SUTTON PUBLIC SCHOOL

A sesquicentenary is a significant milestone and though COVID restrictions put celebrations on hold last year, I am excited to finally be able to bring staff and students from past and present, and the wider community together to celebrate Sutton Public School’s 150th anniversary. 

Invited guests include many proud descendants of past students and staff, including families for whom the connection with Sutton has continued for 5 and 6 generations. Our guests are keen to share of the enormous impact Sutton Public School has had on the local community, to reunite and share memories.

Aunty Matilda House, a Ngunnawal/Ngambri elder, will open our formal ceremony with her Welcome to Country. There will be speeches of thanks and celebration, our choir will sing, our youngest students of 2021 and 2022 will help our eldest guest cut a cake.  Aunty Matilda will then mark the opening of our sustainable garden with a tree planting which will be followed by tours of our school, games for the children, and a wonderful archive display. BBQ, drinks, ice-creams and cakes as well as merchandise will be available on the day.

I owe a huge vote of thanks to our staff, community, P&C executive and the many volunteers helping on the day. I hope you will be join us for this special day of celebration.

Clare Sullivan | Principal

• Lizzie Whyte (1880 – 1885) and her husband James Williams (1885 – 1894) former principals, have relatives at Sutton Public School today! Come and find out who they are at the 150th celebrations!
  

• Ambrose Thomas, the principal between 1907 - 1910 used to march around the classroom playing his prize violin for the students as they wrote on their slates.

• Mrs Sullivan, our current principal does not have green fingers! She did work hard helping put down the mulch and gravel in our sustainable garden but the roses outside her office grow well for another reason. The truth is not as pleasant! The roses were planted near the site of the old pit toilets. The toilet block was built in 1975.

• Thomas Lake, principal between 1894-1907 was paid a small allowance to maintain his horse. In the mid 1890s the average attendance of the school was only fifteen students, so Sutton School was conducted half time with Brooks Creek. For three years he made a twelve kilometre round trip. Brooks Creek school’s numbers dropped further and eventually Sutton school was merged with the school at Mulligans Flat. Today only Sutton Public School remains.

• In 1988, the principal at the time, Pamela Guilfoyle, helped improve the sports field! The Sutton interchange and dual carriageway on the Federal Highway was opened in 1988. Pupils from Sutton Public School attended the event, and in return Pamela Guilfoyle arranged for some of the fill from the excavation work to be delivered to level parts of the sports field.

•  Percy Pidgeon, principal from 1910 - 1923 served in France during WW1. Luckily, he survived the war and returned to the school. His wife and two children had remained in Sutton. Unfortunately, in 1923, while the family were on holiday, the school building and schoolteacher’s residence were destroyed by fire. Luckily, no one was injured but all the school records before 1923 were lost.

• Bruce Boller, principal between 1953 -1962 made a bird bath in 1954 for the school and it is still on the site today. It is now proudly placed outside the computer room.

•  Chris Bayliss was principal from 1963-1984. In his time, lizards were common around the school and individual lizards marked. Maps of the lizard sightings were produced. Our school emblem, a lizard, designed by Rosemary Bartlett a teacher at Sutton Public School, was chosen for that reason in 1982. In 1980, Christine Makepeace, another teacher at the school, wrote the school song. Also at this time, balsa wood rockets flew across Victoria Street and an outdoor pioneer museum was created! Come and see photographs and learn more at our 150th celebrations!

•  Sutton did not have electricity until 1951 when former pupil Philip Hardy, who had become a councillor at Yarrowlumla Shire, pushed authorities to get it brought to the village. Because of the cold weather, Ainslie Hobson, principal from 1940 to 1948 would let some children soak their feet in water to help them warm up after their journey to school in the long winter months. Trenches had been dug around the school during the Second World War and children often played in the trenches returning home very muddy!

For many more stories, and an opportunity to look at original archived workbooks, visitors’ books, old newspaper articles, photographs, trophies and much more, visit our wonderful display open on Saturday 22nd October!

October

15th and 16th - Murrumbateman Field Days

18th & 21st - Kindergarten Activity Mornings

19th - School Photo Day

22nd - 150th Celebrations 10:30am - 2:30pm

25th & 28th - Kindergarten Activity Mornings

November

17th - Stage 2 Camp

27th - 30th - Stage 3 Camp 

December 

9th - Presentation Day 

12th - Year 6 Farewell

13th - Infants Disco (School hours)

16th - Last day of Term 4

Many thanks to our volunteers at the Murrumbateman Field Days. Thank you for your support.  Shifts are 9am-11am, 10:30am-1:30pm and 1pm-4pm both days. If you can help please add your name and contact detail in this google sheet or reach out to P & C via email or socials:  

We are also still chasing a family that might be interested in learning more from Sophie about coordinating this event and continuing it on for years to come.

We are delighted to be hosting our kindergarten activity mornings in week 2, on 18th & 21st October, and week 3, 25th & 28th October.   Kindergarten students for 2023 will work with their buddy (from our current Year 4) and participate in classroom activities.  Children will attend one session in each week.

During these mornings, our current Kindergarten, Year 1,2 and 3 students will spend their morning trying out their 'next' class level.  Year 5 students will discuss  student leadership roles and Year 6 students will talk about their transition to high school. We look forward to an engaging morning for all our students.

Our school photo day is coming up on the 19th of October. Envelopes have been sent home. Students will need to wear full summer uniform and Year 6 students will wear their year 6 T-shirts.  Please note payment is made to MSP and details of how to pay are included on the envelopes.

Our next whole school assembly will be held next Tuesday, 18th October in the school hall from 2:40pm. Guests are reminded to check in using the NSW Services App on arrival.  Masks and hand sanitiser are available at the entrance to our hall.

As we near the end of the year, I want to thank you for your ongoing support and notify you of a date change for the last day of Term 4 classes.

Students will now finish school on Friday 16 December 2022.

This is due to an additional School Development Day announced for staff across NSW public schools.

School Development Days allow our staff to participate in professional learning that was put on hold due to COVID-19 staffing pressures and plan ahead for 2023 to ensure we meet the needs of our students.

With this change, we ask that you arrange alternative care for your child on Monday 19 December.

While there will be no classes on Monday 19 December, if you cannot arrange alternative care for your child, we will provide minimal supervision at school.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school.

Don't' forget to place your orders via the Spriggy app by Wednesday 10am!