Beechwood Public School students are in final preparations for their School's sesquicentenary celebration this weekend.
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Students have been busily preparing costumes, their classrooms and items for the 150 year celebration assembly.
Relieving principal, Tracey Bromfield said each class has been busily learning an item that represents an era from the past.
"We are really excited to be able to share these with our community on Friday," she said.
The retrieval of the 1994 time capsule and burying of the 2019 capsule will take place after a sausage sizzle lunch. The proceedings will include a traditional smoking ceremony by local elder Amos Donovan, before the new time capsule is placed in the ground by current school leaders, Joshua Cole and Madalyn Scott.
The 1994 time capsule will then be taken to the Verna Wallace Library, where the contents will be removed and seen for the first time in 25 years. Classrooms will also be open for people to view the displays set up by students.
On Saturday, Beechwood P&C is hosting the Sesquicentenary Heritage Funfair in the school grounds which will see a wide range of local history and memorabilia items on display in the school library. There will be many other displays including the Beechwood Fire Brigade, the Hastings Auto Restorers Club showing off some classic cars, and old photos and wares put on display by the Wauchope Historical Society.
"It will be a great walk down memory lane for many who have attended Beechwood Public in the past, and other locals with memories of the town as well," P&C President, Libby Hamerlok said.
"We really want to take people back in time - we have an old-fashioned lolly stall that will have you remembering the things you had as treats when you were a kid, as well as train rides, old-fashioned games and a whole lot more."
Entry to the Funfair is by gold coin donation, and all proceeds for the day go towards purchasing significant technology upgrades at the school this year.
"Our primary aim as a P&C is to contribute to making our school as great as it can be for our kids, and although we are focused on our history this week, the future generations of the school are the reason we are raising funds to support the school," Libby added.
The Funfair on Saturday starts at 10am, with live music by past and present Beechwood Students, Teachers and residents all the way through morning tea and lunch times. Food and drinks are available from the "Colonial Café" set up in the COLA, sponsored by Hastings Co-op, Saxby's Soft Drinks and Timbertown Pies.
Following the funfair, previous members of the school community and local dignitaries including Dr David Gillespie, MP, will gather at the Wauchope Country Club for the School's formal dinner celebration at 6.30pm.
Festivities at the school on Friday commence with the Assembly at 9:30am and the retrieval of the time capsule at 1pm.
The school was established as Beechwood Half-Time School in August 1869, as the timber industry grew along the banks of the Hastings River. It became a Provisional School in September 1874 and a Public School in September 1882.
More information about the schedule of events can be found at www.facebook.com/BeechwoodPandC
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