THIS year marks the one-hundred-and-fiftieth year of Ballan Primary School’s existence, and it’s planning a big community party on 28 November to celebrate.<\/p>\n
Starting at 4pm, the school will open its gates in Duncan Street to the entire Ballan community, with a range of activities and attractions on the schedule.<\/p>\n
Organised by the school’s parents and friends group, the celebration will feature market stalls, face painting, tattoo artists, students’ art displays, pony rides, food trucks, coffee and more.<\/p>\n
Group president Anna Shelton said a highlight would be a major raffle, tickets for which will be available on the day and which will be drawn in late December.<\/p>\n
Ms Shelton said all money raised from the raffle, and the overall celebration, will go towards improving the school grounds.<\/p>\n
She said she is hoping the event will attract large numbers.<\/p>\n
“I hope it’s really big,” Ms Shelton said.<\/p>\n
The event will run until 6.30pm.<\/p>\n
As for its history, the then ‘Common School’ became the Ballan State School in 1874, and the teacher and pupils transferred to a new building in Duncan Street that opened in August of that year.<\/p>\n
In its opening year the school had an average attendance of 162 pupils out of a total enrolment of 201. Overcrowding soon led to the addition of a third room, which was completed in February 1887.<\/p>\n
Since then, the school has grown to become a modern and well-equipped primary school in the region.<\/p>\n
As enrolments have increased, building programs have seen the establishment of new classrooms, administration offices, art, library and canteen facilities, as well as the provision of a gymnasium.<\/p>\n
A new recreational oval has added further to the school’s facilities.<\/p>\n
Its current enrolment stands at more than 240, and enrolments for the 2025 school year are open now.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THIS year marks the one-hundred-and-fiftieth year of Ballan Primary School’s existence, and it’s planning a big community party on 28 November to celebrate. Starting at 4pm, the school will open its gates in Duncan Street to the entire Ballan community, with a range of activities and attractions on the schedule. Organised by the school’s parents […]<\/p>\n