By Liam McNally
The Melton West Primary School community is inviting past students, teachers and community members to join them in celebrating their 50th anniversary.
The free event will be honouring the school’s history and opening their new gymnasium and oval from 3pm on Friday, November 18.
The event will begin with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony before Melton mayor Goran Kesic officially opens the gym.
There will be an extensive photo display documenting the history the school, as well as staff and students from every year since 1972.
Guests can also purchase a personalised brick for $25 which will eventually sit on a commemorative wall at the school.
There will be a host of other activities, including free games, food stalls, face painting, a petting zoo, dingo exhibition, photo booth and more.
Guests can also join a school tour and enjoy a number of local music performances.
Current teacher and former student Liza Dearing was a student at Melton West Primary through the first half of the 1990’s, has been a teacher for the past 14 years and is involved in co-organising the event.
She said she is over the moon to help organise the event because to her the school feels like home.
Ms Dearing said her grandfather was a groundskeeper at the school, and around the time he passed her grade one teacher retired, and passed the position on to her.
“Teaching has its hard times and its easy times, but my connectedness to this school has always made sure that this is where I’m meant to be,” she said.
“This school feels like home.”
Ms Dearing said she is excited to see her former Grade One teacher present a guitar performance at the anniversary event.
“I think it’s really special,” she said.
“We’d love for any past students and anyone that was involved in Melton West Primary to come along and take the trip down memory lane with us.”
