FEBRUARY 11, 2020 \ STARWEEKLY.COM.AU
(Luke Hemer) 203796_03
Back to school a double delight
Teachers at Sydenham Hillside Primary School could be forgiven for thinking they’re seeing double. The school has welcomed six sets of twins as part of this year’s prep intake. Principal Ben Russell said it’s the most the school has ever had in one intake. “We’ve actually only got four grade one classes, so this year we have more sets of twins than we do grade one classes,” he said. “We’ve actually had a bit of fun with it and the parents have helped us out with easy ways to tell them apart, like markings on hats etc.” He said all the pupils had fitted in well. “The excitement of day one is generally pretty much on show for everyone to see,” he said. Mr Russell credited the school’s prep teachers for the smooth transition. “The teaching staff in prep classrooms and the way they can work really quickly with those kids to develop welcoming relationships is a credit to them.” Tate Papworth
Keilor Gift in doubt again By Tate Papworth The future of the Keilor Gift is again in doubt after Brimbank council slashed funding for the event. The event was scrapped in 2017 due to a lack of funding, but was reintroduced in 2018 as a two-day festival across the whole Keilor Village. Keilor Gift organising committee chairperson Hayden Kelly this week said funding had again been cut and there would be no village festival to accompany this year’s gift, to be held on February 15. “It’s disappointing that the council saw fit
to cut our funding from $23,000 to $10,000, which means we’re unable to run the festival,” Mr Kelly said. “It’s a bit bizarre considering it was the council who came to us two years ago with the idea of running the festival and the funding increase and now they’ve pulled it without consultation. “If the funding isn’t restored next year we’ll have to consider not running it.” Keilor Traders Association president Pat Senserrick said it was a blow to retailers in the village. “It’s a bit of a kick in the guts to be honest,”
Mr Senserrick said. “Traders in shopping strips across the country are doing it tough at the moment and big events like this, that bring lots of people in, are looked forward to. “There’s a real sense that we’ve been forgotten in this community.” Brimbank council director advocacy, partnerships and community Dan Hogan defended the council’s decision and said the gift was subject to the same process as any other applicant. “The grants process each year gives all community groups an equal chance to compete for funding,” Mr Hogan said.
“It is not a perpetual fund, and funding decisions are not based on historical funding arrangements, but on the merits, evidence and relative strength of each annual application.” However Cr Virginia Tachos said councillors were kept out of the funding process, despite fighting for the event. “Decisions on grants funding are increasingly being made by administrations not politicians,” Cr Tachos said. “Brimbank council administration assessed the applications and made the funding decisions. Councillors were … separated from the decision-making process altogether.”
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