In 40 plus years of teaching, recently retired Daphne Jermyn has lots of fond memories of her time at Cobar Public School (CPS).
After leaving teacher’s college 43 years ago, Mrs Jermyn spent 41 of those here in Cobar.
“I first came to Cobar in March 1982 in the middle of a drought and started teaching kindergarten,” Mrs Jermyn said in a recent sit-down interview with The Cobar Weekly.
“Back then the school had almost 600 kids.
“When I came, they had two kindergarten classes, and over 40 kindergarten kids in each class. So they needed another teacher and I ended up having Kindergarten.
“Cobar Public School was my first permanent appointment.”
Mrs Jermyn lists teaching a Year 4-6 composite class as a standout in her mind as one of her career highlights. (At that time composite classes were a new and unknown concept and were a cause for concern for a number of parents.)
“To this day it stands out as my best class that I’ve ever had to teach.
“It was fantastic! There were some siblings in it, the kids all got on well.”
Other highlights for Mrs Jermyn included teaching distance education, working as the school’s librarian, going to mini schools, attending Schools Spectacular and regional Spectacular events, being involved in the schools Outback Festival, school excursions, helping out in the school’s food garden and mentoring young teachers.
She’s filled in as the relieving principal at CPS on occasions when required throughout her career and also did a stint as principal at Louth in 2018.
“It was amazing. I loved it. They are beautiful kids out there, beautiful memories”.
She often took her hobbies of art, craft, music and gardening in to the classroom.
“In school, if there were difficulties with kids or anything, you could always give them a piece of paper and ask them to draw and inevitably, something comes out and it helps them to express their ideas and thoughts.
“I used to have a newsbook and a few kids would get it each day and they’d have a little square to draw in and write a caption.
“And I’ve kept those, I just love those and I loved doing art and craft, drawing and painting and anything like that with the kids.”
Mrs Jermyn said she not only enjoyed working with children but also made lots of “lifelong friends” with a number of CPS teachers, many of whom have moved away but she still keeps in touch with.
Since coming to Cobar Mrs Jermyn has been involved in the Cobar Arts Council and also with her daughters’ dance schools, working behind the scenes and making countless costumes.
Recently, Mrs Jermyn made the decision to retire.
“I think there comes a time.
“Not having enough contact with family and with them living away and getting older is another reason.
“Also, you can’t maintain contact with all the colleagues you’ve had, and enjoy really close working or social friendships or relationships that you’ve developed if you’re still going to work.
“There’s another life out there,” she said.
“I now enjoy having some flexibility.”
Despite retiring, Mrs Jermyn however has no plans of slowing down.
“We’re moving to Gunnedah, my dad is in care there.
“We have a house there. I will probably just continue doing gardening, crafting and visiting and catching up with lots of people.
“We’ll also be doing a little bit of tripping around.
“We’re not selling our house [in Cobar] because we might come back!”
Mrs Jermyn attributes her long stay in Cobar to meeting and marrying local, Bill Jermyn.
“I met a local, married a local and stayed.
“It’s been a wonderful place to have children and bring up children, and mine still say it was great to grow up here.”
Their move to Gunnedah will put the couple closer to their two daughters, Hannah, who works at Harper Collins Publishing and Laura, who went to University in Wollongong and did a degree in commerce, then got into real estate.
Despite being excited for the future, Mrs Jermyn said she will miss Cobar and the small community feel where everybody knows each other.
“You could go for a coffee or go to the pub or club and always be sitting with people you know or pick up conversations with people you haven’t seen for months or years.
“You’re never on your own. It’s a very sociable town.” ▪ Article compiled and written by work experience student Luke Giurin
