Teaching Ramarama kids for 150 years

Ramarama School turns 150 this year and to mark this milestone a celebration has been planned.

The 150th jubilee will start on Friday, November 3, with a special school open day and a ‘chatter ‘n’ platter’ for past students and the wider community in the evening.

Saturday, November 4, will be the official opening, while Sunday, November 5, will conclude the festivities with a thanksgiving ceremony.

With age comes history, and since 1867 Ramarama School students have been making memories to last a lifetime.

Patricia McKinney, 92, attended Ramarama School during the 30s. She made many cherished memories from her time at school and said the schools looks different now.

‘‘Back when I started school there was a roll of 60 students. My brother and I used to walk through paddocks from Peach Hill Rd to school. There were two teachers plus the Headmaster James Kay,’’ said McKinney.

‘‘I enjoyed skipping in winter and remember one summer spending my lunch hour with my friends Nancy and Iris crawling up a tree in the gully.’’

Today Ramarama School has a roll of 178 students, nine full-time staff and two part-time staff, in addition to principal Sue Walls.

Danielle Travers, 12, is in her final year and is one of the elected school leaders.

Her family have been part of the Ramarama community for many years.

‘‘I have loved being part of a country school where all the kids are nice to one another and know each other by name or family.’’

‘‘My favourite memories from school are rearing a calf yearly for the calf club competition and school camp. Plus I’ve made some amazing friends, some I made on my first day at school.’’

Callum Cameron, 5, is one of the newest students to have joined the Ramarama School family. Callum has an older brother Riley (8) at the school and mother Verna Cameron has been a teacher there for the last four years.

On Cameron’s first day at school, he met his best buddy Max and from then the two have been inseparable.

When Cameron is older he wants to be a school leader and looks forward to being able to play on the senior playground.

He said: ‘‘[Ramarama School is] very old, older than everyone - even my mum’’.

For more information contact Ramarama School on 09 294 8795.