THREE cheers filled the air at Cape Clear Primary School on Monday as staff and students heard they would receive funding to upgrade teaching and learning facilities.<\/p>\n
The school has been allocated $828,000 from the State Government to modernise their rural campus, currently educating 24 children.<\/p>\n
Principal Lachlan Day said his team is \u201csuper grateful\u201d to the State for \u201clooking after country kids\u201d by investing in rural education.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking to upgrade the areas in the school that require it, like our four relocatable classrooms, to bring it up to the standard of expectations we have around teaching and learning,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis budget money is being targeted towards permanent facilities in small rural schools, so we will be working with VSBA and architects to develop our vision for what\u2019s vital for the school.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also want to go through a whole consultation process with our school community around what they believe are our strengths, what they envisage our school to be in 10 years\u2019 time, and how we might get there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Day said the children, staff and parents are \u201cvery proud of our school\u201d and their pride is set to swell.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re a fantastic little community. Improving our grounds and putting money into the facilities will be a drawcard for families and students in the district to enrol in Cape Clear.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re looking forward to our facilities matching the teaching and learning taking place here, and are hoping to continue to increase our enrolments,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Twelve-year-old James is in grade 6. He was happy to know that his peers in lower class groups would get to enjoy an even better school, and he had an idea to suggest to the architects.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to see a cooking space, because that means children get to make food, even before they are teenagers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe already have a garden, so we could use that to make food in the cooking space.\u201d<\/p>\n
Member for Buninyong, Michaela Settle said every child deserves to attend a school with \u201cthe best facilities in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Victorian Government understands the importance of regional and rural schools, and that every school kid counts in these communities,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSchools are the heart of our communities, so it makes sense that we\u2019re investing in upgrades to support education and create local jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cape Clear Primary School received $194,968 for an inclusive, sensory play space last year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe new sensory garden will create a space for teaching and help all students, regardless of disabilities…participate, learn, develop and succeed at Cape Clear,\u201d Ms Settle said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
THREE cheers filled the air at Cape Clear Primary School on Monday as staff and students heard they would receive funding to upgrade teaching and learning facilities. The school has been allocated $828,000 from the State Government to modernise their rural campus, currently educating 24 children. Principal Lachlan Day said his team is \u201csuper grateful\u201d […]<\/p>\n