Together achieve success:
school lives up to motto

by Megan Mould

Tintinara Area School was the place to be on Sunday with more than 800 past and present students, staff and residents coming from near and far to attend the reunion.

It was packed with people catching up with friends and reliving happy memories of school days at a place that had obviously touched so many lives.

Like sport, schools are the heart and soul of a small community, not only for educational reasons, but also as a vital link bringing people together.

Tintinara Area School's motto is Together Achieve Success and principal Lesley Murray emphasised that the school reunion was such an example of the community working together.

There were roll calls and group photos, and classroom and library displays featuring memorabilia, photographs and students' work.

Governing council chairman Robin Webb officially opened the reunion and Trevor Symonds from Coorong District Council was MC for the day.

Ms Murray gave a brief history of the school which began in the hall in 1907.

An added feature was the opening of the new Child Parent Centre by Pam McCabe, who spearheaded the opening of the first Tintinara CPC.

The CPC opened in a voluntary capacity in 1976 in the Masonic Lodge before being officially opened in the school grounds and funded by the Education Department in 1977.

The CPC is now housed in the original Tintinara Area School building.

Aimee and Sebastian Desmazures, fourth generation students currently attending the CPC presented Mrs McCabe with a bouquet of flowers and helped her cut the ribbon to declare the new CPC open.

The school's youngest student Sophie Meyer made presentations to the oldest former students, Marjorie Clemm (1932), Nan Astley (1934), Keith and Ross Prosser (1933) and Charles Fisher (1926).

Nan Astley with past students and residents

Graham Bell, who started school in 1930 was also at the reunion.

Year 4-5 students, led by teacher, Chelsea Dwyer had researched schooling during the last century and staged a re-enactment dressed in yesteryear outfits.

The play depicted the huge differences in education and lifestyle from one century to the next, touching on discipline, transport, the role of women and prospective careers.

The full program included burying a time capsule filled with information and student work outside the Railway Cottage.

The principal and students Katelyn Fischer-Thurston and Lucy Brock placed the capsule - that is to be opened in 2030 for the school's centenary - in the ground.

A plaque was unveiled to mark the spot, and a second plaque unveiled by former teacher Helen Filmer for a time capsule buried in 1991.