You could understand if Hamish Mills feels like he’s still at home when he walks through the doors of Haven Primary on Wednesday for his first day of school.
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His sisters Zara and Jayda are already in years five and three respectively, and his mother Breanne teaches at the Haven and Horsham West campuses.
Mrs Mills said Hamish was excited to go on the bus. Now with all three of her children attending the school she works at, she said she was careful to switch from “parent mode” to “teacher mode” when she was in the classroom.
“(There was a) funny moment when I first taught Jayda. We began the lesson with her calling me Mum and by the end of the lesson she was calling me Mrs Mills,” she said.
Mrs Mills teaches physical education, health and art across both campuses.
She began teaching prep at the West campus in 2004, and has worked part-time since having Zara four years later. She attended Horsham West Haven Primary as a girl, and saw some of the school’s toughest times.
“It almost closed in the late ‘80s – it came down to a vote and the schools stayed open by one vote,” she said.
“In the end Horsham West campus came to our rescue.”
Mrs Mills also volunteers her time on the parents’ club to help raise money for the campus. She sees it as having a bright future.
Mrs Mills’ mother, Sue Exell, says her family’s association with the school at Haven now spans more than five generations and nearly 110 years.
Her grandfather, Albert Fulton, successfully applied for one of the 33 blocks of land south of Horsham which the Wimmera shire opened up for development in 1910.
Mr Fulton then helped with the petition to build a school in the area.
“It was found that between 55 and 65 children were ready to attend school and around 100 not yet old enough to attend,” Mrs Exell said. “Clara Fulton used to attend the committee meetings with Albert because Albert was unable to read and Clara could.
“One of those 100 children not old enough to attend was my mother Mona Fulton. The family moved on from Haven just prior to Mona becoming of school age.”
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Alexander Darling
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
