Guthridgeopens renovated pool

Zoe Askew

THIRTY years since its inception, the swimming pool at Guthridge Primary School, Sale, received welcomed renovations recently, with aspecial opening drawing current and former students and teachers, alongside school council members, to mark themomentous occasion.

Guthridge Primary School was able to meet the costs of repairing and replacingthe building structure and pool surrounds, including refurbishing and re-tiling the pool shell and hob; building new change rooms; adding electric doors; and improving storage facilities and the equipment room, after asuccessfulapplicationfor aVictorian School Building Authority Minor Capital Works Grant at the end of 2021, and money contributed by Guthridge Primary School Council.

Aftereight months of construction, beginning Term 2, 2022,GuthridgePrimarySchoolstudents can once again reap the benefits of the school's swimming facilities in the snazzy refurbished pool

The newly-elected Guthridge Primary School student council sat patiently on the concrete seat encircling the perfectly 35-degree heated pool as guests rolled in for the opening, their first event as school leaders.

Eleven-year-oldTimmy Farnham,one of Guthridge PrimarySchool's sevenstudentcouncil members, could barely contain his excitement about opening the school's new swimming facilities, itching for his turn in the new pool.

"It's exciting; Ican't wait to get in and go for a swim," Timmy said.

Year 6students, Ollie Cockell, SummerFrancis, and Amelia Neilson shared similarsentiments about the pool'sreopening to their student council colleague Timmy.

"It seems exciting because the other one was old and wrinkly," Ollie said.

"Yeah, I'm excited to get into the pool;itactually looks pretty good."

"It looksreally good," Summer added.

"It's very exciting," Amelia said.

Withall thespecial guests accountedfor, Guthridge Primary School principal, Emily Streitberg, took her place behind the podium, introducing Timmy and Amelia to acknowledge the landbeing meton, that of the Gunaikurnai people, before starting official pool renovation opening proceedings.

Ms Streitberg welcomed the 2023 student representatives and guests in attendance:schoolcouncil president Lauren Munro; GuthridgePrimary School facilitiesmanagerSteve Cunningham; and Wendy Morgan, 'official unofficial' facilities manager, as well as former Guthridge Primary School principal Peter Dennison, and former Guthridge Primary School student Josh Tollner.

"Way back when this pool facility was first built on this site by abandofdedicated parents and overseen by then principal, Mr Peter Dennison, ayoung Josh Tollner happened to be picked as one of the very first people to christen this pool," Ms Streitberg said.

"Mr Dennison had called for volunteers to be the first to jump into the brand new pool many years ago, and Josh as ayoungboy in the assembly audience was the first to put up his hand and therefore got the gig.

"Today,Josh stands with his son Jesse and mum, Jullie Tollner, along-standing schoolcouncil member, seeing history about to repeat itself, as Josh and Jesse will jump in the pool along with our other studentrepresentatives to mark the official opening."

Mr Dennison addressed the audience, recounting Guthridge Primary School's history and the original construction of the swimming pool, one of only afew swimming facilities at apublic school in the state.

"When workbegan 30 years ago,wehad an official site opening for where the pool was to be built," Mr Dennison said.

Mr Dennison explained that it is customary for someone in authority to dig the first hole on the site before construction begins, and as principal, he was assigned the role.

"I can't remember who the student was," Mr Dennison recounted.

"It might have been Josh, actually, but after I had dug the hole, astudent came up to me and said, 'geez, Mr Dennison,you'vestill got along way to go'."

With formalities done, it was time for Josh and Jesse Tollner and GuthridgePrimary School student representatives to make asplash, jumping intothe pooltomarkthe officialopeningofthe Guthridge Primary School pool.

"With that big splash, we declare the Guthridge Primary School Pool officially open for instruction," Ms Streitberg announced.

"I warmly welcome and introduce representatives from Baw Baw Swim School, Paul Myers, Emily and Chelsea, as our 2023swimminginstructors in adebut partnership with Guthridge Primary School, to provide all of our student's 30-minute swimming lessonsweekly for two terms of the year, in our wonderful, newly-renovated heated indoor pool facility.

"Ourswimmingprogramisavital part of our school curriculum here at Guthridge Primary School,and it is not only afavourite lesson but could ultimately save alife."

Student council members Summer Francis and Andii Quinn emphasised the importance of learning to swim, highlighting its significanceinAustralia, surrounded by the ocean with abundant swimmable waterways.

"It is important to learn how to swim so if you fall into the water, you know how to get out," Summer said

"Learning to swim is important, so we don't drown," Andii added.

With Ms Rickie-J Sanders' Grade 1/2 class on theirway for the first swimming lessoninthe newly renovatedpool, playtime was over for the 2023 student representatives and Josh.

Switching his boardshortsand bare feet for cargo shorts and work boots, Josh gushed over the opportunitytoopen the pool with his five-year-old son before saying goodbye, water still trickling down his brown curls and onto his shoulders.

"It brought backa lotofmemories;itwas real good," Josh said.

"When Emily rang me yesterday, Ijumpedat the chance to do it again, especially with my son; yeah, it was awesome."

Having doneswimminglessons at the same school 30 years ago, Josh is grateful his son Jessewill also have that same opportunity.

"I definitely benefited from swimming lessonsat school;ittaught me alot of things, how to swim, how to survive in the water," Josh said.

"It's oneofthe life skills you need when you're in theocean or the river or wherever, just so that you can protect yourself."