PREP students at St Mary’s Primary School Lancefield finally celebrated 100 days at school on Friday.
While the day is normally celebrated in July, the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdown prevented the children from coming to school for several months.
The children have been excitedly counting down all year with prep teachers Jo Bey and Chris Zarb, and celebrated the day by wearing special 100-day crowns and t-shirts they had decorated and taking part in a series of activities revolving around the number 100.
Ms Bey said the children reflected on everything they could now do that they couldn’t on day one.
“We’ve been thinking about all the things they couldn’t do at the beginning of the year, but can do now such as writing their names, writing books, counting up to 100, going on the monkey bars, making friends, and being a good friend,” she said.
As part of the activities, the children took part in a treasure hunt where they collected 100 pieces of treasure, painted pictures with 100 dots, made a monster with 100 parts and made fairy bread with 100s and 1000s.
Ms Bey said while it had been a longer road than usual to their 100th day of school, the children had coped with the circumstances surprisingly well.
“They’ve done amazingly, our results are fantastic which is a testament to how hard the kids have worked at home and at school, how their parents have supported them at home while we were in lockdown and how we as the staff at St Mary’s have pulled a virtual program together and supported families to help their kids move ahead,” she said.
“When we came back to school after the lockdown, the thing they most missed most was their friends and the play equipment and their teachers got a bit of a mention, too.”
