By Peter Douglas
As many Yarra Ranges students break for the Christmas holidays, a series of important school funding projects will bring a welcome boost to their New Year.
Monbulk College, Mount Dandenong Primary School and Silvan Primary School have all been the beneficiaries of funding boosts announced on Friday 15 December, with Education Minister James Merlino spruiking the benefits of improved facilities.
Work is underway to refurbish and modernise Monbulk College with the Victorian Government allocating nearly $10.6 million for the stage 1 and stage 2 of the upgrade.
Mr Merlino said it was fantastic to see the project becoming a reality.
“This project is extremely important to my local community, and I am very pleased to see it getting underway,” Mr Merlino said.
“We’ve got on with the job of building better schools, so that local students have the facilities and classrooms they need to succeed.”
Stage 1 will see the construction of a new two-storey administration and resource building, with entry foyer and reception counter, administration offices, sick bay, stores and external plant area on the lower ground floor.
The ground floor will have a library and support spaces, learning spaces, toilets and breakout spaces.
Stage 2 includes the demolition of an existing building, refurbishment of the existing administration building, construction of new classroom, specialist spaces for Information and Communication Technology and art and fabrics specialist spaces.
The building has been designed to provide an appealing and relaxed learning environment, with spaces that promote independent learning as well as team working and online learning.
Lloyd Group has been appointed to build the new school, with stage 1 work expected to be completed by late 2018 and stage 2 by July 2019.
Meanwhile, students at Mount Dandenong Primary School will soon have more inclusive outdoor spaces where they can meet and play.
Fulfilling a busy schedule, Mr Merlino also opened a special area at the school – Wominjeka, which means welcome in Woiwurrung language – with local Aboriginal Elder Murrindindi performing a smoking ceremony.
Wominjeka, which received $200,000 from the Victorian Government, is a major project to create more spaces that consider the needs of students with disabilities.
It includes a community garden, a wood-fired oven and outdoor kitchen, an exploratory play space for children who want to play but not with a sports focus, passive spaces for quiet play, and access ramps.
Mr Merlino said it would create a well-used space for the students.
“It is wonderful to see this important outdoor area created at Mount Dandenong Primary School so that all students can enjoy these creative spaces for both learning and for play,” Mr Merlino said.
Students at Silvan Primary School can now study and enjoy a thriving environmental space called the Frog Bog that makes learning fun.
Minister for Education James Merlino opened the site during a visit to the school where he spoke with staff and students.
The project began in 2014 and has since transformed the site into a space where students can study environmental science and experience biodiversity and sustainability firsthand.
The Victorian Government contributed $9600 to the project.
The Frog Bog is not just a great learning space but a place where students can develop an appreciation of ecosystems and how they interact with the environment and enjoy some reflective time out of the classroom.
Pathways have been built through the site, which began life in 1954 as a sanctuary.
Seeds from it have been cultivated in the school’s hothouse and re-planted, and students have created a photo diary to document the Frog Bog’s growth and the visiting wildlife over the years.
