Millions for Sir Henry Parkes The Sir Henry Parkes Memorial Public School will receive more than $2 million and round out the list of local primary schools to hit the jackpot when the Federal government announces the next round of grants in the Commonwealth’s bid to save the economy.
The Sir Henry Parkes Memorial Public School is expecting to receive $2.125 million to go towards building works at the school in the third round of the Primary Schools for the 21st Century grants that has already distributed more than $2 million in the Tenterfield district.
The school will spend the money on a number of building upgrades to indoor and outdoor areas. Students in the junior section of the school will receive a new covered learning area with fixed seating and tables in the eastern courtyard with another covered outdoor learning area attached. A shading cloth will be constructed over the existing junior play area with an extended area over one side to allow for the construction of any new playground equipment in future years.
Funding in the Primary Schools for the 21st Century will compliment the $125,000 worth of funding the Sir Henry Parkes has already received in the National School Pride program. Every classroom in the school and the main hall will receive a full refurbishment through a mixture of funding from both grants, including new carpeting, a fresh coat of paint and new wet areas.
The school will also update its electrical network to ensure the buildings can cope with further modernisation in the years to come, and open up two new rooms for student use at the back of the main hall. The rooms, which are currently being used for storage, will be refurbished and upgraded for extra-curricula activities.
The school already has computers and interactive whiteboards in every classroom and because there are two halls on the campus, the Sir Henry Parkes School could not spend the grant on constructing a new hall, as many other schools across the nation have done.
Principal of the Sir Henry Parkes Memorial Public School Peter Hickey said the funding would cement the primary school’s reputation as a modern school for the 21st century.
“We were lucky to have very good resources at the school already, so this new funding will completely modernise the school and bring it entirely up-to-date,” Mr Hickey said.
“The funding will be good for so many schools, and very good for the town,” he said.
“Once the buildings here and at St Joseph’s School are finished, it will give parents a choice between two fantastic schools in Tenterfield.”
Mr Hickey said he expected some of the refurbishment to begin soon. He also said that the school hoped to have the front office area extended, but he would have to wait for the plan to be approved before he could confirm that it would be.
The Sir Henry Parkes Memorial Public School will join four other schools in the Tenterfield District that have already received grants in the Primary Schools for the 21st Century program as reported in the Tenterfield Star on Tuesday.
In addition to Sir Henry Parkes, St Joseph’s School will receive $1.63 million, Drake Public School will receive $250,000, Urbenville Public School will receive $250,000, and Mingoola Public School will receive a total of $250,000 in funding.
$1.63 million for St Joseph's School
Students at St Joseph’s School will have to make room for builders in the schoolyard as the school gets approval to begin construction of extensions worth $1.63 million.
The school will build a new multi-purpose hall in the space currently occupied by a demountable building, a new classroom at the end of the current Year 3 classroom, a new disabled toilet at the end of the new classroom along with covered walkways between the new hall and existing toilets.
St Joseph’s was one of four schools in the Tenterfield district to receive funds in the second round of the Primary Schools for the 21st Century funding announced by the Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard last week.
In addition to St Joseph’s School, Drake Public School will receive $250,000 for the construction of a new classroom, Urbenville Public School will receive $250,000 for the construction of a new multi purpose hall, and Mingoola Public School will receive $150,000 for the construction of a new covered outdoor learning area and a further $100,000 for classroom facility upgrades.
Principal of St Joseph’s School Geoff Sullivan said the new hall was a very pleasant surprise and would be open to community use. He said he expected there would be a range of events and functions held in the new building.
“We’re hoping it will be used for conferences, parish celebrations, grandparents day, the Christmas pageant, welcome barbecues and other similar events,” Mr Sullivan said.
“One of the other great advantages of the hall is that it is an all weather venue, and the students can use it when it is raining,” he said.
The multi-purpose hall will allow interior seating for 200 people, and an outdoor covered deck has space to seat a further 160 people. The hall will be located where the demountable buildings currently stand, near the Scott Street car park, with the covered entry to open for the south.
The hall will contain toilets, a small space for catering, a store, and an retractable wall in case it is needed for future classroom use. Furniture and fencing will be included with the project.
Mr Sullivan said he expected construction on the new buildings to begin within the next six months.
The expansions follow closely on the $2.6 million redevelopment of the school completed last year.
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