As our Victorian Schools Building Authority (VSBA) building project moves towards a conclusion, I would like to share some news about its progress, as well as what’s in store for the future. For something different, I’m going to do this in ‘question and answer’ style today.

When will the project be finished?

The nominated builders, ‘Lloyd Group’, are finalising their work in the next couple of weeks. You will have even seen the site sheds removed this week! Although Lloyd Group are finalising defects in the Administration Building, there is still some work to be done in the outdoor spaces.

This outdoor space will remain mostly cordoned-off until the landscaping work is complete.

What can you tell us about the re-design of the Administration Building?

During Term 2:

Our new staffroom was delivered and included a ‘boardroom’ meeting space.
Our office administration team was setup as the ‘hub’ of the new entranceway.
Our new first aid office began operation.
New offices were opened for the Principal Class, Business Manager and ICT Support Team.
Two further additional meeting spaces were created to ensure our staff and providers have professional learning space to collaborate within.
New toilet facilities were reinstated for staff and students.

More recently:

The new STEM learning area has been completed and will be opened once it has been furnished (we are awaiting delivery on all-new furniture).
The previous classroom learning space (at the Graham Street end) has been reinstated, given a new coat of paint and we await new carpeting to be delivered.
A further ‘leadership office’ has been created to support the work of our senior leadership and inclusion teams.
An additional space will be utilised to house our school uniform shop.

What will be happening with landscaping around the entry?

The VSBA will put the ‘hard’ landscaping (fencing, seating, structure, etc.) out to tender, with the intent of having this work completed in the coming months. The ‘soft’ or ‘green’ landscaping will become a community project; we will be sharing some more on this in coming weeks!

What has happened to the ‘senior playground’ space at the Poolman Street end of the school?

To build the power substation as required by the power authority, we had to disassemble part of the playground. To meet new guidelines introduced during this process regarding appropriate ‘fall’ space, there is not enough room to reinstall the previous equipment; thus we now have an opportunity to re-design some of that playground. Again, the VSBA will put that part of the project out to tender.

What will happen to the portable classrooms on the oval?

These classrooms have been utilised for a variety of purposes at the school, most recently to help decant the Administration Building and ensure we had enough classroom space for our students at the beginning and mid-points of the project. These classrooms are now surplus to our requirements and will be re-distributed by the VSBA once they are required elsewhere.

What have the big poles been installed for near the Walter Street and Graham Street corner?

As an aside from the building project, we were successful in gaining a grant for a new shade-sail. This will be installed in coming weeks and the space utilised as an outdoor classroom where appropriate, as well as providing vital shade and protection throughout the warmer months.

I hope this update has provided our community with a clear understanding of the progress and direction of this exciting project. Thank you to everyone who has supported the work and we cannot wait until its final completion.

Thanks for your ongoing support and keep doing your best.

Rohan.

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