By Sahar Foladi
I walked in the gates of my childhood after 12 years as a journalist to cover a story, however as I walked inside the school, I became a child again as memories flooded my mind.
I first came to Dandenong North Primary School (DNPS) in Grade 3 2007 along with my two elder sisters and my younger brother who was in prep at that time.
Everything was so alien to me, not being able to speak a word of English, I looked at my teacher confused as I tried to make sense of what she was saying.
There were other students the same as me who would attend Transition, not knowing what it was back then, but now I understand it was a program to help newcomers with non-English speaking backgrounds to settle in and teach them basic English.
As I grappled through, in no time I attended English as Secondary Language (ESL) which extends the purpose of transition and with the help of such curriculum in place I was able to read, write and speak English at a faster pace.
Now 12 years later, it was recess time when I arrived and just as always, the Mackay were standing outside talking to students.
I made my way to introduce myself as a Journalist who is there to write a story on the new ‘Mackay Gymnasium.’
When I told him I used to be an ex-student here and how I came across this story he burst into laughter of pure joy and pride.
Mr Mackay is just as he used to be when I was a student there, extremely friendly with students, gentle, kind, always smiling and making students laugh too. They always visited classrooms along with their dog Pepper, who the kids loved and I used to be terribly afraid of.
We were famously referred to as the Foladis since there were four of us at that school and upon our graduation, three of my little brothers started school in DNPS.
I shook Mrs Mackay’s hand and introduced myself and she looked at me in an attempt to figure me out.
That’s when I said I am an ex student and her face transformed from confusion to pure joy. She said that name did sound familiar.
While we were standing and having a chat, students could not pass by Mrs Mackay without hugs, hellos and would ask if she is back to the school permanently. And with a look of disappointment after she’d replied: No, she is only there for some event.
The school has changed immensely since I remembered it with heaps of new buildings and it still continues to support not just students but also mothers from diverse backgrounds.
I became Peer Mediator at the school and also played netball in Inter school sport competitions with other schools, that’s how this DNPS had changed me within a few years.
After my interview with Mr Mackay he told me how proud he was to see me as a journalist. To have role models who’ve shaped the early stages of my life say that to me is an inexplicable moment of my life.
