PUPILS past and present are being invited to help mark a major anniversary for a high school which has been serving the community for nine decades.

St Modan’s High School, which welcomes pupils from Clackmannanshire and neighbouring areas, is set to host an anniversary mass and birthday ceilidh this June to round off its granite anniversary celebrations.

The Catholic secondary school was officially opened on September 5, 1933 by Archbishop MacDonald of St Andrews and Edinburgh and thousands of pupils have gathered in its corridors since then.

The school community, including a 102-year-old lady who was in her second year nine decades ago, has been marking the anniversary year over the past months with the upcoming mass and ceilidh to help round off the celebrations.

Ara McFarlane, school administrator, has worked in the school for an incredible 50 years herself and reminisced of the decades gone by when speaking with the Advertiser.

She said: “The children are always the same.

“There have been changes in the way they are taught, there’s so much more vocational education done now, it’s not just academic in St Modan’s.

“We have an amazing vocational training centre and they learn crafts like painting and decorating, plumbing, electrical work, different kinds of woodwork – they build tiny houses which they sell to local schools and nurseries.”

The school community, including many former pupils, has been celebrating the anniversary together in the past months.

And incredibly a former pupil from the very start of the school’s history has also been in touch.

The school administrator said: “In fact, I have had contact from a young lady of the age of 102 who was in second year in St Modan’s in 1933!

“She has been given an invitation to the mass, we would absolutely love to see her there.”

Ara is hoping to reach even more former pupils and staff ahead of the anniversary mass and birthday ceilidh.

The 90th anniversary mass will go ahead at St Mary’s RC Church on Upper Bridge Street in Stirling on Thursday, June 20, at 7pm.

Former and current pupils and staff, as well as families associated with the school, are warmly invited to head along to the mass led by Archbishop Cushley and Father Boyle.

A birthday ceilidh will then go ahead to mark the end of the 90th anniversary celebrations.

It will take place at the Albert Halls in Stirling on Friday, June 21, doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

Pupils and staff, former or current, are being invited to the over 18s only event, where entertainment will feature alumni.

Tickets to the ceilidh are £20 per person, covering food and entertainment as well as the venue, reserve a space by calling the school office.

Former pupils and staff who would like to share their memories of St Modan’s can also call the school office on 01786 470962.