St Joseph’s Primary School looks back on 100 years

From opening a 25-year-old time capsule to designing a school mural that welcomes people into their school community, the students at St Joseph’s School, Nambour set the tone for a ‘100 out of 100’ year.

“It’s been a massive year,” said Principal Michelle Young. “This time last year, we thought it was going to be a great centenary year, and it has been. We started by welcoming our students and staff back to campus, including a third generation student,” she said.

“We also saw the return of four former school Principals, Russell Sinclair, Paul Thornton, Ian Morice and Marg Pont and Good Samaritan Sisters Sister Annette Dever and Sister Judy Margetts return for our 100-year celebratory Mass at the beginning of the year.

“St Joseph’s Day and our gala dinner were also huge successes, with our parent community enthusiastically joining the events and generously giving their time to support our school.

“Later in the year, we also opened a time capsule that was planted in the year 2000.

“The capsule contained old report cards, letters and written reports from students about what they thought the future would be like,” she said.

“We are now working with our students to create a new time capsule that will be blessed at our end of year school mass.

“Our students also worked with an artist in residence to create a seven-metre-long mural that represents all that our students love about our school and welcomes families as they enter our school gates.

“Students also got creative making the number 100 out of different objects.”

Michelle said, “we were able to make a gallery from the frames and historic images and newspaper clippings that our broader community and parents donated to our school”.

“The frames are now displayed in the convent,” she said.

“It’s been lovely to see our community resonate with the images and share their memories of their time at St Joseph’s with our students.”

The St Joseph’s Primary School musical also saw students travel back in time to the year 2000 when the time capsule was first planted, with the mission to find their way back to the year 2025.

St Joseph’s Primary School students also joined their sister schools St John’s College, Nambour and Good Samaritan Catholic College, Bli Bli for Catholic Education Week.

All three schools celebrate their own milestones in 2025, 100 years, 85 years and 8 years of operation locally, with the inception of St John’s College beginning at the St Joseph’s Primary School campus.

Michelle said, “we are an old school, but we have a fresh approach to education and it’s a long standing one”.

• For more information about St Joseph’s Primary School, Nambour or to enrol click here.