While Halloween is a big holiday for ghosts and goblins and princesses and ballerinas alike, this year it also marks the 60th anniversary of one of Columbia’s oldest elementary schools. Brennen Elementary School first opened its doors in 1949 and this Saturday former students and teachers will come together to enjoy the Harvest Happening and to celebrate the school’s birthday.

School principle Dr. Marian Crum–Mack said that everyone is excited about the upcoming festivities, and they are looking for a big turnout.

“We hope to get alumni from as many years as possible,” she said. “We have some children whose parents and grandparents also attended school here.”

Brennan Elementary School is nestled in a quiet community in the Forest Acres area and has always been a public school, she said.

The school was built in honor of Miss Francenia (sic) Brennen, a former high school teacher and assistant principle in the Columbia area.

“The surrounding area experienced tremendous growth, and in 1951 12 additional classrooms were added,” Crum–Mack said.

The school has gone through a lot of changes in recent years since the Richland One School District passed a major bond referendum in the fall of 1996. With that money and other funds raised by the schools active Parent Teacher Organization, renovations and major technological upgrades were possible.

Additions to Brennen included a media center, an attractive covered entrance, a physical education facility, science and computer labs as well as a new kindergarten wing and a new parking lot.

“We think our former students will be proud to come back and see how well the school is doing these days,” Crum–Mack said. “We’re very proud of our facility and of our students.”

On Saturday, the Harvest Happening is from 11 am to 3 pm with the anniversary celebration taking place during that time, said Mandy McCabe, the PTO president.

“The festival is always fun, but this year it has special meaning to the students and teachers as well as the community,” McCabe said.

The Harvest Happening will include the obligatory haunted house and a costume contest, but it will also have a sweet shop and a jump castle along with numerous games and prizes.

“The drama teacher is working with the children for a dance presentation to honor the school’s history,” Crum–Mack said. “They will be performing dances through the years that Brennen has been around.”

Dances will include the jitterbug and the twist as well as more modern dances of recent times, she said.

McCabe said that there will be tours of the school and a slide show presentation depicting the school’s years in the area and that excited volunteers have been busy for weeks putting it together.

“We had tons of photos to go through and it’s great to see the changes through the years. I’m sure people will enjoy seeing themselves as a student or teacher here as well as showing the pictures to their families.”

Crum–Mack said that families are what the school has always been about.

“It would be so wonderful to see former students, who have their own children here or even their grandchildren. Who knows? There might even be some great–grandchildren!”