Northcote High School Newsletter

Building Northcote

Facilities update 2017-18

2017 has seen many improvements across the campus buildings and grounds. The opening of the Art and Design Hubs was a highlight of 2017, along with a series of upgrades and improvements across the campus. In order to deliver on learning and social spaces that support our community to be their best, the school is constantly investing in developments across the site.

 

Thank you for contributing, via the Build Fund (part of the Northcote Thrive Fund) to create a better school campus.  The hubs are part of the school's long term vision for a campus that better caters for contemporary learning, a growing student community and sees our school as an asset for our community, available for use beyond the school program.

 

Here is the good news!

 

Completed in 2017:

  • Art and Design Hub redevelopment
  • Upgrade to landscaping, planting and outdoor eating areas
  • Development of the Arts court
  • New bike parking
  • Upgrade Merri Park South – playing surface and sprinklers
  • Carpet in the main building and the GCC
  • Painting GCC and the library
  • Furniture art and  design hubs
  • New shelves and furniture in the library

Planned or ongoing for 2018:

  • New two-storey relocatable replaces 'D9 and D10'
  • Development of a sub-schools hub in the GCC
  • New locker bays
  • Ongoing landscaping to develop student social and outdoor learning spaces
  • Ongoing painting of classrooms - the 'D' rooms will be completed over the break
  • Stabilisation of the Olver Hall
  • Construction of the Performance Hub

Performance Hub is good news - but we need more!

The Performance Hub is on track for completion November 2018. Over the holiday break you may be able to observe the progress. It will feature a 150-seat 'black box' studio, instrumental music rooms, performance classroom and music rehearsal space, as well as classroom and study spaces on the top floor. The Performance Hub is the first facilities allocation to Northcote since 1999 (DET funded $4.8m).  Interestingly 1999 was also the last time the school had under 1000 students.  Now we have 1800 students, DET recently communicated a permanent facilities allocation for 1350 students.  This means Northcote High is well under-allocated with permanent buildngs and well over-allocated with relocatables.  With a new campus master plan just released and a clear path forward our community needs to finds its voice to ensure Northcote High is allocated the appropriate resources to support young people and learning.

New Campus Master Plan is in the DET funding/planning Pipeline

Last week DET signed off the new Campus Masterplan developed in partnership with the school and Baldesso Cortese (architects).  The Campus Masterplan sets out a long term vision for the renewal of the school's buildings and landscapes. 

 

The Masterplan is now in the DET asset planning system and the budget process for 2018 has begun. The school and the Northern Western Region are  pitching for stages 1 and 2 of the Masterplan to be funded concurrently in the 2018 budget.  In order to make this a reality we require our community to be active. School Council will be advocating for investment in the school throughout 2018 - stay tuned to find out how you can be part of this.

 

The school is also working hard to find partners and hence resources to build The Stadium – a two or three court community sports facility to bookend the main building (with the new Performance Hub) on St Georges Rd.

 

Proposed project stages:

  • Stage 1. New STEM Centre and Food / Canteen Hub
  • Stage 2. New Library/ Student Services Hub and Hall
  • Stage 3. Refurbish Main Building Liberals Arts and Admin
  • Stage 4. New Gym and health and Wellbeing Precinct
  • Stage 5. Front of School Plaza and Realign relocatables
  • Stage 6. Refurbish Art and Design precinct

Inner City Netball Project underway

Two netball courts are under construction in the school grounds and Merri Park as part of the Victorian Government’s Inner City Netball Program, ensuring no person is turned away from playing the game they love. Our school and community will be benefitted by the program, which will cater for the growing demand for sports like netball in the inner north and for our school community.

 

The project is being managed by Darebin council and will be complete by Easter.