The school’s oldest surviving student, Phyllis Trimble, 95, of Warners Bay, joined two of its youngest kindergarten students – Tiffany White and Elizabeth Swan – to ring the bell at a special school assembly on Friday.

The assembly marked the start of two days of celebrations for the school’s 125^th anniversary.

Ms Trimble recalled that girls were not allowed to ring the bell during her years as a student at the school, from 1927 to 1933.

“Only the boys could do it,” she said. “And it was quite a privilege to be chosen to ring it.”

She recalled the boys-only rule was not a source of frustration for the girls.

“We knew we couldn’t do it, so that was it.”

Ms Trimble was among a group of former students, staff and parents who attended the milestone, sharing recollections of a different era.

“Do you remember that naughty boy in fifth grade?” Ms Trimble asked fellow former student, Doreen Frazer, 91.

“His mother killed a snake, so the boy brought in the dead snake from home and put it on the teacher’s chair. When the teacher pulled out the chair, they got a terrible fright.”

The assembly doubled as the launch of author Doug Saxon’s book, Morisset Memories 1891-2016, in which the school features prominently.

He said the ringing of the original school bell almost didn’t happen.

The bell had been missing since 1985 when the school moved from its original site (where Morisset High School now stands) to new school buildings in Terrigal Street.

But after an extensive search, the bell turned up in a home at Fennell Bay, where it was being used as a doorbell. The bell will now be mounted at the school.

Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper praised the school’s contribution to the community.

“There’s some really prominent names and high achievers that have come out of Morisset who have gone on to achieve amazing things,” Mr Piper said.