Anagh Coar School is calling for its former pupils, parents and staff to help celebrate a milestone anniversary.
Special events are being planned around April 26, 40 years to the day the first pupils were registered as starting at the original infants’ school.
Anyone with an interesting story to tell, or photographs, news clippings or video footage of school events, is asked to contact the school.
Head teacher Rob Coole explained: ‘We would like ex pupils, parents and staff of the school with any interesting stories to tell, to get in touch so the children have people to interview during a research and writing week in the week preceding the celebrations.
‘The pupils hope to create an Anagh Coar history book as a lasting memory of the key events of the school over the last 40 years.’
Mr Coole has been researching archived articles from Isle of Man Newspapers at the Manx Museum.
One article he came across showed the school did not open on time and that pupils who were registered to start had to learn in two classrooms at Manor Park School until it was ready in June 1976.
This article and others that are gathered over the next two months will form part of a history display in the school hall, which will be open to the community.
Mr Coole said: ‘It is really exciting to be celebrating this milestone, and was always something I looked forward to planning and being part of when I took over headship here.
‘I have thoroughly enjoyed researching our history at the Manx Museum library – finding old newspaper articles and photographs as well as some great photos of the construction of Anagh Coar estate.
‘These photos will generate a lot of interest with the children and families when they see them, I’m sure, especially considering that without the estate we would not be here!
‘The children are already enjoying learning songs from the different decades to sing in our special assemblies and those parents of current pupils who are past pupils are starting to dig out old photos and talk about their memories already which helps to make it more interesting and exciting for everybody.’
The school has grown from 45 infants to a primary school of 143 children.
Contact anaghcoarenquiries@sch.im or call 622148.