Valmae Burey nee Chaffey has been helping at the Glen Innes West Primary School since before she was born.
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Ms Burey is this year's Glen Innes senior of the year, announced at a ceremony on Tuesday. She was recognised for her continuing volunteer efforts, particularly in helping kids learn to read.
Valmae's family are a big part of the reason the West Primary School even exists.
"Believe it or not my grandparents were some that went round canvassing to get a little school there," she said.
"Because you had to get over the railway line and you had to go to the other schools."
The 83 year old has been going to school in some capacity since she was 4, and has been helping kids at the school read for about 10 years. Once a week she turns up to allow the kids to have a surrogate grandmother.
"I've spent all my life there at the little school, and my children and grandchildren all went there."
She said she was also involved in volunteering at both the op shop and the history house, as well as helping catering at the church.
The senior's week program is organised and funded by the state government. It advertises itself as the "largest festival for seniors in the southern hemisphere, reaching up to 500,000 seniors each year."
This year Glen Innes held just a small event, with a single lunch and the crowning ceremony. It was also unusually early in the year.
A council spokeserson said seniors week is an important time to acknowledge the senior demographic, particularly in a shire with a disproportionately ageing population.
The winner of senior of the year has to be nominated by friends or family, as with Australian of the year. The winner is picked by the Glen Innes mayor, Carol Sparks.
She said it was a hard choice, but said she was particularly won over by Ms Burey's lifelong commitment to education, one of her own passions.
"I chose Valmae because for almost all her life she attended the West Glen infant school and she continues to attend the West Glen infant school!" she said.
"At is very special, she's spent almost all her her life at the West Glen Infant
"At the tender age of 83 she listens to the kindergarten students read. I know how important this is to the kids.
"I chose her because of her commitment to that little school and to the children there.
She said it was vitally important to recognise the massive contribution retired people can and do make to the community at large.
"We have so many volunteers who are seniors."