Capital Building Works Updates

CAPITAL WORKS BUILDING PROJECT UPDATE  

Handover dates​

The handover date of the new building is now set to be April 2024, with demolition of the remaining Block A main building to then commence, with landscaping works to follow and to be completed by July 2024. 

The footprint of the current existing main building will become more playground space with fencing to sustain the boundary between the front and back of the school, with the St Leonards Playground remaining accessible to the general public beyond school hours. The landscape plan also includes vegetation (flora/plants/trees) to replace those removed during the construction project, an outdoor stage, shaded areas, play areas and seating. There will also be an opportunity for all community members to purchase bricks with your name/s on it, as a legacy opportunity, which will form part of a retaining wall. Watch this space for more information which will be shared later this year. 

Oval works, entrance ramp and prep playground

Oval the holidays, the oval, and entrance to the school, was dug up with boring and trenching works. As a result the oval is now out of bounds due to the risk of slips and falls. The sprinkler system was also impacted and will be repaired. 

The entrance ramp bitumen has been reinstated. 

The construction team are researching temporary and permanent solutions for resurfacing the oval to enable students to return to using this asap. 

The landscape architect team are looking into geothermal matting as a potential short term solution, and to reinstate lawn in late December to have it out of bounds over the summer break. 

The prep playground and part of the oval remains out of bounds for safety considering heavy machinery being used for the continued in-ground works abuts the playground. The construction team hope to return it to us in the next fortnight. 

Red brick building and adjoining canteen

During this time, power was cut to the red brick building and canteen, and was reinstated in the red brick building however the power in the canteen unfortunately was tripped once being turned back on, and as a result the canteen produce/stock was out of order, as the fridge and freezer had been turned off for a week. 

The canteen staff purchased items to fulfil Monday's lunch orders, however the canteen was closed on Tuesday as a result, and open again from Wednesday. We apologise for the inconvenience caused. 

Year 3 entrance timber slats/wire mesh damage and improvements

By way of background, as a result of the building works, heavy machinery entered through the oval via the St Leonards Avenue on ramp into the school, and we’ve found that this has unfortunately lifted the wire mesh which was installed together with soft drop bark to fill the gaps, and with an attempt to improve the grip and safety of the area. This hasn’t been as effective as we’d hoped.

Grant, our maintenance manager, and I have inspected the area and the mesh was stapled down once again first thing Tuesday morning. We have invited builders in to provide some options/quotations for permanent solutions for this space.

Stormwater and legal point of discharge

We have worked with the architects, building team, Maribyrnong Council and Melbourne Water to identify our stormwater mapping, and legal point of discharge to inform the flooding that has occurred, and the water drainage for the new building. 

Lunch time clubs

See below for lunch time clubs that are in place to support student play and socialisation in light of the minimised yard space, as a result of the capital works project. 

Thanking you

In our ongoing site meetings, and most recently over the school holidays and just this week, we have communicated the importance of understanding that this is a live site, and that we must prioritise safety first and foremost, and also the access of all students into our minimised playground footprint in the interim during the capital building works project.

We are working daily with the project manager and site manager regarding the project and look forward to moving into this stage of the art learning space in early 2024. 

We thank our students, staff members and parents for their ongoing patience and resilience, as we work together. 

Wembley PS Capital Works Construction Team Information

Please read below information regarding the Capital Work Project Construction Team who meet every fortnight, and discuss the progress, and project timeline. 

We will share this information with our students to help them learn about the people working hard to help our community. The construction team members have also been asked to feature as guest speakers in classrooms, and will be booked in throughout the year!

Angela Wang 

Senior Project Officer - Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA)

Angela is the senior project officer at the VSBA. 

Every Victorian child deserves access to a great school that prepares them to thrive in the 21st century. The Victorian School Building Authority is managing the education construction boom that will help ensure that. We are a division of the Department of Education and Training, established in 2016, to oversee the design and construction of new schools and early childhood centres, as well as the modernisation and upgrade of existing ones. 

