Celebrating 100 Years of

BY SAM ELLEY

As my state of health is improving, ‘Mum Jane’ said I could ‘paw’ my words for myself this week, but that she would be on standby for me if needed. It’s ‘Leemo Cat’ back. Oooh, truly, the past weeks have been most troublesome, both for ME, and for Mum. I believe this is ‘cos she’s an old woman. She frets & stresses about me constantly. (Which in cat thinking means she totally loves and adores me, goodie?) I DID ask her NOT to stress ‘cos ‘I’ sense her tension. So, she started singing to help. OMG! ( e choices I have are truly horrendous!)

Mum reckons she’s aged many years since I became unwell but says there is a light of the end of it all and it’s positive. Ooooh, I do pray this is true. is time last week I had one of those mystical intuitive ‘cat-mind feelings’ that Mum was about to call an Undertaker for me, weeping & wailing all at once. is lled me with much concern, as her state of mind has been as such that she probably would have got it wrong and called for a bloke with an Excavator. She hasn’t been going to or doing CWA stu which is not good ‘cos I know she loves CWA. Anyhow, let me tell you what’s been going on. I now have to eat new food on advice from the Vet. It is ‘sposed to help my condition, and I also take medicine twice daily. Whilst Mum has said ZILCHO to me about the cost of this new food, I’ve heard her talking to one of her Sisters and saying this new food is 2+ times the cost of the food she is accustomed to buying me. AND, I JUST KNOW, the next thing to happen in our house (when I am totally well) will be a Budget Strategy Meeting relating to the $$ Old Aged Pensioners and everyone have to nd to feed their Companion Animals. Crikey, I just can’t wait!! (NOT!!) But wait, there’s more. One would THINK that in my poor state of health whilst resting on my best Plush Blue Blankie in Mum’s chair, I would be allowed to watch episodes of ‘Bluey’ ALL DAY long. NUP, guess what? Mum decided it would be best for my recovery to put a 24/7 thingie on our TV. It has sounds of running water and harp music with pictures of a most cutesy sleepy kitten dri ing o to sleep, waking up again then dri ing o again? I tell you, a cat of my intelligence needs more than this to stimulate my brain and help me to get better?

(Like Mum reading me

“THE HISTORY OF CLEOPATRA’S CAT”).

I’m starting to resent that cutesy kitten quite frankly but also know it is really not to blame. Hmmm?

I have more to tell you, Mum has an amazing and lovely friend called ‘JP’. She came to our house last Sunday and ‘talked to me’ in many soothing ways, with her hands ‘around’ me (not ON me) and so words and stu . I felt calm for the rst time in days, ‘cos Mum’s own stress has been radiating to me and making ME stressed. ‘JP’ sent Mum outside so she could focus on me. I truly felt much more relaxed a er her visit, and have since slowly started feeling more like myself. Mind you, Mum & I did have a ni y time yesterday. We played Laser Light chasing and it was so much fun.

To-day, though, I feel a ‘teensy’ bit tired & unwell but nowhere as poorly as I was 2 weeks ago so both Mum and I decided WE will both try hard not to stress or worry. (I also so pray Mum will stop singing her appalling songs!) So loving purrsies, Leemo.

Swimming lessons in the creek, riding horses to school, running around barefoot in the playground, Empire Day celebrations.

These are the memories of staff and students over the last hundred years of Larnook Public School.

Opened in 1922, members of the community will be gathering on June 10 to celebrate the little school’s centenary.

Steve Clough was principal at the school from 2004, where he was relieving, then took on the permanent role in 2005 and stayed until his retirement in 2018.

“It was a two teacher school with an enrolment anywhere from 27 children up to 49,” said Mr Clough.

“Classes were broken up into K-2 then 3-6.”

During his time as

“We lived close to the school, so would go home for lunch,” she said.

“We had swimming lessons in the creek,

Betty said the school was a lovely place, with a mix of Italian and Australian students at that time.

“Everyone got on really students increased, so that’s when they brought in demountables.

“The current office was the old schoolroom.”

Mabel Adams believes principal, Mr Clough said Larnook became part of the Big Scrub program.

“This is where the 12 small schools in the area, including Blakebrook, Caniaba, Coffee Camp and Corndale and Wian Wian had special days where we got together and went on excursions,” he said.

“The end of year concert was big. Every two years we would do a whole school concert.

“One year we did Mary Poppins and another year it was Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” where our fathers would clean it of debris and weeds until they declared it safe.

Betty Bressan went to Larnook from 1961 to 1967 and was one of the three Volpatti sisters.

“Then our mums would come and be the well,” she said.

“There was no such thing as bullying as we were all equal.

“When I left in 1967, there were only 15 she is the oldest student still living, as she started at Larnook school in 1945, the year she turned seven.

“There were 15 children and the teacher when I started,” she said.

“My best friend was Ellen Donodel and even though she was only at the school for a year, she is still my best friend today.

“She was my bridesmaid and I was her matron of honour.” life savers and safety officers.

Mabel remembers riding her horse to and from school each day.

There was a horse paddock opposite the school where the horses would be left.

“Bullrush stings were the worst things that happened.” students but by the time of the Aquarius festival, many came into the area and bought property.

“The numbers of

“One day I was riding home from school and I got into a cantering race with one of the boys,” she said.

“Then my saddle slipped right off the horse.