2013... A very big year!
Turner School's 60th birthday and Canberra's centenary
Turner School celebrated its 60th Birthday in 2013 as Canberra celebrated its centenary. The school marked the birthday year with its students inquiring into the importance of 'place' in the lives of people, finding out about the history of their school and city and the things that make them unique and special.
Turner School 60th birthday museum opened
Celebrating 60 years of public schooling in the ACT 1953–2013.
There was great excitement as the Turner School 60th Birthday Museum was opened in Term 1. Classes spent time donning white gloves and learning about their school's history. The museum included exhibits from across the decades of the school (from 1953 to the present) highlighting events and items of interest for each decade. These items included school books, stories, letters, photos, P&C minutes, press clippings as well as other objects of interest. In addition to a section showcasing each decade were the displays of aspects of school life that have changed over the years including desks, uniforms, sporting equipment and technology. The museum was open until term 3 with families and other visitors dropping in to visit and learn about the school's history.
Turner School 60th birthday website
Visit this website to read stories and memories of Turner School: www.turner60.wordpress.com
Add your own memories to the history!
Canberra's centenary celebrations
On Wednesday 6 March the school came together for a rather wonderful school assembly. Each class received a ticket (dated 1913) inviting them to attend the ceremony to name the nation's capital. The ceremony re-enacted the special day on 12 March 1913 when our city was named Canberra and the Foundation Stone was laid. Many staff members dressed up and acted the parts of the key dignitaries of the day, and Jo Padgham played the part of Lady Denman that named the city Canberra.
Turner School's 60th birthday tea party
On Thursday 8 August a 1950's style tea party was held for past staff, students and families. Over 100 former students, staff and parents came along to celebrate the last 60 years of our school. Current staff, students and parents played host to what was a unique and memorable celebration of the school's history. We had our three most recent past principals attend: Ken English, Joy Sheargold and Jan Day, along with former school captains and P&C executive members dating back to the early 1950's. The past Turner School principals in attendance cut the celebration birthday cake.
Turner students were well represented with students from those first 'Infants' classes in 1953 and 1954 plus many more representing the years across the life of the school. A surprise in the celebration was the presentation to Stephen Gilfedder of two of his exercise books from the 1950s that had been found behind cupboards in a classroom refurbishment.
People attending the tea party were entertained with performances by current students singing hits from the 1950's and performing a dance/drama about each decade of school history. Visitors spent time reminiscing and looking at exhibits in the birthday museum, and school photos and memorabilia and touring the school with student guides. Students interviewed past students learning about the history of the school and also hearing the anecdotes about what education was like back then.
More information and photos about the wonderful Tea Party event in (the Canberra Times article http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/dear-old-golden-rule-days--20130808-2rkwg.html)
Turner Artists' and Writers' Festival and Create-athon
The inaugural Turner Artists' and Writers' Festival was also celebrated in 2013, from Wednesday 28 August to Friday 6 September. The festival featured well-known artists and writers in attendance including Duncan Smith – well regarded Wiradjuri artist and story teller, Michael Salmon – author and illustrator of over 160 books including The Bunyip that ate Canberra, Anthony Hill – author of The Burnt Stick and more, David Pope – Australia's Cartoonist of the Year, Irma Gold – award winning writer and editor, JP Moloney – Canberra Times editor and Samara Welbourne – an ex-Turner student who has published her own book. Parents and community members were a part of the festival with parents painting and cartooning, sewing and weaving, painting and sculpting across the two weeks.
The festival began with a Create-athon on Tuesday 27 August - a whole day extravaganza of students, staff and community members creating art installations around the school. The school grounds were turned into an exciting festival site. The event was also a fundraiser with half the proceeds going to Boundless - a Centenary of Canberra project to make a unique playground where children of all abilities can play together and half supporting Literacy and Arts resources in the school.
Students spent the ten days of the Festival engaged in amazing arts and writing experiences. Listening to published authors and artists tell their story. The school rang with the sounds of poetry as people stopped each other to ask 'Have you got a poem in your pocket?' and to share their poems. Each teaching team in the school had an official launch of their published writing pieces. The staff members were not forgotten either with the writer Harry Laing running and afternoon writer's workshop. The Festival was a significant event in the life of the school and the long term enthusiasm about the Arts and writing is continuing.