I’m all for technology – indeed my life revolves around it – however I was saddened by some local news earlier this week that, at least in my mind, is almost akin to the death of mixed tapes and video cassettes.
A local school has established an online tuckshop ordering system!
Now, given that I’m in a small regional town I’m assuming this kind of technology is already available elsewhere, but when I saw the news I couldn’t help but feel as if it was the end of an era.
Although I’m still scarred from the compulsory milk-consumption during my first two years of school, I have VERY fond memories of ordering tuckshop during that time. It was something I was allowed to do VERY rarely and I envied those kids who blithely munched on bought goods every Monday and Friday when the tuckshop opened (yes, back then it only opened twice a week).
We little 5-7 year olds were considered too young to brave the tuckshop queues and deal with money, so instead we would be sent to school with a brown paper bag on which our parents would have written our tuckshop order. It’d often be folded over tightly and coins stuck in the corner (lest they fall out in our ‘ports’ enroute to school).
First thing in the morning the teacher would collect the brown bags from those youngsters having tuckshop and they would be whisked away (the bags, not the kids!).
At morning tea (aka little lunch) those with orders would gather around a tray of labelled goodies to get their food. And at big lunch, same thing, although usually people’s pies, sausage rolls or sandwiches were returned in the same little brown bag sent to the tuckshop earlier in the day.
Awwww…. sweet memories.
Actually getting to GO to the tuckshop once older was indeed a treat, although by the time I hit high school the tuckshop wasn’t nearly as exciting… although I do remember the advent of corn chips here in Australia and having a small packet of cheese CCs almost every day for lunch.
I guess now mums or dads or kids themselves must sit down with their iPads, log onto the school website and tick little boxes. I guess it’s easier for parents to ensure their kids make healthy choices and don’t get their lunch money stolen by bullies… but still… it’s hardly the same as smelling the pies and seeing the butterfly cakes before deciding what you want.
Do you have tuckshop (canteen) memories?
Did you know online ordering is now possible?
June 15, 2013
We used the same paper bags! I think it is a little sad too!
June 15, 2013
Yes…. like I said, the end of an era!
June 15, 2013
Oh you were a cutie as a Grade 1’er! I remember the brown paper bags for tuckshop so well. It was only an occasional treat for me also. I remember the excitement of choosing from the tuckshop list and mum writing it on the paper bag, popping in the money and folding the bag at the top several times to ensure the safety of the money. Once at school, we popped our paper bags into a laundry basket kept in the classroom and the tuckshop lady came and collected and delivered back later with our orders. All very exciting. Things from tuckshop that I remember as being favourites are the Sunnyboy iceblocks and Burger Rings. Sad to hear it is going on-line. Tuckshop won’t ever be the same without the brown paper bags system!
June 15, 2013
Oh yes I remember Burger Rings, but I think they came a bit later. I can’t really remember packets of chips being on the agenda in year 1 & 2. It was mostly about cupcakes and the like!
June 15, 2013
I still cringe about the fact that I was once given 5 chicken nuggets instead of 6. I went and demanded the 6th nugget. I still see the lady who used to work in the canteen and feel embarrassed that I couldn’t just let it go!
June 15, 2013
Dare I ask how old you were when the great nugget incident occurred??? She probably talks about you whenever she sees you… “There goes the nugget girl!” 😉 #kidding #sortof
June 16, 2013
Haha, I was in primary school. And less than 10 years old I think. I do wonder if she remembers sometimes…. oh cringe!
June 15, 2013
I remember those lovely little brown bags, sometimes I think technology is just going to far…. the tuckshop was a real exciting treat, waiting in the cold for the food, loved it 🙂
June 15, 2013
I actually kinda think that about mixed tapes too Jackie… or the process of listening to the radio and waiting for a song to come on so you can tape it. The anticipation. Now we just need to find it on iTunes and download. Just not the same!
June 15, 2013
Oh I love this post and especially your picture. Love your dress, your hat and your “bag”. You were very stylish at age 5. 🙂 Did you mom make your dress?
I don’t have similar memories because schools make and serve their food themselves here so we would just go to canteen and eat what was on menu that day. No need to order anything. And Finns still start school at age 7, so to my mind you were pretty young to go to school…
June 15, 2013
The dress is my school uniform Satu. We had the same one throughout the seven years of my primary school. People in southern states actually started school a bit later than we did and now they don’t let you start until you’re six I think. Because my birthday is in late December I was younger than many of my friends. It also meant I only just turned 17 before going away to Uni.
I actually gather American schools are like those in Finland – where lunch is provided etc.
