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Land for building the school was purchased in 1948. Although the school was purchased in North Brighton, the original section of land purchased was called Paringa Park and the school retains the name to this day. Building materials were short in supply, the then Premier, Tom Playford, heard of some vacant hospital wards in Bristol, England. These aluminium buildings were exported to Adelaide and became the first classrooms. Two of these buildings are still used today. The school opened in 1953 with an enrolment of 900 students. Mr. Leonard Marks was the first Head Teacher. The last decade of Paringa Park Primary School has shown steady growth in numbers and has continued to strive for excellence in what it does best educating our students. The school has a reputation for meeting the needs of all children from diverse backgrounds and those who are physically challenged. To the casual observer, the school buildings have not changed remarkably although they have all received a fresh coat of paint. However they have changed internally representing the changing curriculum and needs of students. Enrolment In 1953 the area was developing rapidly with new homes springing up and young families moving in. As post-war children past on to secondary school, the enrolments began to fall. In 1993, the school population was about 325. Even though there is predominantly an older age group in this area, our numbers haven continued to grow again over the past years. Even though at this point in time (2004) the population has increased to about 370, it still has the feeling of being a small school where everybody knows everyone. The School Uniform In a special meeting of mothers, in the early days, it was unanimously decided to select a school uniform. Green and Gold were decided upon as the school colours. These colours have remained to this day. Obviously the styles are different, and to a larger extent, unisex. Since the 1950's a noticeable change is that students wear a hat for most the year when outside the classroom. This reflects society's awareness of the being Sun Smart. Canteen As early as 1955, a canteen was established at the school. Although the canteen has been in varies sited in the school, it continues to provide children and staff with food. However, the running of the canteen has changed over the years. Initially helpers received 5 shillings per hour and profits were shared with 40% going to the committee and the rest to the helpers. Government regulations brought all canteens under stricter control and it was decided to employ a part time manager with overall responsibility. It is remarkable that our school has been able to keep its canteen open even though many mothers (the traditional volunteers) are now in paid positions. Language Support Class In May 1985, a small District class for children with a language disorder began at school. Nominations from the students across the district for inclusion in this class are considered by an expert panel against a set criteria. The class is supported by a speech pathologist two days a week. The children usually remain in the Junior Primary class for two years before returning to their home schools The Lote Program Our second language program has been running since the late 1960's. The education department in the late 1980's decided that all students should learn a language other than English. (LOTE). French is the chosen language that the student at Paringa learn. Music Program A strong music program has also emerged. The school has had a long history of music. It was one of the first schools to introduce instrument teaching in the 1970's. The DECS Instrumental Music programme continues to be enthusiatically supported by the school community. Students from this program and members of our choir have enjoyed leading roles within the annual Festival of Music over the years.
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