What an Awesome Night!

4th September has come and gone so quickly! The night was a resounding success, and David, Justin and I could not have been any happier with the outcome (except we would have liked a bigger turnout). The final numbers for the Class of '85 Reunion came to 130 people! So it was still a good number, considering how many previous students we couldn't find.

The feedback has been fantastic, and the one thing that everyone said was..."It wasn't long enough!" Followed up at the end of the night..."we've gotta do it again!" It just went so quickly.

From my perspective as the key organiser, it was interesting to watch people's reactions and listen to their responses as they walked through the door. The stunned look on people's faces and some looks of trepidation were quietly amusing. Especially as they scanned the room and recognised particular people with the words..."OMG! Is that....?"

And one comment someone made as I ticked their name off was..."This is surreal!"

So at first there were alot of mixed emotions and a little bit of uncertainty, but within an hour the room was literally buzzing! So much so that when Justin got up to do his MC honours, well...poor Justin...you couldn't hear him from the din of excitement in the room. We did have 80's music playing in the background, but apparently, very few heard any music at all, or even noticed the slideshow of old school photos, flashing on the screen behind them...the buzz was so intense!

The atmosphere was just incredible. Everyone was smiling, laughing, reminiscing...and drinking, of course. There were people mixing and talking, who perhaps hadn't done so back in high school. Many old friendships were rekindled, and new ones formed.

I suspect too, that the night was also about forgiveness for some. And also about acceptance. When everyone realised that we've all been through stuff in our lives, and you can't get to this stage in your life without being scathed, just a little, you find that you have more in common than what you think you have. So, I think for many, the experience was cathartic. Alot of demons were put to rest and a sense of release ensued.

For me, the most standout thing that came of the night, was the fact that quite a few people, who said that initially they did feel trepidation before walking through the doors, quickly, changed their tune. As someone said..."I expected to come here tonight and sit and be a wallflower, but found exactly the opposite happen"...or something along those lines. Time and time again, this was said to me. They all felt that their fears were allayed and they were able to talk freely and be themselves without fear of rejection once they realised how accepting and welcoming everyone was.

What people were categorised during high school, i.e. nerdy, sporty, peculiar...etc, just wasn't even on the radar during the night. As I have suspected all along, as we get older, through our collective experiences, we find a commonality that brings us together and allows us to celebrate our own individual differences and uniqueness, that during high school some may have felt alienated by those differences, but now find they are the very things we can be proud of embracing and sharing.

So thank you to all those who came along. You are what made our 'Class of '85 Reunion' night such a special and successful one! Without your willingness to participate, we wouldn't had such a fantastic night!

And of course, thank you to all those who supported the reunion, but who could not make it for whatever reason that is. There have still been alot of friendships rekindled through this whole process, and for that reason alone, the journey has been worth the effort!

I'll leave you with a link to some photos of night. These photos are courtesy of Jacqueline Rose, who took some wonderful candid shots. Thank you again Jacqeline! I will try to get some more up here for those who aren't on facebook, but it won't be for a couple of weeks, as I'm going away. So I'll post some more upon my return, so just check back here in a few weeks for more photos.

Here's the link...enjoy! :)

Class of '85 Reunion photos

Road Closures - Brisbane Riverfire

The night of 4th September coincides with QBE Riverfire. So for those travelling from the Northside of Brisbane, or anyone else who is travelling through West End, South Brisbane, Kangaroo Point, etc, please be aware of the road closures, and make alternate route plans if you need to, to get to the venue at Stones Corner.

Here's a link to the Brisbane Festival website, stating Riverfire road closures on the night. Also keep in mind that it's going to be a big night as far as celebrations in and around Brisbane, so it may take a while to get a taxi back from Cloudland to the venue (a coach is booked to get you from the venue to Cloudland). You may want to consider booking a taxi ahead to ensure you're not waiting too long!

Class of '85 Reunion - One Week Countdown!

The big night is only just less than a week away now. Last day for payment of tickets was on Friday 27th August, and tomorrow (Monday) the final numbers will be rung through to the venue. We didn't quite get the number we wanted, but we were pretty damned close! Final numbers for the night will be around 150! And there were alot of people who still could not be contacted, or we couldn't find, even after 18 months of work.

So this week will be a busy week ensuring that everything is organised for the big event!

Thanks to everyone who has helped support the reunion and also been part of the community on facebook. Even though not everybody who joined our facebook events page is coming, it's allowed the opportunity for people to re-kindle old friendships and/or form new ones, or just allowed people to view each other from afar.

For those who aren't coming for whatever reason...best wishes for your present and future!

For those who are...see you on Saturday night...it's going to be a blast! :P

Livestreaming of Reunion

We have now decided that for those who cannot attend the reunion, for whatever reason, that we will now live stream the reunion on the web. Please let us know if you would like to watch the reunion.

It will be free to watch.

All we need to do is email you a link on the night and you will be able to chat to those attending and they will be able to talk back to you.

