TOM HAYES
By TOM HAYES
TOONGABBIE Primary School has put a trio of grants to use to update the school, giving it a much needed facelift, improving their services in the meantime. The primary school had three grant applications accepted, after principal Alison Stewart applied for them. In years gone by, the school has transformed from a rustic, rural-looking school to an updated, inviting place for kids to be educated. The biggest grant to be accepted was one for building upgrades, worth $422,000, which the school decided to re-do the basketball courts with, transforming them into a massive multi-sport area. The build for this process took longer than originally expected, as prices hiked during COVID. After two years in the making, it was finally completed ahead for the 2023 school year. On the new basketball courts, kids can play basketball, of course, netball and tennis, and soon they can add volleyball and badminton to that list. “The kids love it,” Ms Stewart said. This new upgrade has been a major hit with the students, exclaiming the importance for kids to get outside and enjoy sports and outdoor activities. Next, was a $20,000 shade sail grant, which allowed the school to install a new outdoor learning space. It only took around eight months for the shade sails to be installed, after the school received the money from the grant. This was originally a troubled area of the school, as if it was raining, the students would get drenched on their way to the bathrooms. “The eating area is great, everyone can sit in the shade to eat, especially in summer,” Ms Stewart said. “Classes go out and sit out there too.” The final grant was worth around $75,000, allowing the school to operate after-school care for kids that had to wait to be collected from school, or kids that wanted extra time for homework. Toongabbie Primary School was able to begin this program almost immediately, as the grant covers the running costs of the program. “We found a provider … they manage all of the business stuff and we just ask for the wages and running costs,” Ms Stewart said. “I think there’s about eight to 10 kids … some of them come multiple times, some of them come every night. “There’s probably about an average of four kids a night (attending after school care) currently. “We’re about to trial our first holiday program … parents are asking for that, parents are looking for at least one week of the school holidays.” The grant runs for two years, with the added hopes of the program can continue in the future after the grant expires. Students can stay on campus until around 6pm, in a fun, nurturing environment until they are ready to be picked up. The after-school care program has helped to attract new families to the school, with one new student to start soon to take the student population to 67. “Last year we had 60 children, and now we’re up to 66, and there is another one coming next term, so 67,” Ms Stewart said. Something that many people may had noticed first was the fresh lick of paint that was splashed on the buildings, now representing the school’s colours. “When we first got the school painted over the summer, the green was a little bright, but now it actually is the green of our shirts,” Ms Stewart said. Before this went ahead, the buildings had a khaki, cream and brown colour, and every building had a different shade on it, according to Ms Stewart. Other improvements that the school will soon see is the installation of the new outdoor undercover shoes-off area, which will include new rubberised flooring. The sensory garden is in full swing, and the ‘Cubby Town’ beach box houses have been repainted, giving them a new theme; including a café, police station, fire station and a house. Some more projects are on the horizon for people at Toongabbie Primary School, including updating the veggie garden, which can be used to provide vegetables for cooking or donating, as well as internally painting the rooms.
