Mike Symon (Deakin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It was my great pleasure on 25 August to attend the 50th anniversary celebration reunion of the Heathmont East Primary School, a local primary school in my electorate like so many others built around about the same time. It was great to see all the mementos pinned up on the wall of how things had been at the school, especially when the celebration was held in their new BER building to show how things are now. Especially good to see was the number of past teachers, principals and students who turned up for the celebration. It was a big day. In fact, there was no room left inside the hall for people to sit. Many of us had to stand, especially people who, like me, turned up slightly late. We heard from the HEPS choir, violinists and rock band. We also heard from the current principal, Ms Kitty Allard, who is a great asset to the school and is one of the reasons the school is a school of choice throughout that part of the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

The 50th anniversary celebrations continue for the whole year, so those people who did not make it on the day might like to go along to the HEPS fete on 17 November. The school is aiming to raise $18,000, which will be used to purchase a class set of Apple iPads as well as to upgrade the school's computer technology so that kids in the future, leading into the next 50 years, also benefit from upgrades to their school.

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