mmg.com.au

It was officially an event to open Tallarook Primary School’s shiny new building — but it turned in to much more besides.

Students, staff and parents gathered in cool conditions on Friday evening to celebrate the opening of the school’s multipurpose building.

The spacious $925000 building was another in the Building the Education Revolution program funded by the Federal Government.

Like many others in this region, it is a step up on existing facilities at the school.

Principal Lynette Hines told the assembled crowd that the building gave the school a proper undercover facility.

Previously, functions that had to be transferred indoors meant a trip to the nearby Tallarook Mechanics Institute.

Federal Member for McEwen Rob Mitchell, on hand to do the honours, said the BER program was about ‘‘giving our kids every opportunity to grow and do their best’’.

But, as Ms Hines remarked after the opening, the real fun stuff was about to begin.

The school leaders, voted on by students after making speeches the previous Friday, were announced.

Chayse Thompson and Alexandra Whitford were named school captains. It continued a family tradition for Chayse, whose brother Cody was a school captain last year.

Cassandra Sherwood was named Junior School Council president and Aaron Rotherham (Dabyminga) and Tayla Pollard (Rook Ranges) were named as house captains.

James Warrior was elected social secretary and Page Hocking as sustainability leader.

Others named on Junior School Council were Lily Cooper and Zavier Boyd (Preps), Summer Dawson (Grade 1), Brodie Stray (Grade 2), Dylan Pollard (Grade 3) and Anton Isherwood (Grade 4).

Tallarook has a bumper class of Prep students this year, with 16 enrolled in the 52-pupil school.