By Jodie Symonds
SILVAN Primary School celebrated its 140th milestone on Friday, 18 November, and staff said the school’s values had not changed.
Principal Damian Tirchett said students enjoyed a day of what school would have been like to attend over 100 years ago.
“The students dressed up in ‘olden-day’ clothes and attended school as if they would 100 or so years ago,” Mr Tirchett said.
During the celebrations, there were a range of stalls, an ice-cream truck, a coffee van and a huge range of games and entertainment.
Many of the buildings erected in the 1800s still stand today – including the teachers’ residence building that has since been redesigned into a home economics room for students.
In a document published for the centenary of Silvan Primary School – it stated that in October 1876, the school enrolled 22 students.
This year, Silvan Primary School has enrolled 34 students.
Integration aide support teacher Margaret Swankie ran the history table, where she showed visitors about what life was like for students and teachers back in the 1800s.
Ms Swankie said over the past nine years she had worked for the school, the integrity had not changed.
“We’ve only got a small amount of kids which I think is really good because they get more one-on-one time, but our teachers are fantastic too,” Ms Swankie said.
“We’re a very environmentally friendly school; and no matter what our principal Damian does, it is always for the students before anything else.”
Meanwhile the school was recently awarded a $9600 grant to upgrade their ‘frog bog’.
Minister for Education James Merlino was not able to attend the 140th anniversary, due to last-minute commitments, but announced the new funding as part of the School Pride and Sports Fund.
The frog bog was built in 1954 as a nature sanctuary and today gives Silvan Primary School students the opportunity to study environmental science and experience biodiversity and sustainability first-hand.
The grant will allow new pathways to be built through the frog bog and seeds will be cultivated in the school’s hothouse and re-planted.
Students will create a photo diary of the frog bog to document its growth.
Mr Merlino said the updated frog bog would provide a dynamic learning environment where students were engaged, stimulated and encouraged to be creative thinkers.
“It provides a welcome break from the classroom and the new features will build pride in a great school that has been supporting local families for 140 years,” Mr Merlino said.
