We all have that one primary school teacher we just adored, the one who made us look forward to going to school, even those who hated it on the best days.
For Diana Van Den Broek and 10 other former Nambrok West Primary School students, that teacher was David Wright.
Ms Van Den Broek, joined by 10 former Nambrok West Primary students taught by Mr Wright, met with their former favourite teacher after almost 50 years at the Sale Greyhounds Club for lunch on Monday, November 21.
“I am a connector of people,” Ms Van Den Broek said.
“Moving back to Sale, I caught up with a couple of friends who I have known since four, five years old; we were catching up from time to time, and I said to them recently, ‘Why don’t we invite David Wright, who was our favourite school teacher?’
“I got in contact with him, and he was absolutely stoked, absolutely stoked, and couldn’t wait for the day,” she exclaimed.
“So we organised it; I started networking, and we ended up getting 11 ex-students there.”
Mr Wright, now 80, taught at Nambrok West Primary School, on the corner of Nambrok Road and Ross Road, long before the amalgamation with Nambrok Primary School in 1987.
Ms Van Den Broek was one of Mr Wright’s 30 students at Nambrok West Primary School, harbouring adulation and fond memories for her former teacher.
“He [Mr Wright] had the senior part of the school; there was a prep, one, two teacher,” Ms Van Den Broek said.
“And he [Mr Wright] was only there for three years, which is really funny because my whole primary school, I really just remember him; we were all very, very fond of him.
“He and his wife were really involved with the families; they had two babies, two boys while they were there, so we were there with the prams. It was a really beautiful environment.”
Nambrok West Primary School no longer exists after the amalgamation, with all 10 students attending Nambrok West transferring to Nambrok Primary School in the late ’80s along with all their equipment and resources.
In 1994, after state government changes to the education system, Nambrok Primary School was merged with Denison Primary School and Nambrok-Denison Primary School was established.
After an enjoyable lunch with their former favourite teacher, Mr Wright, Ms Van Den Broek and Pam Glenton, friend and former Nambrok West classmate, proposed a 50-year reunion for the Nambrok West students of Mr David Wright.
“It was really wonderful, we all just got on, shared stories, and he [David Wright] stayed on overnight, and we just kept talking, sharing stories, finding out more,” Ms Van Den Broek said.
“Pam Glenton, who was a year above me, came to dinner because she couldn’t come to lunch and suggested we do a 50th reunion next year.”
The 50-year reunion of Mr David Wright’s Nambrok West Primary School students will be hosted on March 19, 2023.
Ms Van Den Broek invites all whom Mr Wright taught at Nambrok West to celebrate a remarkable teacher.
“For me, it is something that I really want to give to David as a very personal ‘thank you’ because I have the best memories; we all have the best memories of him,” Ms Van Den Broek said.
“So it is really about giving back to David.”
If you or someone you know was taught by Mr Wright at Nambrok West Primary School and would like more information about the reunion, email Diana Van Den Broek at Disoutter@hotmail.com.
