Tuesday, 23 May 2023

Sebastopol Primary School

Juliana ADDISON (Wendouree) (14:14): Happy 150th to Sebastopol Primary School. Congratulations to everyone involved in organising events over the weekend, celebrating 150 years of public education in Sebastopol. It was a pleasure to join with principal Michelle Wilson, current teachers, students, families and special guests, including past pupils and parents and former staff members, for a very special school assembly on Friday. The school choir sang beautifully, the senior students shared their plans for a time capsule to be buried later this year to mark the anniversary, and of course there were blue and gold cupcakes to be enjoyed by all. It was incredibly special to have former principals John Stuchbery and Donna Bishop in attendance as well as the oldest living past pupil, William Wills, better known as ‘Old Wizza’, aged 94 years. Wizza attended the school in the 1930s and was a parent of Sebastopol Primary students in the 1950s and 1960s.

I give huge thanks to the Sebastopol Historical Society for creating the wonderful displays that celebrated school life at Sebast Primary across the decades, which brought back so many memories and provided opportunities to reconnect with the school community. Well done to Margaret Phyland and Susan Parker from the Sebastopol Historical Society, who authored the book Sebastopol School Days: A History of the Sebastopol Primary School No. 1167 1873–2023, which was so popular that all copies sold out on Saturday. Well done to everyone.