The Victorian Government has committed $7.2 billion for these infrastructure projects as part of its Education State reforms. We are a team made up of building experts, project managers, architects and specialists in relocatable buildings, community engagement and asbestos removal. We’ve put Victoria at the cutting-edge of school design, and we innovate in everything we do. 

Angela is the project manager for the Wembley PS Capital works project, and has worked with Vassie and Terry on the project from its inception. 

Pam Drakopoulos B.Arch BPD ARBV AIA

Senior Lead Architect - AOA Architect Firm

As a Registered Architect and Design Manager with a background in planning and design and thirty years’ experience in project delivery, Pam Drakopoulos has successfully lead design, and documentation teams on education, retirement living, childcare projects, as well as large scale residential subdivisions, and industrial projects. Pam has also worked as a Project Manager and Contracts Superintendent. Her tenacity and commitment in project delivery have provided Pam with the ability to lead, connect and provide mentorship with the project team to deliver exceptional solutions.

Ronan Reid BSc MArch ARBV AIA

Senior Associate - AOA Architect Firm

Ronan has been working in architectural practice for 20 years, in Ireland, the UK, and including over 11 years practice in Australia focusing on education projects. This experience has given him a wealth of understanding of the project design process, from inception through documentation, to construction and completion. In collaborative and team leadership roles, he has successfully helped deliver projects large and small for education and commercial institutions across Ireland, UK, Australia and New Zealand. He has detailed skills in BIM (Building Information Modeling), documentation, coordination, and creative problem-solving.  He has a core interest in environmentally sustainable design and is a certified Passive House Designer. He is a sessional tutor at the University of Melbourne and a mentor through the Australian Institute of Architects.

Victor Umeobi

Project Manager - John Staff Construction Services

Responsibilities:

• Managing the construction schedule and activities
• Ensure work is done in compliance with all relevant building and safety regulations
• Select and manage subcontractor and supplier relationships
• Managing project expectations across the entire project delivery and between relevant stakeholders both on-site and in an administrative capacity

Mitch Dean

Project Coordinator - John Staff Construction Services

Responsibilities:

• Trade contractor procurement, trade letting & contracts
• Project cost control/management
• Work with site manager and consultant team to resolve issues onsite & plan upcoming works with required stakeholders.

Ryan Wilson

Site Manager - John Staff Construction Services

Responsibilities:

• Co-ordinating activities on site and supervision of construction workers
• Review building practices to verify compliance with health and safety standards and project management procedures
• Day to day problem solving and dealing with any issues that arise

Grant Hobson - B. Ed Sec.

Wembley PS grounds and facilities coordinator

Grant has a background in education, arts, media and communication and coordinating large scale environmental projects on South Australia’s far west coast. Grant and Lisa’s three boys are past Wembley students. Grant has worked at Wembley as a facilities coordinator for the past 7 years. During his tenure he has co-managed the design and development of new outdoor learning spaces including our beautiful Envirodeck area.  Grant has worked to improve and maintain our play and work areas while also responding to the day to day running of our evolving learning environment at Wembley. Grant is a keen surfer and fisher and is passionate about issues around reconciliation and the environment.

Vassie Vatsilas-D'Arcangelo

Principal-Wembley Primary School

Vassie's core role at Wembley PS is to support all students to feel safe and happy at school, so that they can learn; within the realms of this Capital Works Project, this is still Vassie's core role. 

Vassie is working in partnership with the VSBA, AOA, JohnStaff Construction Team and the Wembley team, as well as the Wembley PS School Council, staff and students, to seek approval of building works process, throughout the planning, design, tender and now construction phase of the build. 

Vassie will be attending fortnightly site meetings, and communicating this information with staff, students and parents for the life of the build. Very exciting and groundbreaking stuff for current and future generations of Wembley students.