The Fall Festival at Banks School has been a tradition since 1961. This year, due to popular demand, the Fall Festival has been expanded to include a School Reunion.

And everyone who’s anyone will be there.

That’s the way Banks School alumni feel about their alma mater. At Banks School, everybody is somebody special.

“At Banks School, we are family and that family extends to included the Banks community,” said Charity Earles Maulden, Banks School PTO president. “We look out for everyone and we all come together to make things happen.”

Maulden said that when she became president of the PTO five years ago, there was talk of having a Banks School Reunion.

“That’s something that I have wanted to do for five years now and everyone is excited that it’s going to happen,” she said.

The Banks School Fall Festival and School Reunion will be from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3 at Banks School.

“The Fall Festival is the school’s largest fundraiser and the proceeds help fund teacher and student needs through the work of the Banks School PTO,” Maulden said.

The Fall Festival will feature all of the activities that make it such a success each year – food, games and a live auction. What will make the 2012 Banks School Fall Festival the biggest and best ever will be that everyone who has ever attended Banks School will be a special guest at the Banks School Reunion.

“We are going to recognize and honor each decade of alumni,” Maulden said. “We’ll have tents set up on the grounds especially for them and there will also be a tent for recent alumni. This will be a chance for all former students to return to Banks and catch up with their childhood classmates and teachers.”

Maulden said there are several activities planned around the Reunion.

“One common request by former students, who spent their early educational years at Banks, is a walk down memory lane by taking a stroll through the school building,” she said. “The PTO is planning a ‘Thru the Years’ celebration of the alumni in attendance, including taking pictures of the classes represented and music for the eras of time Banks School has been in existence.”

A special “storytelling time” will be designated for the students who attended Banks School during the good ol’ days.

“We are going to invite those from the ‘early’ days at Banks School to share their stories and those who would like to listen will be invited to join them,” Maulden said. “The Banks School Fall Festival is going to be even more exciting and memorable because of the Banks School Reunion. We hope everyone who has attended Banks School will make plans to join us for this very special day in the history of our school.”

To commemorate this reunion event, the Banks School PTO is offering two tee shirt designs: “Everyone Who’s Anyone Was There!” and “Deep Roots,” which has an inscription. The “Deep Roots” tee shirts are either the older Banks Bandits design or the more recent Banks Bobcats design.

The shirts may be ordered through Monday by calling 334-566-4343.