Sadadeen Primary School and Leanyer School celebrate 40th birthdays

Two school are celebrating their 40th birthdays, with students, parents, and teachers jumping for joy at the chance to celebrate the rich history and culture of their classrooms. Here’s what they have planned.

Leanyer School is celebrating its 40th birthday and anniversary. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Some of the Territory’s youngest learners are celebrating with teachers, parents, and their communities as their schools enter their senior years.

Sadadeen Primary School and Leanyer School are each celebrating their 40th anniversaries on Wednesday, with birthday bashes planned for the Top End and Red Centre schools.

Leanyer School students Liam Chavez-Hopwood, Saanvi Maddirala and Marcus Lim are excited to celebrate the 40th birthday and anniversary of their school. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Leanyer School students Marcus Lim, Liam Chavez-Hopwood and Saanvi Maddirala were excited to spend the evening at the campus’ party on Wednesday evening.

Principal Leah Crockford said the school’s birthday party included a jumping castle, face painting, petting zoos and a DJ after a Welcome to Country by one of the school’s Larrakia families.

Ms Crockford worked as a teacher at the school from 2000-2001 and returned to Leanyer School as a principal in 2017.

“All the physical environment has been taken out and reshaped,” she said.

“We used to have red and blue and yellow tables and it was really quite different, whereas now it’s natural and we’ve got lots of plants … it’s very open.

“Even the preschool I taught in, the preschool was all divided up, whereas now it’s just one beautiful big open space.”

Leanyer School principal Leah Crockford and teacher Chris Charman are expecting about 2000 people to attend the school’s birthday bash. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Chris Charman has taught at Leanyer School for 15 years and said it was incredible to have been a part of so much of the school’s rich history.

He said he expected the community would rally around the school during its birthday celebrations and predicted a turnout of more than 2000 people – including former staff, students, and parents.

“We’ve got a journey through the decades throughout the modules (classrooms), starting in the 80s and 90s, working all the way through,” Mr Charman said.

“It’s a bit of a tour through time but also through the school, so it’ll be a great opportunity for past students and families to see what’s different.”

Sadadeen Primary School current principal Donna Wright (left), former principal Liz Verstappen (middle) and the school's first principal Lorraine Braham (right) are celebrating the school's 40th anniversary and birthday. Picture: Gail Turner

Sadadeen Primary School principal Donna Wright said the school would take the chance to celebrate its rich history, culture, and community with a play and a display of historic photos.

“The play is reinforcing the school song and the story of Charlie Sadadeen, the Afghan cameleer that we’re named after,” Ms Wright said.

“We’re actually going to be unveiling a mural because we’ve just done four new values for the school.

“After that we’ll be having a big cake and singing happy birthday.”

Sadadeen Primary School's first principal Lorraine Braham and the school's first preschool Kerryn Strawbridge reunited at the school's 40th birthday and anniversary. Picture: Gail Turner

Acting assistant principal Pippa Boyle said the school’s links to Charlie Sadadeen and the Afghan cameleers were a point of pride for the school.

“That’s rich Alice Springs history,” she said.

Ms Boyle said it was exciting to reflect on the school’s history as well as celebrate how far today’s kids have come thanks to the school’s trauma-informed approach.

“They’re starting to really dive into the learning and trusted the trauma journey, knowing that the kids will learn when they’re ready,” she said.

“The school culture is so warm and inviting.”

Originally published as Sadadeen Primary School and Leanyer School celebrate 40th birthdays