Trafalgar Middle School will hold its 30th anniversary celebration Saturday, Oct. 19. The event will open with a luncheon for current and former staff members from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by an opening of the campus for all current and former students from 1 to 3 p.m. Trafalgar Middle School is at 2120 Trafalgar Parkway.

To help celebrate three decades of educating middle school students, Trafalgar Middle School is inviting former administrators, teachers, staff and students to its 30th anniversary party this October.

“Come one, come all, and come enjoy early afternoon reminiscing about the good old days,” Trafalgar Middle School Principal Dr. Michael Galbreath said.

The celebration will be held Saturday, Oct. 19. It will open with a luncheon for current and former staff members from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., followed by Trafalgar Middle School opening the campus for all current and former students from 1 to 3 p.m. Trafalgar Middle School is at 2120 Trafalgar Parkway.

Former administrators, teachers and support staff are asked to RSVP by Wednesday, Oct. 16 at https://bit.ly/2mX8ey3.

“We want everyone to know that everyone is invited,” Galbreath said, adding that employees who worked at the school in any capacity, are encouraged to RSVP.

He said they have received a huge response so far and are excited to reach more.

The online RSVP allows individuals to put such information as their first and last name, if they are bringing one guest to the luncheon, what year(s) they were at Trafalgar Middle School, what was their position, fondest and memorable moments.

The luncheon will provide a fellowship of seeing old friends and a chance to meet others who have worked at the school, Galbreath said. They have a few individuals on the staff who were part of the “original crew” who have been there the entire 30 years.

“The original principal (Dr. Al Willie) will be here,” Galbreath said, adding that he now lives in North Carolina.

Although he has never met Willie in person, he has seen photos, one of which was the desk he used when he was the principal.

“The desk was the same desk I use right now,” Galbreath said. “I have been using the same desk. It is in perfect condition. We need some furniture like that now-a-days.”

Galbreath said the celebration has been a little of an undertaking that included a committee who has been working on decorations, food orders and contacting former employees.

“It doesn’t matter if it was a year ago, or 30 years. You are welcome to come,” he said of staff.

After the luncheon, the doors will open to former students, of just last year, or from 30 years ago. Students do not need to RSVP for the celebration.

Galbreath said it will be exciting to see how many students arrive and visit with their old teachers.

“It’s hard to believe they have already gone through high school, off to college and a career,” he said of students over the last 16 years. “They are probably 30 years old at this point. Kids of their own are coming through here.”

Trafalgar has a rich family tradition with a few generations attending the school.

“Because we are one of the older schools in the Cape it has a great tradition,” he said.

Galbreath said after the luncheon teachers will be encouraged to visit their old classrooms to see what it looks like, with the hope that the former students will do the same.

Galbreath said one of the biggest changes he has seen in the 16 years he has been at the school is the student body size. When he first started there were 1,500 students enrolled at Trafalgar Middle School.

Shortly after he started, Mariner Middle and then Challenger Middle opened.

“The reason they did that was because we had well over 20 portable classrooms. They (Mariner Middle) were able to take students to alleviate our overcrowding,” he said, adding that happened during the boom. “Then Challenger was built and they took more of our students.”

Now Trafalgar Middle School has about 950 students. The school has seen as low as a study body of 820 students.

“We can handle the students logistically. (We have a) huge, large, spread out campus,” Galbreath said, adding that a smaller atmosphere is more manageable and better all around for everyone.

His fondest memory is having both of his daughters attend the middle school. Galbreath said when he first started at the school as an assistant principal his daughters were 3 and 5.

“I got to watch them go through elementary school,” he said. “It was a lot of fun having my girls here at school.”