David, Justin, Kerry

Transport to Cloudland

As you may or may not be aware, after the Class of 85 Reunion Event, we'll be continuing celebrations at Cloudland in Fort. Valley.

Getting to Cloudland from the venue may be a concern for some, so to help everyone as much as we can, have an enjoyable and problem-free night, we've decided to organise a coach to get us from the venue to Cloudland. The cost will be approx. $6 per person to be paid on the night to us. This will be much cheaper than a taxi. It will then be up to the individual to organise their own way home (or back to the venue). Please note that entry to Cloudland is FREE.

For those who will be parking at the venue (if you are, you need to notify us prior to book in your vehicle), please note that if you wish to hop on board the coach, you're welcome to do so. Your car can be left at the venue, with the proviso that you COLLECT IT BEFORE 6AM MONDAY MORNING (6th September). This gives people the option that if they do consume alcohol that they can catch a taxi home and return to the venue the following day to collect their vehicle.

So if you know that you are going to Cloudland after the function, please advise us if you (and your partner/spouse) would like to use the coach to get to cloudland so we have an indicative number.

Who knows...you may decide to change your mind on the night if you get caught up in all the nostalgia!

Two Months and Counting...

4th September is not far away, and for those who haven't heard, invites have already been sent, and the RSVP and payment date of 30th June has just gone.

However...don't panic, because it's still not too late if you'd like to come!

For those who have received their invites and have just been slack, get your RSVP's and payments in ASAP please! We need to ensure we can meet our bookings numbers.

And for those who may have only just found out about the reunion, be sure to send us an email or phone us to get your copy of the invite and details, and make your payment as soon as you can. Contact details are to the RHS of this page.

We look forward to seeing you all very soon...

After Party Celebrations at Cloudland

Well it's less than 3 months away now before the big night. David has made enquiries with Cloudland nightclub in Brisbane, as somewhere to go once the reunion has finished.

As a committee, we are not organising this after party event as such, but thought that we could get the ball rolling. David has contacted Cloudland to see if they are able to cater for the number of people, and they assured him that it would be no problem.

As far as getting to and from the venue, it will the responsibility of the individual/couples to organise this and obviously do so in a responsible way, i.e. no drinking and driving, etc.

For those who are thinking of going along, the dress standard for the venue is:

Ladies must be smart cocktail dress and men must have enclosed dress shoes, dress pants, collared button up dress shirt.

Numbers are looking great for the night, and we're still getting requests and people coming out of the woodwork who are wanting to come. I think we're going to get quite a lot of last minute interest and requests for invititations.

And lastly....another reminder about the RSVP date of 30th June, 2010!

Reunion Meeting & Payment of Ticket

It's been some months since we've posted, but things are still moving along. A reunion meeting is set for this weekend on Sunday 30th May. We hope to start finalising things for the 4th September, which isn't too far away now. The response and interest has been great and everyone is looking forward to the event.

Individual invitations have been sent out. If you haven't received an invitation and would like one, please contact us ASAP, as each invitation has a serial number attached. The invitation must be brought to the reunion as proof of invite and payment. For more information, please email David at springwoodhigh85reunion@bigpond.com

Invitations can be sent out via email or letter. Email is preferred. R.S.V.P for the Class of 85 Reunion event is June 30th, 2010. Any invites sent out after this date will have a revised RSVP date.

Currently we are looking at approximately 150-200 people at this stage, with partner numbers not yet confirmed.

Reunion Meeting 28/2/10

Numbers are coming along well (thanks to David's untiring efforts), and invitations we be going out in the next couple of weeks.

To ensure proper screening on the reunion list, INDIVIDUAL invitations will be send directly to ex-students. Invitations cannot be 'passed on' to other ex-students. IT IS A REQUIREMENT THAT YOU SUPPLY US WITH A CONTACT EMAIL (or postal) ADDRESS IF YOU WANT TO RECEIVE AN INVITATION!

If you are bringing a partner/friend/spouse, you will need to specify the name of the person when replying to your invitation.

Please contact us via the email and phone no's provided on the RHS of this blog if you have any queries, or wish to receive an invitation to the event.

Updates of numbers will be advised shortly, but at this stage we're at about 150 people, and that doesn't include partners as yet.

Cheers...Kerry :)

November '09 Update - Class of 85 Reunion

Attending/Interested 88
Maybe's 21
Partners 11

TOTAL 120

Attendance Update August 2009

Attending: 72
Maybe Attending: 20
Partners: 10

TOTAL AS AT AUGUST 2009: 102

Reunion Article - Albert & Logan News

The above article was in the Albert & Logan News, for Wednesday 19/8/09 edition.

Unfortunately, they didn't include the actual links for facebook, or the blog website, nor a contact number for those people who don't have internet. I requested that another small notice be put into the community section advising of the missed information, which went into Albert & Logan News, Wednesday 26/8/09 edition, which still didn't have link addresses, but included a contact number.

