By KATH GANNAWAY
$3m upgrade for primary school celebrating 50th anniversary…
STUDENTS returning to Mountain Gate Primary School on Saturday for the 50th birthday celebrations found a very different school to even 10 years ago.
The latest $3 million upgrade, officially opened by Education Minister Martin Dixon last week, included colourful open learning spaces, a modern and functional administration building, new sports play area and extensive landscaping.
While there may have been lots of puddles in the early days of the school, one thing past students wouldn’t have dreamt they would see is bubbling ‘creek’, with bridges creating a link between the new administration block and classrooms.
Mr Dixon and Liberal MP for Ferntree Gully, Nick Wakeling, were taken on a tour of the new buildings by principal Leigh Baker, accompanied by representatives of the school council and contractors involved in the project.
There was a lighter moment as the minister, stepping up to unveil a plaque to mark the opening, was challenged from the floor after expressing mock concern about visiting a school that has a “gator” as its mascot.
“When I saw the water running through I was a bit nervous; I thought ‘that must be where the alligators live’,” he said to the amusement of everyone … except five-year-old Zac who wasn’t having any of it.
“It’s not real! We don’t have real alligators here,” he intercepted.
“Well, why did he make that mistake?” he added in an even more amusing stage whisper when he was nudged by his buddy to let it go.
Back to the serious business at hand, Mr Dixon told the students and teachers they had a beautiful school that complemented great teaching at the school.
“It’s important that school communities have updated and modern buildings and the whole school looks magnificent,” he said.
He complimented the architects and builders on creating a unique school at Mountain Gate.
“I have 1527 schools that I’m in charge of and this is very different. I’ve never seen a school with a running water feature before,” he said.
“While it would have been hard working here while the building was going up, now it’s all finished, it looks great and you really, really do deserve it.”
Mr Wakelin said the opening was a great day not only for the students, but for the whole school community.
He said the school was very different from when he first visited 12 years ago which, he said, was the result of a lot of hard work from school councils over that time.
Paying tribute to a passionate and persistent lobbyist for the school, Mr Wakelin said, “This would not have happened if not for the work of principal Baker.”
Mr Baker said the students and teachers were ‘absolutely ecstatic’ about the modernisation.
“The new learning areas are fabulous and the new administration building has given the school a new ‘fact’ to the community,” he said.
School captains Mitchell Davies and Sarah Wainwright, who helped unveil the plaque, listed their favourite aspects of the redevelopment as the water feature and the vibrant, happy colours in the new classrooms.
“I think the best thing is the water feature … it’ looks fabulous,” Mitchell said.
Sarah said the open design of the rooms, and use of several different colours made it a friendly place.
“You wouldn’t think to put green in a building, but it’s great,” she said.
Architect Michael Williams was also very pleased that his ‘creek’ was creating such good vibes, saying it was the first time in his 30 years of working on Education Department projects that he had been able to incorporate a water feature.
Photographs of Tuesday’s events were included in a time capsule put together for the 50th birthday which will be opened when the school turns 100 .
Mountain Gate Primary School is one of five primary schools in the area that have shared in over $23m since 2011 – $8m for Eastern Ranges, $4.5m for Ferntree Gully North and $4m each for Fairhills and Wattle View.
