Fairfield West Public School celebrates its 90-year anniversary as family discovers forgotten past

AS FAIRFIELD West Public School celebrates its 90th anniversary, students and staff look back.

Fairfield West Public School is turning 90. Robert Crompton who's uncles came to the school when it started at one of the original buildings with his granddaughters Tiahney Berry, 5 (left) and Ella Portelli, 6 who are both in year 1 at the school with a 1920's school photo. Picture: Jonathan Ng

AS FAIRFIELD West Public School celebrates its 90th anniversary, students are looking back at the remarkable changes that have taken place over the years.

Cousins Tiahney Berry, 5, and Ella Portelli, 6, know more than most the transformation the school has undergone — five of their great-great uncles and aunties were among the first intake of the 1920s.

School officials have unearthed a historic register — handwritten in beautiful pen and ink copperplate script, detailing the ages and names of members of their family, the Cromptons.

Ella’s mum, Sarah Portelli, said she had no idea about the family connection until the school told her.

“It’s quite amazing,” Mrs Portelli said.

“We didn’t realise when we enrolled. We then got the chance to ask Pop before he passed away recently and he confirmed that his brothers and sisters went to the school.

“It was a big family — Pop was the youngest of 13.”

The family had moved to another school, but then both girls’ families moved back into the catchment zone for Fairfield West.

Fairfield West Primary School historic register from the 1920s.

These days the school prides itself on its digital tech-savvy classrooms and 21st century-style teaching programs such as the SOLE method — a self-organised learning environment.

Students work in small teams and all use iPads and laptops as part of a self-directed way of problem-solving.

Emma Berry, mother of Tiahney, said her daughter quite enjoyed going to school.

“She’s absolutely obsessed with this iPad lab, she just loves it,” she said.

School photo from the 1920s.

It’s a far cry from 1925, when students were still catching the last of the horse-drawn buses operating around the Fairfield district.

Farmland and dirt fields surrounded the school grounds, where boys played with marbles and swapped cigarette cards, and girls played hopscotch and skipping games.

And forget the iPads. Students had to mix ink from a dry powder, add tap water and then dispense it into inkwell holes custom built into the wooden desks.

School photo from the late Depression-era 1930s.

Mrs Berry said she was pleased the school still retained the old records.

“And I love how they have kept one of the original old buildings, and even going to the trouble of moving it on the grounds, but retaining it,” she said.

The school is calling on alumni with old photos, uniforms or memorabilia to help mark the anniversary: call 9604 5568.