My name is Joan Craig, and I am from the class of 1961.

I was born in Erin Ontario, and my family moved to Georgetown in 1949, when I was five. Since there was no Kindergarten in Erin, I didn’t start school until I arrived in Georgetown. I started Chapel Street School on February 14, 1949.

I have great memories of school there. Mrs. Wrigglesworth, who is now Mrs. Forgrave, was my grade 4 teacher. She was the one who got me interested in becoming a teacher. She was ahead of her time in some of her methods, such as what was later called language experience.

Mr. Henry also fed my desire to become a teacher, as he had confidence enough in me to let me be a supply “teacher” in classrooms where a fill-in teacher could not be obtained.

I couldn’t forget Mr. Harrison, who gave me a good grounding in music, and this I used in my teaching career.

When I went to GHS in grade 9, we only went for half a day on Thursday, as they were in the process of adding on the first addition. We had to walk on boards at times to the locker room, as often there was water on the floor. Finally, the old building was torn down. We had a gym for the first time, so there was no more playing volleyball outdoors with a hard ball in cold weather, and no more ping-pong with Miss Piercy in the attic of the old building. I spent 5 years at GHS and graduated in 1961.

Teachers I remember were Miss Luke, Mr. Beer, Mrs. Hardie, Mr. Baxter, Mrs. Glynn, Mrs. Rae, Miss Piercy, and, of course, Mr. Lambert.

Classmates I remember include Lois Niven, Pat Sykes, Marilyn McFarlane, Don Curry, Peter Glynn, Janice Shrubsole, Carol Lane, Carol Barth, and too many others to name.

I went to Lakeshore Teacher’s College and graduated in 1962. I taught in the Ottawa Valley at the first of my career, and finished up here in Brantford in 1997. I subsequently did supply teaching until this year at the W. Ross. Macdonald School For The Blind.

I did obtain a B.A. with a major in Geography and a minor in Psychology along the way while I was teaching.

At present I am working on the census. I am also a Big Sister to an 11 year old, who has just been diagnosed with severe diabetes. I am a volunteer with the Sunshine Foundation and we are preparing for a walk coming up. I also am a member of Beta Sigma Phi.

My dream of traveling has come true in many ways. I went on a tour of Europe in 1983, and from that I still have many friends I met on that trip. I also have been on many other trips to Hawaii, Mexico, many states in the USA, Jamaica, Ireland and England. I would like to go to Australia and New Zealand some day.

My life, since retiring, has been full. I am busier now than ever.