OLD SCHOLARS DONATE $600 TO YES Centre

By Chloe McPherson

A reunion of former Port Augusta High School students raised $600 which was donated to the YES Centre and will now be used to purchase an electronic drum kit and headphones to support music students.

The cheque was presented at a school assembly early in term one.

Mrs Vicki Fullerton is part of the reunion organising group, which also includes Mrs Rosemary Hale, Ms Dianne O’Hanlon, Mrs Beverley Martin and Mrs Dianne Fullerton.

She said the money was donated to the YES Centre because the old scholars group believed the YES program was an excellent concept to support students.

“We didn’t have anything like this back in the 1960s”, Mrs Fullerton said.

Port Augusta Secondary School was formerly known as Port Augusta High School and this group of former students held ts first reunion in 2010, being the 50^th anniversary of the class being in “first year high school”, which is now year 8.

In 2010, 160 past students and partners, plus seven past teachers attended. In 2015, 142 past students and partners and nine teachers attended.

Mrs Vicki Fullerton, one of the reunion organisers, said she believed buying a drum kit was a “fabulous idea”.

The donation money was raised by a small reunion attendance fee.

In 2010, the money raised was donated to the Cancer Council SA.

The reunion incorporated a tour of PASS, including the YES Centre, a light lunch and then a dinner in the evening at South Augusta Football Club.

Organising the reunion includes sending emails, many phone calls and advertising in The Advertiser, Sunday Mail and The Transcontinental.

Despite the hard work that goes into organising the event, Mrs Fullerton says, “It’s great fun organising reunions – I love them”.

“It’s great to interact with different people”.

YES Centre Assistant Principal, Ms Karen Wallace, said the drum kit will be used to support students who are interested in learning to play or developing their skills in music.

PASS Deputy Principal Simon Owens said the reunion was a good opportunity to showcase the new PASS.

“What I really liked about this event was it enabled us to showcase the new PASS to over 140 past students, many of whom are still locals, and many who have returned to their lives elsewhere with very positive memories of PASS and Port Augusta in general,” Mr Owens said.

Mrs Fullerton hopes that another reunion will be held in 2017.