the lives of my children. I would be amiss if I
failed to share their accomplishments at this
time. My eldest son Melvin is a Film and TV
Producer and also works for the British
Columbian Film Commission.
My daughter Karen is a perpetual student with a
B.A., B.Mus. a lawyer and has a doctorate in
Bioethics. In 1997 she received a Lieutenant
Governor General award for her contribution as
Chair and President of the World’s first Breast
Cancer Conference. 750 breast cancer survivors
from N. America were present as well as reps.
from 56 countries.
Simon, my youngest son, is a Mechanical Engineer
with a Masters in Science and also in Business
Administration and presently works for
Intel/Japan.
I taught in Essex and East Ham from 1951 to
1958. In 1955 I married David Weisbaum/Weston
who had attended EHGS for Boys under the
Headship of Dr. Whitely. We emigrated to Canada
in 1958 where David interned at the University
Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta and I had a teaching
post waiting for me. We then moved to Ontario in
1959. In 1969 my marriage came to an end and I
was divorced in 1974. Like many other women I
found myself in the challenging position of a
single parent. My children were 12, 8 and 5
years of age at the time. Circumstances required
me to return to the workplace in order to
support the family; and eventually I returned to
the classroom in 1989 and taught English as a
Second Language to new Canadians, until retiring
in 1996.
Maybe I learned more at EHGS than I realized!
PS. Many thanks for sending the POSA newsletter,
2005. I really enjoyed reading it. It must have
been my last name which gave me the endearing
nickname of ‘Stinky’!
In 1985 I visited Plashet School, took photos
and enquired about the possibility of an ‘old
girls association’ At that time nothing had been
established. So the waiting has been worthwhile
and I will look through my albums and send you
photos that could be included in the archives.
Many thanks for the work you are doing.
E-Mail from Jeanne
Osbourn (nee Farrance)
1959 leaver
Plashet County Sec. School
Firstly I would like to say how much I enjoyed
and appreciated the Reunion held on 24th
June. A great opportunity to meet friends from
way back (and to sing the school hymn). Over the
last couple of years I have met up with
Christine Crease (nee Chester), Janet Pracey,
Maureen Pell, etc. from the 1959 leavers and
have had so much fun. You are still searching
for Eileen (or Elaine?) Farrance and I remember
her joining the school choir as she had the same
surname as me but I never knew if she
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Memories
East Ham Technical College
The Girls Department 1922-32
By Grace Furby
(from the EHGS for Boys
Website)
In 1922, the East Ham Technical College – as it
was then called, was quite unlike the Grammar
School for Boys, which has developed from it. It
was a dual school, the Pricipal, Mr W. Barker,
being the Head of the whole school, the second
mistress, Miss Cross, in charge of the girls,
but with full responsibility.
The
Curriculum
To understand a school of those times one must
realise that education was vastly different from
that of the present day. Pupils entered the
school at the age of 12+, studied for four
years, took the Oxford General Certificate
Examination, aiming at matriculation exemption
and were, on the whole, intending teachers. Some
were allowed a five-year course and a few others
took a Civil Service examination. There was, in
consequence, a certain rigidity about the
curriculum and general school life as compared
to the elasticity of our present day
organisation.
What was that rigid school life? Uninterrupted
work from 9.30am to 4pm, with 15 minutes break
in the morning for recreation and approximately
one and a half hours for dinner. Apart from the
fact that Miss Cross acted as intermediary for
the Women Staff and girls, the organisation and
administration were in the capable hands of Mr
Barker.
Segregation
of the Sexes
The girls occupied the rooms on the south side
of the building and went to special rooms for
Housecraft, Gymnastics, Art and Geography, while
the Sixth Form was usually taught in the
corridor. Both girls and boys walked in twos
from basement to ground floor or from upstairs
down and were hardly allowed to look at each
other, in fact, it was with an air of boldness
and abandon that we planned mixed parties for
Christmas in the Town Hall.
Such rules as were made were strictly kept, but
they were few and were, on the whole, connected
with creating a suitable atmosphere for work.
Each girl began the day with a definite number
of good conduct marks which she strove to keep.
Staff were united in seeing these rules were
kept, all complaints going to the Form Mistress,
who not only reprimanded, but encouraged and
took a deep personal interest in her girls. It
was she, also, who dealt with the more serious
faults of behaviour, which were never corrected
by rule but by personal contact. This made for a
very happy relationship between pupil and
teacher and laid down a definite line of action
for all. It seemed a perfect combination of
authority and friendliness.
There were prizes too, and cups for Houses and
for sport. Each pupil kept a diary in which she
made a note of all weekly marks, including
conduct marks. These diaries were signed each
week by parents and Form Mistresses and the
marks counted towards end of term positions and
finally prizes. Good work was praised and
encouraged and although bad work was deplored,
each girl knew that in her form
sympathy she could always rely upon.
It might be appropriate here to mention a few
other differences in school routine.
1)
First day of the school year. All school
books were in the hall, office staff were in
attendance and during the morning subject
mistresses distributed text books throughout the
school. The afternoon was a holiday.
2)
Break during morning. All pupils were
obliged to go out in the air, winter and summer,
except on rainy days, while the school was
thoroughly ventilated.
3)
End of day. The mistress in charge stood
at the exit to see that coats were buttoned and
hat and gloves were on, and to say good
afternoon to each pupil. All were out of the
school within 15 minutes.
4)
Unusually wet weather. A torrential
downpour and heavy rain were anything but
depressing, especially over the weekend, for, on
arrival on Monday morning, the basement was
occasionally flooded. This meant drying out, and
cleaning and a days holiday for the school,
welcomed by pupils and staff alike, however
addicted they were to uninterrupted work.
5)
Behaviour in the streets. To walk two
abreast was the rule. If three girls wished to
walk together, one must always be on the alert
to drop behind, should anyone be coming in the
opposite direction, a rule as unusual now
perhaps as the enforced wearing of gloves.
For the rest of school life, in terms of the
present day, it was largely negative. There were
no interruptions of school work, except for a
play at Prize Giving. There were no clubs, no
school dinners, no free milk, no parents
meetings, no medical service or dental treatment
and very few Staff Meetings. In fact, the latter
was an event, held only to discuss some special
or unusual arrangements, the Staff sitting in a
semi-circle in order of seniority, men on one
side and women on the other.
What activities were there and how were health
difficulties met? One hour a week was given up
to sports, run on a house system, immediately
after school, one day a week. There was tennis
in the summer on the site of the Girls Grammar
School, hockey in the winter on the Barking
Recreation Field, swimming in the baths, usually
in the dinner hour and athletics at the end of
the year on the Hay’s Wharf ground. All these
events counted towards the winning of a House
Cup, to which was added literary efforts,
general deportment and cleanliness.
Music was always a strong point. Mr Day Winter
and his son did most unusual work, not only in
training choirs which competed with great
success at the Stratford Musical festival, but
in the ordinary class lessons, inspired as they
were by their own enthusiasm and love for music.
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