Environment, Facilities and Grounds

 

 

Mary Boutros

Safe and Well Operations Leader

Infrastructure and Facilities Maintenance News

From Funding Application to Completion

This project has been several years in the making. Our former Capital Works Manager, Dr Denise Clarke, played an important role in its beginnings, leading the application for funding and supporting the project through its early planning and development.

Once the project progressed into delivery, a dedicated Capital Works Project Team met fortnightly to discuss construction progress, operational requirements, site safety, emerging issues and the impact of works on the day-to-day operation of the school. The team brought together representatives from Jacana School for Autism, the Victorian School Building Authority, Brand Architects and Cobolt Constructions, including Rebecca Davies, Mary Boutros, Daniel Moloney, Corinne Pupillo, Christian Munn, Ricky Wheeler, Dan Fenech and Lyndon Wade.

Following Dr Clarke’s retirement, Mary Boutros had the privilege of overseeing the project on behalf of the school alongside this team, including through much of Term 1 as the works moved towards completion. This involved ongoing coordination with project partners, monitoring site and operational requirements, supporting communication across the school and helping ensure the works could progress safely while minimising disruption to students and staff.

After being involved so closely in the project’s final stages, it was particularly rewarding to come together as a school community and formally celebrate the completion of these significant upgrades at our Opening Ceremony.

The ceremony was also an opportunity to recognise the many people who contributed to the project along the way. We sincerely thank all of our guests and attendees, with special thanks to Mr Basem Abdo MP, Federal Member for Calwell, and Ms Kathleen Matthews-Ward MP, State Member for Broadmeadows, for joining us to celebrate this important milestone.

We were honoured to begin the occasion with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony conducted by Wurundjeri Elder Perry Wanden, providing a meaningful and respectful beginning to the day.

A very special thank you also goes to our student leaders, who represented Jacana School for Autism with great pride and joined our guests and school leaders in the ceremonial ribbon cutting to officially mark the opening of our upgraded playground and outdoor learning spaces.

The successful completion of this project reflects the contribution of many people over a number of years, and it was wonderful to finally celebrate what has been achieved for our students, staff and wider Jacana School for Autism community.