Rural school celebrates remarkable growth

A rural school in Adelong is celebrating a major milestone, with enrolment numbers at St Joseph’s Primary School more than doubling in recent years and a brand new, state-of-the-art building opened yesterday.

Principal Kirsty Beavan, who has led the school since 2017, described the transformation as “mind-blowing,” reflecting on how far the school has come since she first arrived as a teacher in 2011.

“When I first got here, we had just 20 students and there was real concern the school might close,” she said.

“Now, we’re at 61, and the energy here is amazing.”

Thanks to a capital grant from the Australian Government, matched by Catholic Education and supported by tireless fundraising from the school’s community council, the new building includes an administration block and three modern classrooms.

“Our original building is 130 years old—we’d really outgrown it,” Mrs Beavan explained.

“Now we’ve got incredible facilities. We still use the old building for kindergarten, and we’ve added a library and a creative arts room. We’re absolutely making the most of both spaces.”

The excitement among students reached fever pitch at yesterday’s unofficial opening, marked by blue and yellow balloons, speeches from the school captains, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“Our students were part of the whole journey,” Mrs Beavan explained.

“They watched the bobcats and diggers at recess and lunch, chatted with the tradies—they have been part of history, watching their new school being built before their eyes.

The school’s growth has been steady, with enrolments rising from 30 in 2017 to the current 61. The expansion has allowed St Joseph’s to grow from two classes to four.

A new graduate teacher also started this year, taking charge of the kindergarten class of seven students.

“It’s a beautiful introduction to the profession,” Mrs Beavan said.

“We’re thrilled to have new staff.”

Mrs Beavan said the enrolment boost was partly due to families seeking a different lifestyle for their children’s upbringing.

“We are a big family here and have such a community focus,” she said.

“Our parents are phenomenal. Everyone knows one another, and because we are K-6, the different year groups play together. It is quite harmonious, and I love that. We are a really inclusive school. We have children from all walks of life and all types of abilities.”

The principal is hopeful that growth will continue, with the potential to add another classroom in the future.

“Sometimes I just sit and look around and think ‘Wow, this is mind-blowing how much our school has grown. And our facilities are so incredible now too, which is something I have always been passionate about, particularly for rural schools,” she said.

“To see our school thriving like this—it’s just so special. I would love to see it continue to grow.”