On Friday, April 13, the pupils and staff at Tathra PS signed off from Term 1 with plenty of colour at the annual dress-up parade.

There were athletes of all shapes, sizes and sporting prowess, mascots and make-up...and one sweet young girl dressed as the Queen – essential for any Commonwealth Games!

The parade was held in front of a large crowd of family and staff ahead of a barbecue and school market.

While the pupils all enjoyed parading around the school’s quadrangle showing off their costumes, several also were “interviewed” by teachers about who they were dressed as, or which sport they were representing.

A few highlights included a shuttlecock costume of a white laundry basket and red swimming cap; numerous young gymnasts with colourful twirling ribbons; and some impressive Borobi make-up and masks (the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games blue koala mascot).

WATCH: Pedlars Parade 2018 photo gallery, video

While not strictly a Commonwealth Games costume, one girl in a cricket outfit stole the show. She was carrying a cricket ball in one hand and sandpaper in the other, with a sign around her neck reading “How not to be a sports star; It’s not cricket”!

When asked who she was dressed as, the snappy answer “a past cricketer” drew plenty of chuckles around the crowd.

The Pedlars Parade is held on the last day of Term 1 each year at Tathra, with money raised traditionally invested back into the school’s literacy resources.

However, there was a special twist this year with all the money raised on the day to be donated to the Tathra Rural Fire Service brigade and National Parks and Wildlife Service.

Meanwhile, as part of the end-of-term celebrations, Tathra PS pupils and teachers also threw a thank you morning tea for all the emergency services that were involved in saving the school and surrounding community members from the March 18 bushfire.

RFS volunteers along with NPWS reps, local police officers and Ambulance paramedics were given a hero’s welcome at the school as it showed its appreciation at being saved from the brunt of the fire.

After the morning tea, the various personnel – and their vehicles – were swamped by curious children keen to take a look at the fire engines, police and ambulance vehicles and NPWS equipment.