Pupils dressed in colonial-style costume on Friday practised songs ready to welcome about 80 people for the school’s three-day, 125th anniversary celebrations.
School principal Paul Richardson said, after months of preparations, the impact of Covid-19 had meant the 125th anniversary celebrations had been "touch and go" for a time.
"But we decided to push on with it, and we made it — everyone is very excited," Mr Richardson said.
"In the end, our registrations exceeded our expectations — it has been a real team effort for our organising committee and our teachers.
"It’s good to celebrate, and we feel very fortunate to be able to celebrate in such a difficult year," he said.
The 44 children had enjoyed learning about their school’s history, and relished the chance to dress up in colonial clothing and learn about historic games.
The reunion was an opportunity for past and present pupils and staff of Sacred Heart School to look back over the integrated Catholic primary school’s long history.
After Friday’s open day and social gathering, the reunion continued on Saturday with class photos, burying a time capsule, and dinner at Nga Maara Hall, and concluded on Sunday with a Mass led by the Roman Catholic Bishop of Dunedin, the Most Rev Michael Dooley.
Mr Richardson said the time capsule had contained an old school uniform, newspaper cuttings, material related to Covid-19, and the children had done writing and artworks about life as a Sacred Heart School pupil in 2020.
"The idea is for the children to come back in 50 years and dig up the time capsule for a look at the past," he said.
Founded by the Dominican sisters, Sacred Heart School held its first classes in late 1895 at Sacred Heart Church.
It took 10 years for the school to have its own buildings, just a stone’s throw along North Rd, on its present day site.
Classes continued in these buildings until 1986, when the school buildings were rebuilt.
The 125th anniversary reunion included visits to the school, class photographs, a jubilee dinner and Mass.
