Glenrowan Primary School to celebrate 150 years

Glenrowan Primary School will open its doors this weekend to celebrate 150 years of education in the town, inviting past, present and future families to walk through memories, share a cuppa and watch a 25-year-old time capsule lifted from the ground. The school officially opened on July 26, 1876, as State School Number 1742, not long after the railway line through Glenrowan opened in 1873 and local town allotments went up for sale. A century and a half later, it remains open and active, offering a core curriculum alongside specialist programs including kitchen garden, Auslan, physical education and hands-on learning. Celebrations begin on Friday 6 November, from 9am to 12 noon, when past and present members of the community are invited to wander through displays of photos and memorabilia. Devonshire tea will be served at 11am, followed by a screening of old school concert movies that have been restored from the archives. On Saturday 7 November, the school will host an old-fashioned school fete from 10am to 2pm. A formal ceremony at 11am will welcome special guests, dignitaries, past and present staff, students and families, before morning tea and a celebratory anniversary cake to share. School business manager Anne Hanrahan said everyone was welcome. "We are having a community fete as well, with a bbq, cake stall and coffee van," she said. "There will be an inflatable obstacle course, a petting animal zoo and pony rides." Gates open at 10am and close at 2pm, children can purchase wristbands for $10, which give access to the children's rides and activities. Ms Hanrahan said it was important to recognise the past 25 years of education at the school and to give families and students from that time the chance to "come back and meet each other" and catch up on their time at primary school. Behind the scenes, Parents Association members have been busy planning the fete. "This has involved lots of meetings and brainstorming of ideas," Ms Hanrahan said. Students have also played a hands-on role, running their own stalls including face painting and balloon animals, and helping to build a mini golf course. "This has involved learning many new skills and being proud of their role in the day," she said. A highlight of Saturday will be the lifting of the time capsule buried for the school's 2001 anniversary, filled with memorabilia and stories. Past students are encouraged to collect the letters they wrote 25 years ago. This week, current students have been writing their own letters to be lowered into a new capsule for the next 25 years. "There will be many thoughts about the future and how children will be learning and playing over the next 25 years," Ms Hanrahan said. Three of the current students, Bert Welland, Mira Vogel; and Polly Fraser, shared some of their thoughts and predictions set to be included in the new time capsule. Bert said hopefully by then he will get a job he likes and had experience in. "I'd like to publish books, I like reading and writing and think there will always be books around," he said. "I like playing sport, I like cricket the best, and board games like Monopoly, even though it's old, and card games like UNO. "By then I want to travel the world like my parents did." Mira said she thinks schools will change in 25 years time, there might be more technology involved. "I think that would be good in some scenarios, but sometimes it is easier to do some things on the page than in a device," she said. "I like dance, I go to RazzamaJazz in Moyhu, I do jazz ballet and tap. "I like pugs, we have one named Rambo. "I like music, we listen to a lot of 90s music because Mum does. "I like living in this area and hope I will be living somewhere like this." Poppy said in 2051 AI will be all over the world and doing people's jobs. "Robots will do the cooking and cleaning," she said. "People will instead be working in areas making and servicing robots. "I'd like to be a teacher, I think there will always be schools and teachers. "I like to play sport but it might not be as big in the future. "I think there will be more online gaming. "There will be more technology and AI. "AI can be helpful but we don't want it to take over our jobs. "People need jobs to keep them busy." Ms Hanrahan thanked the Rural City of Wangaratta for allocating a 2026 Community Grant to support the event. "The grant assists to spread the message of the day and support the costs of providing an accessible and fun filled day for all," she said. The school community hopes to welcome as many visitors as possible over the anniversary weekend, inviting everyone to bring their stories and help celebrate 150 years of education at Glenrowan Primary School.

Glenrowan Primary School to celebrate 150 years

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