Dianne Yundt reflects on growing up in Tavistock and memories of public-school days
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
By Gary West
Many longtime Tavistock residents still remember Dianne Yundt by her maiden name, Quehl, from her years growing up in the community and attending Tavistock Public School.
Today, Yundt and her husband, Wayne, are often spotted visiting with friends while shopping for fresh produce, meats and local goods at the Stratford Farmers’ Market.
Recently, Yundt shared memories from a speech she delivered during the 50th anniversary celebration of Tavistock Public School several years ago, reflecting on what school life and growing up in a small rural community was like during that era.
She recalled how moving into the newer school building brought together town and country students in much larger classes than many children had experienced before.
“Being from a small community like Tavistock meant we had the same kids in our classes each and every year,” Yundt recalled. “So, when we were preparing to come to the new school, our classrooms mushroomed with the country kids.”
School buses brought rural students into town each day, and classroom sizes often grew to 40 students.
“With the country kids came new friendships and new competitors in academics, athletics and the arts,” she said.
One of the biggest changes students experienced was gaining access to a gymnasium, something the older, two-room school did not have.
“Having a gym made a huge impact on all of us for many reasons,” Yundt said. “Aside from physical-education classes, we had organized intramural activities at noon, assemblies and lots of community outreach programs.”
She also fondly remembered attending yoga and fitness classes at the school with her mother, while her brothers and their friends frequently gathered there in the evenings to play sports. Regular movie nights with five-cent popcorn were also highlights for many students.
School life during the 1960s looked much different than it does today.
Girls wore dresses, skirts and jumpers to school, often with knee-high socks or stockings, while pants for girls were uncommon at the time. Shorts were typically reserved for annual field days.
Students walked or biked to school in all kinds of weather and usually went home for lunch each day.
“No one picked us up,” Yundt recalled. “Fathers worked and most mothers did not drive. No wonder we were all lean and fit.”
She also remembered that students remained in the same classroom throughout the day and did not yet have programs like French immersion, home economics or shop classes.
Still, students benefited from special teachers who visited classrooms regularly, including art teacher Mrs. West and music teacher Ms. Kollman.
“We entered music festivals every year and did very well under Ms. Kollman’s tutelage,” Yundt said.
Like many former students, Yundt also fondly remembered school trips and extracurricular activities, including opportunities to train as crossing guards and a memorable class trip to Expo ‘67 in Montreal.
“What an experience that was,” she said. “We went by school bus and were amongst thousands of students from all over the world.”
Yundt said Tavistock Public School provided students with much more than just an education.
“As you know, Tavistock Public School provided us with so many opportunities, not just a solid foundation and education,” she said. “I speak for all students in giving thanks to the community of Tavistock, Tavistock Public School, the staff and educators both past and present, for all they did in helping shape each of us during those very formative years of our lives.
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