St Leonards Primary celebrate 150th in style

MORE than 300 community members have gathered at St Leonards Primary School to toast 150 years of education on the Bellarine.

Last Friday’s celebration extravaganza featured a whole school assembly, a showcase of learning, cake cutting and choir performances from the school cohort.

Students and teachers dressed in old uniforms and embraced the history of the school by participating in special vintage games and activities such as elastics, knuckles and elastics.

Plenty of historic memorabilia and photos were also showcased to visually document the school’s journey.

School principal Melissa Smith said a century and a half of schooling was an incredible feat.

“It was just an amazing celebration with the whole school and community really buying into it all.

“Students really enjoyed learning more about the school and how it all came about over the last few weeks. They really respected the school’s evolution and what it was like learning back then as opposed to the technological world now.

“Ultimately, to get 300 people through the school to celebrate is fantastic. We certainly didn’t expect such a turnout.”

Ms Smith said a visual timeline will grace the fencing at the front of the school for the foreseeable future.

The school has also installed a time capsule containing stories from individual students and letters to future staff members.

The capsule will be opened in 50 years as a way of looking back fondly on its 150-year celebration event.