Thank You Mrs Downey! Teacher Profile
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n September, 1975, Julie Downey joined the PE department at BHS. This June, after 43 years dedicated to developing female student athletes, she will retire from teaching. We at Torchbearer, on behalf of the entire BHS family, want to wish Mrs Downey the very best in her “new” life away from the School.
Mrs Downey’s own schooling began at Sandys Grammar School (now Somerset Primary), followed by Dellwood and then Mount Saint Agnes. Always an athlete, she pursued her interest in sports, graduating from Chelsea College of PE in Eastbourne, England. We asked Mrs Downey to share some of her memories and insights from a life spent teaching.
Torchbearer: Why did you become a PE teacher?
Mrs Downey: I was very fortunate in that I knew from a very early age that I wanted to be a PE teacher. I loved being outside, I loved sports and I loved the smell of the creosol that was used to mark the courts and tracks, back in the “old days”.
TB: Who were your roles models as a young athlete? Mrs Downey: From Primary through Secondary school I had wonderful PE teachers. I excelled outside on the sports field and that’s all I ever wanted to do. However, my classroom teachers drove the point home that I had to work hard in my academic work as well, if I wanted to be a teacher. They encouraged and praised my effort in both PE and the classroom, and that was a major factor in reaching my goal.
TB: What were your favourite sports as a student? Mrs Downey: My favorite sport throughout my schooling was Netball, although I loved Track & Field and was a good sprinter.
TB: Can you share some of your accomplishments and memories as an athlete and a teacher? Mrs Downey: One of my most vivid memories of those days was when Inter- School Track & Field became integrated! Before they combined all the schools, there was an Inter-School Sports Day for white students and an Inter-School
Physical achievement: Julie Downey (right) will retire this June after 43 years in the PE Department at BHS. She has witnessed, and overseen, a tremendous amount of change and development in girls’ sports and will be missed by the entire BHS community.
“I was very fortunate in that I knew from a very early age that I wanted to be a PE teacher.”
Sports Day for black students. At the white Sports Day, I used to win just about every event that I entered, especially the sprints. After the two Sports Days were combined, I never won another thing! As a teacher, I still love Netball and over the years BHS has had great success in the sport. Of course, just like any other sport, some year groups come along and they will have a number of very enthusiastic and good players, and then there are some years where there may be just a few players.
TB: What are some of the major developments you’ve seen at BHS? Mrs Downey: When I first came to teach at BHS, the only indoor space for PE was the “Little Gym”. There was a small space called the “Activity Room” but that was usually occupied by the music
teacher. As most know, the Little Gym is a small area with a low ceiling so we were limited in what we could do in there. The space sort of dictated our programme. There was no Basketball, indoor Netball or Volleyball (although we did try). There were many occasions when the weather was bad, so students did not have a lesson, as there was nowhere to have it. When the Jessie Vesey Sports Centre (JVSC) was built the PE programme saw big changes. We instituted a full Basketball and Volleyball programme. We were also able to play Netball inside on a hard surface, which speeded up our game, and made us more competitive. We could play Badminton (4 games at a time!) and, with the upstairs fitness and weights area, students could choose a fitness option in the upper years. The new facility also included the climbing wall; yet another branch to our programme.
TB: What changes have you seen to girls’ sports over the years? Mrs Downey: When I first started teaching at BHS, Girls’ Football was just starting. Now it is a major sport in our extra-curricular programme. Girls’ PE also has a major “fitness” component now, where students are able to work individually on their flexibility, strength and aerobic fitness. Sailing is also a new
Torchbearer Spring 2018 9
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