Celebrations kicked off on Saturday afternoon with a BBQ lunch and school tours, with a centenary dinner following the afternoon’s official ceremony. 

Tying things together on Sunday was a mass and morning tea.

The school was founded in 1917 by the Sisters of St Joseph. 

Principal MaryJane Simms said the entire community came together to make the event possible. 

”It was a wonderful success based on the team work of the entire St Joseph’s community … it was very much a team effort,” she said. 

The centenary ceremony saw the opening of a school time capsule from 1988. 

“The lifting of the time capsule was definitely a highlight,” she said.

Items from the time capsule were collated and put on display in the school library for a limited time. 

Students are currently preparing to bury another capsule, to be opened in 2042. 

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“Children from kindergarten from year six are currently collecting items for our next time capsule,” Mrs Simms said. 

At the ceremony, the crowd heard how three sisters of St. Joseph arrived in town and taught classes outdoors under the a tree. 

Leeton was just six years old when the school was first established.

The weekend saw the return of a number of former staff, students and families. 

“We had a lot of students, former staff, former principals come back … particularly a large band of the sisters of St Joseph.”

Though they’re no longer directly involved with the running of the school, Mrs Simms said the sisters’ influence continues to be felt.

“We had a wonderful contingent of sisters of St Joseph here to celebrate with us.”

In her official address, Mrs Simms said the centenary celebrations would be a highlight for the years to come. 

“Children, when you are old (maybe even as old as 35 years of age) you can look back on your time at St Joseph’s, and tell your children that you were part of the centenary celebrations.”