Past deputy principal Leanne Fox and current principal Leanne Rayner reminisce at Cooktown State School’s 150th-anniversary celebration over Ms Fox’s old staff photo. Photo: Chisa Hasegawa.
After weeks of preparation and anticipation, Cooktown State School (CSS) welcomed generations of alumni through its gates on 22 February for its 150th anniversary celebration.
Laughter and conversations of old times filled the school grounds as current and past students came together for a day of celebrating the present and reminiscing on eras gone by.
Principal Leanne Rayner was emotional as she greeted attendees ahead of the student leaders’ badging ceremony, sharing the rich history of the school where many well-known community members got their start.
“It’s always emotional when you start talking about the great things that happen in a school, because you put your heart and soul into your job,” she told Cape York Weekly at the conclusion of official proceedings.
Past and present students, teaching staff, families and community members took to the oval and looked skyward to create a special memento of 150 years of years of education at Cooktown State School on Saturday. Photo: Luke Higgins.
“It’s so great seeing everybody turn up – lots of those people were past students of mine, lots of them are past students with, now, children at the school as well, and lots of them I’ve known since I first moved here 21 years ago.”
An integral part of a small-town school community is the students who go on to educate the next generation, which is exactly what teacher Kirsten Lemon did after she graduated in 2004.
“I left the town to go and explore the world, then I became a teacher, and after being away for 10 years, returned back to our community,” she said.
“I’m really grateful to be able to come and be a teacher at the school that I went to school at.
“I went and found some old class photos, so that brought back lots of great memories; I had a very positive experience in my schooling years, so it’s nice to be back.”
Teacher and former student Kirsten Lemon signs in attendees at the Cooktown State School 150th-anniversary celebration. Photo: Lyndon Keane.
Also present was past deputy principal Leanne Fox, who moved on from the school 25 years ago and travelled back to Cooktown for the event.
Despite not having stepped through the gates in years, she said she still felt a strong connection to the school and to the spirit of its students.
“My kids went to school here, my daughter was a teacher here, so [there’s] definitely a strong connection to this place,” she said.
“It’s been interesting, seeing people you remember as kids, and they’ve grown up, and their children are now at the school, or they’re grandparents, and they remember who you are.
“I think a lot of those kids, they’ve never forgotten their roots – they’re from Cooktown, and that’s how they see themselves, no matter where you run into them.”
