From the Principal
Building
It is almost a year since we received the news of a State Government Grant to build a connecting passage between the Garden Room and the Kindergarten, with its accompanying set of stairs which allows us to still use the Peppercorn Lane access. This is how long it has taken to satisfy all of the planning and compliance requirements, to turn what seemed a relatively simple idea into an approved reality.
Finally, we are signing contracts and planning a ‘Sod Turning Ceremony’. Nina Taylor, Member for the Legislative Council (Upper House) in the Southern Metropolitan Region, will be at Arlington on Wednesday 9 October, for a short visit when the Kindergarten children will welcome her to their building and she will turn the proverbial sod to announce formally the beginning of construction.
The children will have the opportunity to observe the construction at close range and I am sure it will offer many ‘teachable moments’!
Our Architect for this project, Michael Markham’s design is not only technically sophisticated, it is also deliberately playful and imaginative. His tiny, scaled model will prove a fascinating object for children to learn about the design process and I am hopeful that they will have the opportunity for some particularly rich, conceptual play and problem solving, arising from the intricate solutions Michael has employed in managing small, oddly shaped spaces, building and safety requirements and producing an aesthetically satisfying result.
This project will inevitably create some levels of disruption to the area immediately around the building, and we will keep families informed as we proceed.
Hopefully, by the beginning of 2020 we will have a refurbished, bigger Kindergarten with a dramatic and welcoming entrance to the School.
Marilyn Smith
Principal