Challis Community Primary School has marked a significant milestone, celebrating 50 years of education, growth and community connection.
Principal Lee Musumeci, who has led the school for 22 years, said the anniversary brought an enormous sense of pride to staff, with many having devoted years to the school.
Among them is the school’s longest-serving staff member Mrs Heather Sinclair who joined Challis in 1988 as an education assistant.
Throughout her 37 years, she has supported generations of children and their families, becoming a familiar and trusted face within the school community.
“Stable leadership has been a key stabiliser and driver of the school,” Ms Musumeci said.
The school first opened in 1975, built on what was once an orchard to meet the needs of a rapidly growing local population.
While enrolment numbers from its early days were unclear, Ms Musumeci said demand grew quickly, rising to 920 students by the year 2000.
Ms Musumeci said a major feature which attracted families was the two-school arrangement on the same site: the Challis Early Childhood Education Centre for Kindergarten to Year 2, and Challis Primary School for Years 3 to 6.
“Students moved seamlessly to the next teaching block, wore the same uniform and used the same facilities,” she said.
Today, the school enrols 850 students.
Reflecting on the past two decades of leadership, Ms Musumeci said the school’s guiding principle was simple: service to the community.
“Understanding our purpose and the context in which we are situated, therefore serving, is a solid starting point,” she said.
“The next principle is high quality education can smash any postcode and provide a life of opportunity and hope.
“Therefore, developing excellence in teaching is fundamental to all that we do.”
In 2015, the school merged its early childhood and primary sites to become Challis Community Primary School, acknowledging its strong focus on partnership with families and local stakeholders.
In 2018, the school gained national attention when musicians Guy Sebastian, James Morrison and Michael McCarthy helped develop its music program.
The initiative became the ABC documentary series Don’t Stop the Music, produced by Artemis Media.
“This was a three-part series which touched the hearts of many Australians as the camera followed key students along their music journey,” Ms Musumeci said.
However, Ms Musumeci said the school’s greatest achievement was its consistent success in teaching students to thrive academically.
“We are achieving literacy and numeracy results exceeding what is expected,” she said.
The 50th anniversary celebrations were held on Friday evening with Twilight Christmas Markets, transforming the school grounds into a lively festive hub.
“Students made items for sale such as tie-died socks, a 2026 calendar, dog treats, lolly bags, there was face painting, a display by the fire brigade and police,” Ms Musumeci said.
“Importantly, our choir and instrumental groups showcased their musical talents while teachers were dunked in the dunk tank and the chocolate wheel spun nonstop.
“Our history walk provided a trip down memory lane from 1974 to 2025 and provided lots of opportunity for former staff members to reconnect, reminisce and share a laugh.”
Ms Musumeci said she hoped the school would continue to expand its onsite services to support local families.
Looking ahead, the school hopes to continue expanding its onsite services to support local families and ensure every student has access to high-quality teaching.
“We will continue to service our school community with the same passion, care and kindness that has been a feature of the school for many, many years.”
