Charlotte Varcoe
ALLENDALE East Area School will celebrate a significant milestone this year as it reaches 70 years since its inception.
The school was first established during Term 2 in 1953 and hosted more than 200 students from Port MacDonnell, Mount Shank and Allendale.
It was built to bring all students from each district together due to dwindling numbers in each area.
Port MacDonnell resident and previous school student at Allendale East Area School Rhonda Jess said she remembered starting school in Grade 3 the year it opened.
“Back then we had three terms not four like we do now and there were three groups of kids who were out in the yard and we did not integrate too much for a while but once we did integrate it was different,” Ms Jess said.
“Back then we studied history, English, reading and math and we did not do algebra until a few years later.
“There was also a lot of bare space because the asphalt took a while to finish and the oval was also non-existent.”
Ms Jess said students would wait until the grass- which would grow to about three-feet high – would be cut by a local farmer before using it to build forts and make grass shelters.
“We did not have a playground then, that came later and the woodwork or craft centre was where the kindergarten is now,” she said.
“That was a great thing, getting the kindergarten on campus because it is important.
“Milk was also delivered everyday from the Kinross dairy in small bottles and heaven forbid if it sat in the sun from the time it was delivered to the time we got it, but we would still drink a bottle at recess time and I still remember the silver caps that would go on top.”
Ms Jess also reflected on the difference between schooling in the ‘50s compared to now, noting the school committee was originally all male with an all female welfare club as well.
“We had Mr and Ms Walters who used to come up from Port MacDonnell everyday with pies and pastries and they would pull up at the gate and we would buy pies or pastries which would cost nine pence each with one pence extra for sauce,” she said.
“The post office was across the road and the mail used to come over from the post office and be sent home with the children on the bus and the first school cleaners were Bonnie Howard and Elmer Tibbles and they were both ladies who lived closer.”
Ms Jess said it was a real community which continues on today.
“The school has changed but for the better and it is very good,” she said.
“We have had three playgrounds in 70 years in the junior primary area that we can remember, with the newest one only put in last year.”
Ms Jess was not the only one in her family to attend the school with her children, also students and now her granddaughter.
“My children went to this school until they were in high school and now my granddaughter is here as well so that is three generations,” she said.
Allendale East Area School principal Kylie Smith said she also enjoyed the school’s community after being a coordinator in the 90s before moving to Grant High School.
“I came back in 2017 as the principal and I have been here ever since,” Ms Smith said.
“The old technical studies room and the portable that I taught in were both demolished and all of the rooms had moved a bit closer together to the main building which helped keep the young people out of mischief.”
She said during the time period where she was coordinator, she had fond memories and enjoyed the community with both the school and the surrounding districts.
“Since I have been here as principal there has been a lot of change,” Ms Smith said.
“When I came back, the car park was one of the more notable things that needed upgrading and after three years here we finally got the funding to fix it.
“From there we had some substantial upgrades including trees which were deemed unsafe on the oval and the upgrades to our playground.”
She said having nice facilities for the future students allowed them to play and work in a positive environment while also giving the school pride.
“Education is really important and so is having great teachers but to have nice facilities for kids to be able to play and work in it gives them more and a sense of school pride,” Ms Smith said.
“We have always renovated our facilities where possible and we have also had murals painted in the school, working bees and we house students for the Generations in Jazz event.”
She said moving forward, the school would focus on producing personal pathways for the students and helping them decide a career pathway and the educational needs they have to acquire to be able to achieve their goals.
“We try not to pigeonhole kids into career pathways or subject areas or academic pathways,” Ms Smith said.
“We like to give them a suite of opportunities and help guide them in making good decisions.”
Celebrations for the school’s anniversary will include guided tours on May 20 with a dinner held at the Victorian Hotel as well as a church service and a barbeque lunch held the following day.
