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A tour of Fairton School, an assembly, afternoon tea and dinner is being planned in September for 125 years of education in the Fairton district.
The anniversary, on September 18, will involve past and present pupils and staff of the school.
Principal Jude Irwin said a feature of the celebrations will be the installation of a new bell, gratefully bought via a sponsor, to replace one stolen from the school.
The 125th anniversary tour includes a walk around the school and the Kānuka Mid-Canterbury Regeneration Trust community garden.
The garden is a popular part of the school grounds for pupils to visit and learn in, and the community to appreciate as a place to visit.
The assembly will be in the hall where a presentation on the history of the school will be made before roll call, afternoon tea and cake cutting.
Present day pupils will sing and the Kapa Haka group will perform.
In the evening, a relaxed and informal dinner event will be held at Celtic Rugby Club and to commemorate the significant celebration a commemorative tea towel featuring the current school pupils is being produced.
Fairton School
Fairton School covers new entrants to Year 6 and has a roll which remains steady at between 30 to 40 pupils. It has a cap of 53.
The school began in a private residency before the first school was officially opened as Newlands School in 1880. It sat on a five acre block donated by Mr Wilson of Dromore.
In 1901, the building was moved and at the time the school name changed to Fairton School.
The site then moved to where Hakatere Marae is now located on State Highway One at Fairton.
Then in 1968, it was moved again to its present site on Fairfield Rd to land donated by Canterbury Frozen Meat Company.
Anyone with memorabilia they can lend the school, or those wanting to register for the 125th celebration, can contact the school office or email principal@fairton.school.nz