What a lovely surprise to receive your letter about the reunion at the end of October. I enjoyed greatly trolling through the web site and looking at the pictures. Names I had totally forgotten came back as my chronologically challenged eyes peered at the images, and I mentally re-dressed some in their costumes from “Calamity Jane”!!! Who could forget Lesley, Brenda, Dolores and Faye as the dance-hall/bar-girls in “Calamity Jane”? It was the first full-length school musical I helped to organise. Because it pre-dated the building of the Assembly Hall, we had to stage  the show at Dickson High – what a massive effort that was……and what fun! Didn’t the spotlights go out at some stage during the performance and we had to make do with only the down lights? Ah, those were the days before cash-strapped schools were constrained to pay huge performing rights to greedy theatrical agencies (JCW???), and we were able to adapt the music to suit the immature voices of the performers.

I spent 10 years at Watson, then took long-service leave for all of 1975, travelling around the world on my own. Small world – ran into Kathy (Leppert) at the entrance to Earls Court tube station in London.  I left Watson to work at the CCAE organising and supervising prac.teaching – all secondary not just music – and started a master’s in Education. Met and worked with  Neil, married and instantly acquired a family – 2 boys 5 and 7. Ran Performing Arts Departmentt at Copland College for 2 years, added our daughter in 81,  tutored at the CCAE and eventually spent 1 full year in charge of undergraduate and postgraduate music education. Started work at Cranleigh School (rather like Music Therapy) and this became my passion for the next 20 years.

When we moved to Qld in 1988, I was able to sell my product (Music in Special Education) to Ed. Qld and also continued running music education classes at Griffith Uni for undergraduate teachers. Now retired, 2 and 4/9 grandchildren, all our children live up here close enough to see them lots. Gardening, frogs, birds, bushwalking, reading (so many books, so little time), skiing whenever possible, CWA and lots of other stuff including the ongoing excavation of my study. Did lots of travelling with  and without Neil to  ed. conferences in many parts of the world; we  are still gadding about whenever and wherever possible. Have just been in Canberra for a god-daughter’s wedding so probably won’t make it for the reunion as we are popping off o/s soon after and being elderly, need to get lots of pre-flight exercise and rest  before we go!  All the best to everyone and congratulations for taking on what will be a most rewarding event.  🙂

Kathryn Russell (Peaston)