I don't think it's done what we though it would, and that is, bring to the attention of ex-students, the reunion event. I did however receive a phone call from Carol Humphries, who was and still is a teacher at Springwood State High School. She has offered to contact teachers from the Class of 85, whom she knows to see if any would be interested in attending.

Kerry Warnholtz.

Attendance Milestone

Yes...we've hit the magical no. of 100!

That is...71 attending; 20 maybe; 9 partners (that we know of).

Updated Attendance List

Just click on the above image to see a current list of all those people who are attending/interested, or maybe attending.

The current tally stands at approx. 88 people, including those who have said they are bringing a partner.

If there is an error, could you please let us know. Please note, that these are indications at this stage and aren't definite numbers. Nothing is final until invitations go out and acceptances received.

The list helps us as organisers, book a suitable venue, and also for ex-students, it's interesting to see who is coming along.

Reunion Date has been Set!

The first official meeting for the organisers of the SHS Class of 85 Reunion took place recently, to discuss in detail the reunion event.

The date is now confirmed as Saturday, 4th September, 2010.

School holidays don't start until 18th September 2010, and it shouldn't clash with the Brisbane festival either, which starts around the 12th September.

The venue will be advised later as it gets closer to the time when invitations will be sent out. Just make note however, that the venue will be central to Brisbane city, so that for those who are travelling from interstate/overseas, will have lots to choose from in the way of accommodation.

For those of you not on facebook, could you please contact us either via phone, or preferably email to let us know....

a) your interest, i.e. interested in attending, not interested
b) your email address or postal address (preferably email) - so we can contact you and have an address to send out invitations and notifications.
c) if you are bringing a partner or not (or maybe)

The reunion email address you'll find on the RHS of this site.

And lastly, if there is anyone out there who has photographic skills, or equipment, could you please let us know? We have some ideas to make the night a memorable one, but obviously want to keep costs down, so that the ticket prices can be kept affordable. Don't worry, we won't be expecting you to be running around all night taking photos - we want you to have time to enjoy the night. We are most probably looking at some group photos of us...'25 years on'!

Ciao for now...Kerry, Justin & David

Reply from John Allison, English Teacher

Here's a reply Kerry received from John Allison, who was one of our English teachers.

"Good to hear from you. I have just been trawling through email and relocated yours. Problem of having several email addresses and not managing them properly.
Tell me it is not 25 years! I opened up the blog to have a look see. I will have to go back to school magazines and mark books to clear up the memory haze. I clearly remember you Kerry. You were a very good student and you could write well.
My only contact with ex Springwood High people is Roger White, who you may recall was a teacher of Japanese. He is still with the department and works out of Central Office in Brisbane.

It seems like I have been with the department for ever. In fact, it is 33 years. After Springwood, I went to Camp Hill High, Corinda High, Beaudesert High and Ipswich High where I did a deputy stint for 9 years. I was appointed principal at Rockhampton High in 2000.

You have taken on a big job in organising a reunion. Still deciding about attendance as I am not sure about my movements next year. I may be taking a big chunk of long service leave and doing some travel. All the best with your organising.

It is always great to hear from past students.

Kind regards

John Allison
Principal
Rockhampton State High School "

Year 12 Graduation Handbook

I have now taken a copy of our Graduation handbook, and we will start contacting ex-students from the booklet within a couple of months. Our hope is that we will have minimum of 150 people for our reunion, and the current tally sits at 70 (attending, interested, maybe attending), and does not include partners. Apparently, 60-70% attendance of student numbers is considered a successful reunion, which means between 141 and 165 people attending is a good figure to aim for.

I think it would be a reasonable goal to have contacted the majority of students by around September of this year, and to have a firm date range of either March-May or September-November, finalised by then, so that everyone can decide whether it's possible for them to attend or not.

Posted by K Warnholtz

Welcome to our Blog!

This is just a quick post to welcome you. Hopefully, we can encourage some dialogue. Suggestions or thoughts about what you would like to see at our reunion would be great! We (the organisers) will consider all suggestions, however, we have the final say. You know how the saying goes...'too many chefs spoil the broth'.

Something I've noticed is all the excitement which has come through in the responses we've received!

We do have an events page raised on facebook, so if you are on FB, please feel free to join the growing community. It's a great chance to have a squizzy at what everyone looks like now. You can register your interest, i.e. attending, maybe attending, etc. And it's a great way to connect or reconnect with others from the Class of 85!
And if you're not on facebook...take the plunge..it's easy. And if you're worried about privacy, you only have to have the bare minimum of info. You don't even have to have a photo if you don't want to.

Lastly, the tally so far (four weeks and counting) is 61 all up (without partners) who are interested in coming. There were 235 students of the class of 85, so there are alot of people to contact! We need your help to pass on our contact details if you know anyone from the Class of 85!

Thanks & ciao for now...Kerry :)