Sacred Heart Kew

Weekes' Weekly News

Learning, growing and celebrating together...

Dear Sacred Heart Kew Families,

 

‘If YOU build it, they will come’. I know that this isn’t the exact quote from the movie ‘Field of Dreams’ (1989) or the correct Bible passage that others believe this ‘quote’ originated from. For years, this particular quote has been misquoted. It is one of a number of quotes that over time have been adapted for various purposes. And here is mine. 

‘If WE build it, they will come’. 

 

For a few years now, we have all hoped that this might be possible. 

 

It all started with an email to the old CEM (Catholic Education Melbourne) Infrastructure Team way back on July 7, 2020. And here we are today. Nudging a little closer to a building ‘refurbishment’, not a building ‘construction’. In translation, our long awaited School Hall Refurbishment project is imminent! 

 

Since 2020, there have been many revisions and modifications to our initial ‘wish list’ of items. Originally, we set out to renovate the entire School Hall building space (interior rather than exterior), due to ‘Heritage Overlay’ issues with this ageless beauty. We had ‘grand’ plans, but unfortunately, these were not financially viable. We have upset a lot of children during the process, sadly, the swimming pool will just have to wait until Secondary School!

 

In 5 years, we have worked with Baldasso Cortese Architects (and more recently, alongside MACS Infrastructure Services & Capital Delivery Team) and now settled on a plan (within our budget - mixture of self funded and loan proportion totalling $2.2 million) and now await EOI (expression of interest) applications from suitably qualified and willing builders. I know 5 years seems like an awfully long time to get this up and over the line (excluding the actual refurbishment), but apparently, we’re within the projected timeline, even with that ‘pandemic period’ thrown into the mix.

 

I won’t bore you with ‘what we originally wanted’, as this was perhaps, ‘pie in the sky’ thinking. What will be refurbished/added in and to the School Hall Building is: 

  • All 6 (GPC) General Purpose Classrooms refurbished 
  • In between sliding doors and sliding entry doors (of above) 
  • 2 new internal ramps (ground floor) addressing floor height differences
  • 1 new external accessible ramp (south end) including removal of disused external stairwell
  • New level 1 external balcony and walkway 
  • New internal lift (north end)
  • New internal stairs (north end)

Here are some sneak peeks of the above School Hall building refurbishment works. As you can appreciate, we would have loved to have included more spaces to this refurbishment project (e.g. Kitchen, Hall space, OSHC Room and internal entrance area), but the budget only stretches so far these days. These works are Stage 1 in our thinking.

 

Rough timeline (if all things go smoothly)

  • By end of September 2024 - Review & Shortlist of Tenderers
  • October 2024 - Tender Period
  • December 2024 - Award Tender
  • By end of December 2024 - Site Possession
  • October 2025 - Practical Completion of works (rough estimate, hopefully earlier)

As we plan for our School Hall building refurbishment (hopefully, next year), we are currently in the process of working through the subsequent logistics and flow on effects of this project, including, the decantering (relocation) of classes and subject/specialist classes from this building to our other existing buildings, allowing for as minimal interruption to learning and teaching across all year levels in 2025. Despite all of this, we do still plan to offer our usual straight grade class structure, excluding our usual Senior level (Year 5 and 6) structure (Senior A & B classes), School Assemblies, Para-liturgies, OSHC program, Instrumental Music program and our School Concert next year. Every ‘nook and cranny’ will be utilised next year so we can maintain, engaging, supportive and dedicated classroom environments for all our children and staff.   

 

Stay tuned for further information next term, as things become a little clearer for us.

Next year (we sincerely hope) to see all this come to life, so that they will come!

 

We also hope that at Sacred Heart Kew in 2025 - it will be the year of Creativity, Flexibility and Positivity. 

 

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend.  

 

Kind Regards, 

 

Ed Weekes  

 

School Principal