And… the ‘port’ thing – again it’s something that varies from state to state in Australia. I remember being in my late 20s and talking to someone about the ‘port’ I was travelling with. They had no idea what I was talking about… I had to translate it to ‘suitcase’. I suspect other countries are the same… things have different names across the country.
(Out of interest – swimming trunks are a good example. Women’s can be called: togs, bathers, swimmers, swimming costume – and probably some other things I can’t think of!)
Deb
June 15, 2013
It was a rare occasion I was allowed to order anything at the tuckshop. My inevitable treat was an iced finger bun. I still love them to this day!
June 15, 2013
Are they the ones with the pink icing? I only liked them if they didn’t have sultanas in as some ‘did’ have sultanas from memory!
June 16, 2013
I remember ordering tuckshop for my own children, and how much stress it caused one of my children. We were ordering morning tea and lunch, both costing 50c. When it came time to put the money in the bag, my daughter said, so which 50c goes in which bag. I think she was in about year two at the time. Now, 18 years later was shocked that my sons tuckshop has eftpos. Not good for a young lad with casual employment and obviously money to burn. How times change.
June 16, 2013
Hi Leanne and thanks for dropping by. Wow… eftpos. I guess kids have keycards etc nowadays, but from what age I wonder (and can parents trust them not to blab their pin numbers etc!).
I have to admit, we didn’t do tuckshop a lot when I was in Yr 1-2 but I can only remember ‘coins’ not notes. I guess that was an indication of prices back then!
Deb
June 27, 2013
Hi Debbish, I’ve just moved to the same area as you (I think – follow you on instagram!) I’m a teacher and the school I’m at has the online ordering – first I’ve ever experienced it… I too miss the paperbag system! There was nothing better than the feeling of walking to school knowing you had paper bag lunches (aka tuckshop) for lunch! On the plus side – if you’re super organised or boring – you can order at the start of the term for the rest of the term!
June 28, 2013
Hi Shelley (does that mean you’re on the Fraser Coast?). God, fancy being able to pre-order for the whole term! That would mean you’re organised! Though it takes away from deciding what you want on the day….
July 8, 2013
I have fond memories of the brown paper bags and getting tuckshop lunch! It was such a treat for us when we got it. I remember I always used to order ‘yummy drummies’ – crumbed chicken nugget things. I remember that everyone’s brown paper bag was put into a plastic crate and two children were nominated to walk it to the tuckshop. I have an 18 month old son and I really worry that these types of things will be gone, I think we rely too much on technology these days..get back to basics I say!
Eva x
July 8, 2013
Oh absolutely Eva. So many things which were challenging for us as youngsters will come easily to kids in the future. I joked about having to record music off the radio (waiting until the song came on and pressing record etc) to make mix tapes. Future generations won’t have had any of that!
July 9, 2013
Hi Deb, I’m in Brisbane but my kids’ school still have the brown paper bag system in place. I had no idea that in other places you can order online. And you’re obviously a Queenslander too with your use of ‘ports’ and ‘big lunch’ and ‘little lunch’. I came to Qld at age 10 from country Victoria and thought the name tuckshop was the funniest thing I’d ever heard. We’d always called it the canteen. And the teacher kept talking about my ‘port’ and I went the whole first day not having a clue that she was talking about my school bag.
Found you via the blog carnival! Cheers Leanne
July 10, 2013
Hi Leanne and thanks for dropping by. Oh yes, I love the language differences between States – let alone countries!
I follow some local schools on Facebook and notice they’re still also using the word Tuckshop, though I’m surprised it hasn’t changed. I love that your kids’ school still uses the paper bag system!
July 9, 2013
Funny! I remember ordering every now and then too, it was so exciting. I had no idea online ordering was happening now, but I can’t say it surprised me – what isn’t online these days? I always used to be in awe of the biggest boy in kindy, Heath, who would blithely order two sausage rolls, when the rest of us were hard pressed to finish one! It was considered the greatest thing in the world to us and he was something of a superstar.
July 10, 2013
Wow, love that the memories are still so vivid all of these years later. I guess one day Generation Z (or whatever they are) will be reminiscing about the days they ordered online cos they’ll be something new that we can’t even imagine!!!
July 10, 2013
How awesome is that uniform? I’d wear that now!! (I’d look ridiculous, but I’d still wear it)
I loved on a cold rainy day when your hot sausage roll would turn up…best feeling ever!
July 10, 2013
It was always like a little surprise wasn’t it, when your Tuckshop order would turn up. You’d know it was coming but it was still like a little unexpected treat. And yes, those smells on a cold day…. just lovely!