New rooms to boost small school

STAFF, students, and parents at Cape Clear Primary School held a special assembly earlier this week to officially open transformative upgrades.

The institution saw an overhaul of its administrative building as well as a its key learning space, both of which have been in use since late last year.

Principal, Lynly Doherty, said the revamped school is about giving current and future students the best facilities possible.

“We’ve got 16 kids enrolled currently so the space now is amazing for them,” she said.

“We’re looking at the future and expansion and taking on more and more kids as the years go on. We’ve got the facilities now so hopefully that brings the people as well.

“We can easily hold up to 70, 80 kids now so we’re definitely preparing as the area builds and progresses with new families moving further into the Cape Clear area.”

The upgrades include a separation between the school’s multipurpose room, with a flexible dividing wall able to cordon off the learning room and the art space with revamped kitchen which is also used for afterschool care and breakfast club.

The school’s administrative building has also been overhauled with a chaplain wellbeing room, staff meeting room and kitchen, first aid room, and reception space.

A gathering deck and seating has also been added.

Cape Clear Primary’s modernisation was supported with $828,000 from the state government, with Member for Eureka, Michaela Settle officiating the upgrades on Monday afternoon.

“It’s incredibly important to me to be supporting schools like Cape Clear,” she said.

“I’ve got lots of smaller schools across the electorate and they’re really the heart of the community. What’s extraordinary about this project is the difference it can make.

“To be able to have these spaces that help the principal and staff to provide for the kids is so important.”

Former principal Lachlan Day, who submitted the grant for the upgrades, was also in attendance for the celebration.