Local Parish Primary School Celebrates Postponed 50th

Anniversary Under Coronavirus Restrictions

St Peter’s Parish Primary School celebrated its 50th Anniversary mass last Sunday under strict
COVID restrictions after its Parish’s Anniversary was postponed for a year.

The event was held in the parish church, where current and past sta members were in
attendance alongside senior parish members and Archbishop Comensoli, who o ciated the
mass. The mass, as well as addresses
from the principal and the parish priest,
was live-streamed to outdoor settings
around the school for other parish
members and the public, whilst
students and parents watched from
within classrooms in order to maintain
socially distanced. In her address,
Principal Linda Tarraran celebrated the
school’s anniversary coinciding with
the 200th anniversary of catholic
Parents gather outside after the mass to watch education in Australia, as well as
students perform ‘Harmony dances’ in groups thanking past principal Margaret
Duggan, who served twenty six years
at the school. The event continued
outdoors, where the students performed a ‘harmony dance’, celebrating cultural di erences.

“It was a matter of making sure we covered all our bases” for Linda Tarraran, who noted planning
was di cult initially due to the “very strict COVID restrictions that were in place”. Linda was
“grateful” that the event was able to proceed without masks and other restrictions. Despite the
lack of masks, certain health guidelines were
enforced, including QR code sign ins, strict
signage directing guests where to go following
the mass, and room capacity limits within the
classrooms to ensure basic health and safety
restrictions were met.

Though the school and the parish celebrated

their respective anniversaries together, it was
the parish’s 51st year running, after it’s half
century celebrations were postponed
completely last year due to the victorian
lockdowns. Despite this, Linda was “very
happy” with the turnout of the event, stating
“it’s turned out really well”. “It’s our parish, and
we made it possible to come together” said
parish priest Father Sebastian in his address.

Marie-Anne Marazita, who’s children attend St Outdoor seating in the school’s car park allowed
Peters, praised the sense of community that parish members to watch the live-streamed mass
the school creates, stating that “Its one of their ceremony whilst socially distanced
really strong focuses”. “I think that it’s one of
the things they work on all the time” she said. Marie-Anne has been a long standing member of
the school community, with her oldest child rst starting at St Peters in 2009, remarking that it has
been amazing to “see the school develop.” Marie-Anne was happy with the event despite the
restrictions in place, and noted the advantages that opened up because of it. “We got to go into
their (the student’s) classrooms, we haven’t been able to do that in two years”.

St Peter’s Parish is a catholic primary school located in East Keilor, Melbourne, and teaches
grades Prep-6.
ffi
fi
ff
ffi
ff