Fete de la Primavera

We did it again—the biggest and best event of the year! It was a fantastic day with our wonderful school community on display to the wider community. We are so proud of everyone involved and all the positive energy and feedback that has come out of the Fete de la Primavera. We would like to announce that we raised an almost perfect $30,000 that we will find a way to put back into the school within the year.

About an hour into the fete we were devastated to find out that there was a giant rip in the large inflatable obstacle course. It was leaning over and not safe for kids. With no immediate replacement options available to us, we did our best to speed up the Meltdown and alternate between big and little kids on the Minions jumping castle. We apologise for any disappointment caused.

There are many people to thank and we would like to do our best in acknowledging everyone involved:

Our wonderful sponsors –

Nelson Alexander supported us through providing the promotional boards you would have seen at school and around the neighbourhood and also offered a generous sponsorship. Alchemy Construct supported us again with a financial contribution. Sole Mio Designs also sponsored and had a beautiful stall on the day and I see many happy people with brand new hats.

Our raffle prizes were provided by Lug+Carrie, Sparque e-bikes, Napoleon Perdis, BFT Preston, Stray Neighbour, MoVida, Natio, Elnaz Ceramics, Tallboy & Moose and Postmistress.

La Tortilleria provided fresh ingredients to ‘La Taqueria de Newlands’. Alepat Taylor supported the bar too. Did you know there was a bar?

Now to our cast of amazing volunteers, this is the most stressful part of the acknowledgment – we don’t want to leave any one out!

Firstly to our stall holders and co-ordinators—a big thank you to:

Morag McKillop who put her hand up early to run secondhand clothes and books—what a bonanza of a double stall that was. Morag spent countless (she may be able to count!) hours curating all the donations into a wonderful selection with something for everyone. 

Aggie Wray-McCann stepped up and did the job no-one else wanted, running the bar. This included getting her own RSA, getting our liquor license and organizing volunteers with RSAs. She did an outstanding job.

Nat Crewe co-ordinated the first-aid area and was a huge help through planning, setting up and packing up. She also booked Kerri and the fabulous team of face painters.

Mich Dedek again got us a huge supply of fete infrastructure – marquees and tables and worked very hard hauling them all about.

Clare Rae and Claire Slattery ran the badge making stall—so much creativity coming out of their marquee.

Clare Rae took over the flower crowns and added some very classy headpieces to the crowd.

Liz Shield and Tess Haycox created a bountiful plant stall that was keeping lots of arms full with their bounty.

Libby and Anna Stewart brought the super fun Paint-Your-Own and Glam Station and the joyous Selfie Wall. 

Susannah Hoban supported the kids’ stall Galaxy Bubble.

And the food! Thanks to:

Romy Ash for co-ordinating La Taqueria de Newlands, a crowd favorite again.

Ruby Nolan and team for their delicious pizzas.

Marta Cifuentes Ochoa and Nicole Perez for the amazing empanadas and Amy Dewhirst for a magnificent paella which was demolished in minutes.

Adam Palmer for co-ordinating and working most of the day at the BBQ. What is a fete without a sausage sizzle?

To the very many people who brought such delicious treats for the cake stall. There was a grand array of options. Thanks so much to all the contributors. 

Shout out to Debbie El-Alo for the floss and popcorn tubs.

Jason Scheltus and Sarah Trotter kept us caffeinated with their Market Lane Coffee.

Our external providers were great too. Donde Mama and Paletas Icy poles. And of course, Michael Woodward who made so much fairy floss that he resembled a giant stick of fairy floss!

Lou Smith and Delphine Byrne co-ordinated the live performances and did a super job wrangling all those musos, and Simon Braxton provided a PA and engineering on the day. Thanks to Joe Greenway and Dylan Stewart for support with all things electrical. 

The performers were so good!: Sonidos del Alma, NPS Choir led by Kehani, Phil Hudson and the Cool Kids, Akai Mon, Twobuxx and DJ Lulu Q. We also had roving performers Diaspora bring the show out to the crowd.

Thank you to Uncle Trevor Gallagher who acknowledged country and performed a smoke ceremony and had us all singing “Where is Bunjil?”.

Thanks to Tom Civil and Antonia Sellbach for freshening and extending the beautiful ground mural. How good is the compass?

Huge thanks to Rachel Brown for all the design work and branding for the fete and to her brother-in-law Josh and Julien Chichignoud for being our official photographers. 

Andrea Andric is a star! Thanks for the promotion and ALL the newsletter pages.

Thanks to: Bailey’s Events and Amusements for the inflatables; One Big Day event hire for the giant games; Jodie’s Native Animals and Animals on the Move for the petting zoos.

Dia de los Muertos crew, Abner, Alberto, Edgar, Egmont & Tere, created a magical cultural experience for the whole community to witness and enjoy, and for guiding us all through the ofrenda—thank you! 

Thanks to all our teachers who supported the event,: Luke, Graeme, Mel, Sophia, Jose, Raema, Raul, Luisa, Katherine, Courtney, Lisa, Christine, Clara, Juan, Nerida and Kehani. Denise and Mandy for printing ALL the posters and giving us a key every five minutes in the lead up. Thanks Shikha for guidance and set up, and to Jill and Bede from OSHC for their support too.

Thanks to the families who don

ated clothes, books, plants and cake stall items. Thanks to all our shift volunteers selling wristbands, cakes, sausages, secondhand goods, for cooking, for cleaning, for setting up and packing up marquees, for carrying chairs around and welcoming our visitors at the gate. We could not do these events without you.

If you have read this far, well done! If you were expecting to see your name and didn’t then come and tell us. We have all done such a great job, once we have a rest we will decide if we can do it all again next year!

Olivia Stewart, Claire Moore, Sarah Small and Jessica Petrie

The Pink Ladies

and the NPS Fete Committee

P.S. Thanks Melbourne weather, you were very kind.