Village school spreads out
THE Koonwarra Village School is expanding, with works underway to increase capacity at the school from 45 to 70 students.
The $900,000 project, funded partly by school fees and partly by the Federal Government, is the first of several stages identified in a master plan.
School coordinator Fiona McKenzie said the additional space will allow growth in the junior room of the school, which is currently at capacity.
“We are extending the junior area, putting in a new amenities block and refurbishing an existing building to create a multipurpose room,” she said.
“Our model needs space, so we have prioritised the juniors and the multipurpose building. We are at capacity now with the space we have and our next two years of Preps are already oversubscribed.”
Decking and a veranda will join it all together.
The next stage of the school’s expansion is anticipated in the next few years and will include redevelopment of the upper school and the kitchen.
Designed by a parent, the new buildings are being constructed with the natural environment in mind with a lot of timber and natural materials and unusual shapes.
“The buildings are all connected and close together and all of our furnishings will have high environmental credentials,” Ms McKenzie said.
“It has been built to a commercial standard of course, but it has been designed to feel more homey and residential.”
The renovations have maintained all of the original classrooms, with the new areas built in and around the existing space.
The work is scheduled for completion by June; however the construction team is currently ahead of time.
As a result of the renovations, more car parking will become available and the asphalt area will be restored and “hopefully” extended.
The decking is all covered and will provide an outdoor space to eat, as well as an extension of learning spaces outside of the classroom.
“It will provide us with an accessible learning space, the big doors from the junior room open out onto the deck, so it is almost like we have tripled their space,” Ms McKenzie said.
“It gives us room to spread out.”
Ms McKenzie said she thinks enrolments are increasing at the school due to its small environment and family nature.
“That’s why it is only ever going to be a small school. We have a lot of cross age play, just like you would in a family,” she said.
“The school is also quite personalised, with a high adult to student ration. We give each child the attention to develop a program they need.”
The popularity of the education model provided at the village school prompted the development of a sister school, which opened this year on Phillip Island.
Ms McKenzie said the school was brought about by families on Phillip Island wanting an alternative option for their children.
“The Phillip Island Village School is completely separate from Koonwarra, but it is run on the same philosophy and we do share staff,” she said.
The school on Phillip Island currently has 19 students.
More space: the students of Koonwarra Village School, and school coordinator Fiona McKenzie, back right, are excited about having more space to learn.
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Posted by Tayla Kershaw on Mar 16 2016. Filed under Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
