Interview with Avrille & Wendy

Memorable moments from the dynamic duo who’ve been at Bialik’s Reception desk for over 20 years.

WHEN DID YOU BEGIN AT BIALIK?

Avrille: I started in 1999 in Reception at Shakespeare Grove, just doing a temporary job with the ELC before they moved to the Big School.

Wendy: My girlfriend, Josie, got me the job in 2000 and said, “All you have to do is answer the phones; it’s very easy.” Well, the job has grown tenfold since then.

Avrille: When I applied, I was told, “Answer the phone, and when things get really hectic, we might ask you to help stuff some envelopes”. I’ve now moved on to psychotherapy, supplier of bags for lost teeth and First Aid. It’s a one-stop shop.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT WORKING HERE?

Avrille & Wendy: Collegiality, there’s always food and no day is exactly the same - we got to stroke a baby emu as a part of Science Week. We never know what’s going to happen!

WHAT’S KEPT YOU HERE FOR SO LONG?

Wendy: We get on so well together. We’re a good team. Avrille: The collegiality, and it’s just lovely, warm and inviting. A welcoming place, a home from home.

DO YOU HAVE FUN MEMORIES THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?

Wendy: On my very first day on the job. I had to make a loudspeaker announcement and I had to say, “Nathan Krapivensky-Brodsky come to reception”. Those were the anointing words I had to say over the loudspeaker. It was a tough one.

Wendy: We’ve watched the kids from ELC go all the way. We’ve watched them grow up and now their kids are coming to Bialik.

DID YOU HAVE ANY CHILDREN AT THE SCHOOL?

Avrille: My daughter was here for Years 6 to 12. On day one when I announced something on the loudspeaker about indoor play, she came tearing down and said, “Never again while I’m here at the school. I have been absolutely mocked and torn apart. They’re telling me in the South African accent. Jessie, go and put on your jersey!”

WERE THERE ANY OTHER ISSUES BEING A PARENT AND RECEPTIONIST AT THE SCHOOL?

Avrille: When my daughter needed to leave early, was very hungry or didn’t like her lunch. There was always a place to come for money, solace or a lift.

Avrille and Wendy.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE BIALIK TRADITION:

Wendy: On the Year 12s’ final day of school, they do the Guard of Honour. The Year 12s walk through the school to the main gate as the rest of the students and staff wave and cheer them off. It makes us both cry every time because we’ve watched them grow up. It’s very emotional.

Avrille: We’re very soft.

ARE THERE ANY STAFF MEMBERS WHO HAVE STOOD OUT TO YOU OVER THE YEARS?

Avrille & Wendy: Michael Cohen - he was the best.

Wendy: He is a gentle soul, a lovely man.

Avrille: He introduced the Aussies to the word invigilation. Most people didn’t know what it was. It means exam supervision.

WHAT DAY OF THE WEEK DO YOU ABSOLUTELY DREAD?

Avrille & Wendy: Day one, Term one, because it’s bedlam and mayhem.

YOU BOTH ALWAYS SOUND VERY PROFESSIONAL.

Avrille & Wendy: We try. Our aim is to please.

LASTLY, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE STRANGEST REQUESTS OR STORIES YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE?

Avrille & Wendy: Ibiza.

Avrille: I got a call from a parent. We established quite early on that she was inebriated. She had two boys at the school and discovered one had been suspended. She was absolutely devastated and couldn’t understand why. I didn’t know why either, so I couldn’t help her. It was about 10 years ago, and mobile phones had just come into fashion. She kept saying it was costing her an absolute fortune because she was phoning from her mobile in Ibiza. And I told her, “You know what? It’s costing you a fortune. Let’s put the phone down. I’ll discuss with his teachers, establish some facts, and then we can have another conversation”. She said, “No, I want to talk about it.”

Wendy and Fiona, Principal Jeremy’s secretary at the time, were calling me to try and get me off the phone. More than 25 minutes later, the call fell out, and I had to hang up. She was just so stressed and so inebriated. So that’s the thing we always talk about.

Avrille: Aspa was the only non-Jewish student in her year level. On her first day, she wore a cross around her neck and passed Michael Cohen in the passage. She quickly turned to hide her cross. Michael Cohen saw her and said, “Do not ever hide that cross. That is a part of your identity. It is who you are. Wear it with pride”.