Point View School two decades on

April 19, 2017

Point View School two decades on

Point View School noticeboard announces its 20th anniversary celebrations. Photo: Marlene Singh

Point View School first opened its doors to 121 excited students in 1997, making it one of the very first public schools in the Dannemora area.

That year, Point View School was just a lone building surrounded by a few residential houses. Today, it is only a 10-minute drive away from Botany Town Centre.

Foundation principal Neil Shroff said the school was built with hard work and dedication from locals as well as staff and parents.
“It was a privilege, I will never forget those days. It was definitely one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” he said.

“Believe it or not, the school started off with only about nine staff members, we used to take a bus down to Willow Park where we worked until the school was finished with construction.”

Mr Shroff and current principal Judy Parr launched the anniversary celebrations with an assembly.

Said event coordinator, Justine Ross: “Twenty years is a long time, so this anniversary had to be special.

“The reactions of parents was one of pride, they were definitely proud of the fact that their son or daughter was attending our school.”  

Enthusiastic parents of current students arrived with their excited children to attend the night and reminisce on old photos and current photos.

Quin Brown has a daughter in Year 4 at Point View. “I’m very pleased with the school, it has come so far. I’m very glad to be sending my daughter here,” said Ms Brown.

During the first five years, the school roll grew to 800 students and has progressed to 860 in recent years.

“The most challenging part of being the first principal was the overwhelming number of kids enrolling each month. The numbers just kept growing and most days we felt like we weren’t equipped,” said Mr Shroff.

“It’s surprising what can happen in 20 years, especially in terms of technology,” he added.

Mr Shroff and Ms Parr have written a book as a memoir reflecting on the past 20 years.

Mr Shroff said, “It’s important to remember where you came from, your roots.”

The public can purchase the book titled From Bare Earth to Best Practice: Point View School - the first twenty years 1997-2017 through the school’s website.

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