Market stalls, a sausage sizzle and carnival games welcomed the students at Stella Maris catholic school to their first family fun day since before the pandemic.
The school celebrated its 10th fun day in 2020 but were forced to cancel the festival in 2021.
“Clearly the mental health of our students has been a challenge,” principal Stephen Harrison said.
“This year especially it was about reopening and reconnecting with the community, this was our first big event to bring everyone back together and our chance to have some fun together.”
Mr Harrison said attendees ranged from participants of the school to general community members.
“I think the whole thing was so huge because everyone was keen to get out and celebrate,” Mr Harrison said.
“It was the biggest turn out the school has ever had. It was amazing, there were thousands of people.”
Rita, a senior pupil, said it was the best fun day Stella Maris has ever had and Maggie, a middle school pupil said she had never seen anything so big.
“We had so many rides, the prosecco van was very popular, the food vans were busy, the giant slide had a queue all day,” Mr Harrison said.
Although the event serves as a fundraiser for the school, Mr Harrison believes its importance lies in uniting the community.
“Some years we make lots of money and some years we don’t make too much, but it brings everyone together.”
Fatima Halloum
