Larrakeyah Primary School celebrates 60th anniversary

A Top End primary school, which was named a finalist in the World’s Best School, is celebrating 60 years of educating Territorians. Read how its changed over time.

Larrakeyah Primary School celebrated its 60th anniversary in a multi-generational assembly complete with confetti, cake-cutting, balloon-popping and festive school band tunes.

A former student from 1963 – the year of the school’s inauguration – reached out to staff after seeing the anniversary announced in the newspaper.

Fathma Mauger, said it was not uncommon for students to graduate in Year 6 and maintain a link to the primary school.

“There are at least 20 families I’ve met with, parents of kids that go to the school, that have said ‘I used to go here’,” Ms Mauger said.

“A lot of people come to this school and their kids come here too.”

School principal Fathma Mauger of Larrakeyah Primary has seen the school grow from 360 students to 520 in the last 10 years. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“Relationships are so important,” senior teacher Nidia Korfias said.

A teacher at the school for the past 11 years, she said she was proud of her former students, who have returned to the school to perform for the occasion.

“I’ve actually organised past students, who used to be in our school band, to perform and they’re currently practising.

“These students I used to teach – some of them are in Year 11, Year 12. They say, ‘Miss Korfias! You’re still here!’”

In 2022 Larrakeyah Primary School was a top-three finalist in the Supporting Healthy Lives category for the World’s Best School Prizes.

Current Year 6 students Gabriel Tomasi (11), Mollie-May Osmond (12) and school captain Lachlan Fryer (12) believe their primary school experience has set them up positively for their future school careers.

“I’m looking forward to making new friends in a new school and seeing the difference between primary school and middle school,” Mollie said.

“I just want to keep learning, keep trying my best,” Lachlan said.

Gabriel said he was not scared about starting a new school at the start of the year.

Instead, he has been thinking about his future career.

“I want to run a business, but I’d also like to be in a bit of a science field,” the 11-year-old said.

Larrakeyah Primary School celebrates 60 years. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“Kids have changed, particularly in the last 10 years,” Ms Mauger said.

“Kids are talking about what they want to be when they grow up, they’re talking about careers now at an earlier age.

“Before we used to think they think about those things in high school but no, they’re thinking about that in primary school.

“A lot of our programs target that now, we’re preparing them for their future.”