WEDNESDAY marked a very special day for The Anglican School, Googong as it opened its doors to welcome its very first cohort of students.
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Just nine months ago the Anglican School Googong was simply a few sketches on paper but it now boasts two classrooms, a playground and an oval that has been built from the ground up.
The Foundation Principal of The Anglican School Googong, Ian Hewitt described the first day of the brand new school as a momentous occasion.
"Usually what happens on the first day back to school - if it was a school that was already going - there'd be a lot of fuss made around the new students, trying to settle them in and make them feel a part of a school," he said.
"But of course every student is new to the school so we are making a fuss about all of them, and when we welcome them, they are the focal point.
"It is momentous in that sense, it's quite awe inspiring to see children walk in and that look of 'wow' on their faces."
For the first year, 33 students from preschool to year two will be walking down the halls of The Anglican School.
The rest of the facility will still be in construction to make way for Year 3 students in 2016 and Year 4 students in 2017. The first Year 7 cohort will commence the following year.
Mr Hewitt has had his fair share of first days back to school in his 27 years of teaching but this particular one was extra special.
"For me, it's that pinnacle of 20-plus years of teaching, bringing together a whole different range of projects at other schools. But this one is bringing so many things together in one place," he said.
"We're shaping a community from scratch, we're setting up now what will still be here in five, ten, possibly 20 years' time from the decisions we make today."
The O'Toole family has watched the Anglican School, Googong grow right before their eyes from dirt to now a modern learning space.
So Wednesday was an exciting day for both Nadia O'Toole and her daughter Zoe, 7, who have been out to the site when it still required visitors to wear hi-visibility vests and hard hats.
"It's fantastic to have watched the school grow from dirt to what we see here today," Mrs O'Toole said.
"It's really special for Zoe as she's been part of the school journey here from early on. She's to be one of the founding students and to go right through the end of her schooling in one place is a really exciting opportunity."