CREATING INSPIRATIONAL LEARNING SPACES

BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS WORKS

The work never stops for our busy Operations and Grounds Teams! While our students are on holidays or learning from home, it’s a good opportunity to complete some of the works that otherwise might hinder the normal operating of the School.

Operations and Grounds Teams: THANK YOU! From left: Shane Daly, Nathan Bassett, Mitch Hay, Nathan Morcombe, Andrea Weston, Ian Bilston, Tim Pierce, Tony Van Eekelen,Bruce Wallace, Marita Williams, Wayne Dunn, Ben Van Styn, Rob Van Styn. Absent from photo: Adam Gibson, Justin Hoskin, Paul Van Styn.

For our Operations Team, one of the key items completed early in 2020 for the start of the new school year was a completely refurbished Canteen. With the aim to improve traffic flow and create a fresh vibrant space for staff and students to utilise, the preparation space was completely overhauled with new commercial appliances, new counter area, coffee station, lighting, flooring and checkout. It’s amazing!

New canteen

For both Operations and Grounds Teams, the last few months have presented an opportunity similar to the summer period, with around 2 months with no students on campus. As a result, many maintenance activities have been undertaken, including fresh paint and deep cleaning across the School using redeployed staff to minimise extra cost.

Some of the classrooms have been completely overhauled to provide more flexible spaces that can be used for different classes, to meet the needs of the growing school, and different and new ways of learning.

Two more Dart House rooms (boys’ boarding) were completed with an additional conversion of a large storage area into a study area for the boarders.

With no students on campus, the opportune time presented to undertake planned works to the Memorial Dining Hall and its servery area. The Hall now has a sleek, modern look, with black steel features including bifold doors to open to the Olston Quad when the weather permits. The renovation feels similar to the canteen renovation and will minimise congestion around meal times.

Renovated servery area in the Memorial Dining Hall

The ongoing major works to the front of the Junior School continue. These include a new reception area for our Junior families, new meeting rooms for specialist meetings, a new staff area, and a new Dance/Drama and After School Care area.

New reception area for our Junior School, including new meeting rooms for specialist meetings, a new staff area, and a new Dance/Drama and After School Care area.

Among all their regular and ongoing work around the large campus, the Grounds Team members have completed projects such as redesigning and creating a new annual flowering display in the front lawn.

Additionally, all the hard-landscaped areas at the Stephen and Sue Higgs Centre at Mount Rowan were rejuvenated – and they look fantastic. The old synthetic cricket pitch on the Back (Top) Oval has been removed and replaced with a new and improved type of synthetic grass on which both Summer and Winter sports can be played. 30 new dual recycling/waste bins have been installed around the school, and shade sails erected in the Green Quad to provide further shade for students during the warmer months.

New annual flowering display on the front lawn.