LORDS early days revealed as school celebrates tenth anniversary

It was a race to get the school ready for opening day. Then three days later it was forced to shut. This is the remarkable story of the early days at LORDS. THEN AND NOW - SEE THE PHOTOS

LUTHERAN Ormeau Rivers District School (LORDS) Principal Jodie Hoff vividly remembers the school’s first week.

Having worked tirelessly to ensure everything was ready when the gates opened, she was forced to close them again after only three days.

“We had the interesting challenge of ensuring the buildings were going to be finished on time,” Ms Hoff said.

“Because there was rain. Lots of rain. But we got across the line. And then we had a weather event in the area which meant then that three days in we needed to close the school down.

“That made for exciting times.”

LORDS principal Jodie Hoff outside the school’s new administration building. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

The experience meant that Ms Hoff was ready when heavy rain again forced schools to close earlier this year.

“I had flashbacks to our first year in 2012,” Ms Hoff said.

“But I have always kept a pair of gumboots in my office, just in case.”

LORDS, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, has grown considerably since those early days.

Ms Hoff began running the school from an office at an orthodontist’s surgery in Beenleigh while the first school buildings were being erected, ready to welcome its 98 foundation students. Now the popular school to more than 740 children from kindergarten to Year 12 is run from a smart new administration building which opened in April this year.

In that time the area around the school has also grown dramatically, with LORDS playing a vital role at the heart of the community.

“This area here is pretty exciting because there’s lots of growth,” Ms Hoff said.

“And our school has grown as well. But I think the important thing is it has grown at a steady pace, so we can still know our community members well, and know our kids really well, which is really important for us.

“In an area like this, that’s growing so quickly, schools are really important because they’re the glue for lots of people that help to keep community together.”

One of the ways LORDS is helping bring the community together is via its tenth anniversary celebrations.

On Saturday August 6 it is hosting a free community event with food trucks, pony rides and best of all, shows from popular children’s television characters Bluey and Bingo.

There will be some other major milestones in the years to come. Kindy and prep students from the school’s first days in 2012 are now in Year 9 and Year 10. Graduation is not too far away. Ms Hoff – who in 1987 was herself a foundation student at Trinity Lutheran College in Ashmore – is sure it will be another special occasion.

“All of the graduates are used to seeing me cry when they leave, regardless of whether they’ve been here one second or ten years,” she said.

“But to see those foundation young people graduate and walk across the stage, they’ll probably not be able to understand what I’m saying because I’ll be crying too much.”

The LORDS Big Birthday Party takes place on Saturday August 6 from 12pm-3pm. For more information visit www.lords.qld.edu.au/community/celebrate-10

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