Currambena Primary and Preschool

Welcome back everyone. I hope everyone enjoyed their break as much as I did – but just between you and me I could’ve done with another week!

Landscape Master plan Feedback form

I’m sure you all used your holidays diligently filling out our landscape master plan feedback form! The form needs to come back THIS WEEK and can be put in the orange folder outside Julianna’s office. Could you please put your name on the form so that we can speak to you for more ideas/information if we need to? Remember this is just a starting point so that we can identify the main concerns early. The plans and feedback form are on the Currambena Website.

Tender Process for Construction Company

At the moment the buildteam are working on the process of engaging a construction company to undertake the project. We are inviting Expressions of Interest from Construction companies of relevant size and experience. We will choose four of these companies to invite to tender once the documentation is complete. If anyone from the community knows of a construction company they think would suit the project please let me know.

Timeline

As we are getting closer to starting this project we thought it might be useful to list the some key stages in the project and the dates we are aiming to achieve them.

Tender process:                                                August/September

DA approval:                                                      End of August

Construction Company starts on site:     Beginning October

October School Holidays:                              3^rd to 18^th October

Completion of project:                                    End of Feb 2010

Building project maintenance job (will count as maintenance hours) – help please!

The time has come to start emptying the spare classroom ready for its demolition.

We need someone who is ruthless with rubbish and has a flair for organisation to coordinate this job. It will involve liaising with the teachers and sorting through what is in the room. You will need to work out what can be thrown out, what needs to be stored and how much storage we need to find at the school or off-site. The role will also involve coordinating the return of any stored items to the school into the new storage areas once the new building has been completed next year.

This spare classroom needs to be empty this term ready to be demolished in the October holidays so please let me know ASAP if you want to take on the project.

If you’re not up to coordinating the whole thing, even a spare few hours to help move and sort would be great!

See you around

Jess (0411220111 or jkimber01@bigpond.com)

It was great to read the timeline at the reunion on Sunday ending with news of our BER funding from the government. It really struck me how significant this is for Currambena. This building will hopefully be used and loved for 40 more years to come.

Now that the DA has been submitted with Lane Council we are playing a bit of a waiting game. It has been listed on the council website and if you’re interested you can track the progress on line. Whilst this is happening we are working towards the tendering process we need to undertake to engage a construction company for the project.

Attached to the newsletter is an initial draft of our landscaping master plan and a feedback form for comments. Different areas on the plan have been numbered so that it is easier to collate feedback. You’ll note that the area immediately around the new building has not been numbered. The plans for this area have already been drawn and submitted to Lane Cove council with our current DA.

The details of the plan will be easier to see on the larger copy that has been posted on the notice board. Please also talk to me or email me any questions you might have about it.

This is the first draft of the master plan and a really exciting vision for the school. We are not certain yet how much of the master plan will be completed within the budget of the current BER funding but it is important to have a complete vision for the school.

Could you please return the feedback forms to the office by the first week of next term so that we can begin to collate them?

We will also be getting feedback from the kids in in-class sessions early next term.

Have a great holiday break Jess (0411 220 111 or jkimber01@bigpond.com)

Thank you to everyone who has so far contributed with their ideas and enthusiasm to the Currambena building project.

Some of the things that have come up are:
Bike rack, art in the playground, fences during construction, time frames for construction, veggie garden, landscaping, sustainability and recycling of equipment and materials, and a BBQ area.

The project has been moving at an incredible pace up to date and at times it has been difficult to communicate the constant changes to the community effectively. In an attempt to resolve this we are setting up a building notice board which we will update with plans, timeframes and any other relevant information. It will be just outside Wendy’s classroom.

Today we met with our architects and reviewed the documents we are submitting to Lane Cove Council for a development application. The package comprises information from a series of consultants’ reports, and drawings of the building and the landscaped area around it. The statistics that Wendy’s class collected during the front gate traffic survey form part of this – so well done! I’ve posted a copy of the updated plans on the notice board for all to see.

In the last week we have also received our contract from the AIS that details our contractual obligations in receiving the grant money. This is being reviewed by our school council and will be signed and returned by Friday.

Timeframes
So when does this mean we will be starting? The DA will take at least 6 weeks to be approved by Local Council which means we will be going to tender in August and hopefully be beginning to build around September. There was some talk of the demountable being demolished in the July holidays but without the DA this can’t happen now.

There are many considerations we need to make for this period – our children, the gardens, play equipment, shared space, learning areas, safety, access, parking and much more (I’m sure!) We will need help and support from the community in managing these issues but I’m sure it can be done.

In the coming weeks we will be working on the master landscaping plan with the school community so look out for details on how to get involved.

See you around
Jess (0411 220 111 or jkimber01@bigpond.com)

Building the Education Revolution Update

The wait is over – we just got word that the Australian Government has, today, announced the list of schools to receive funding in the second round of the PS21 section of the BER program.
Currambena is on that list!
Our application has been successful and we’re going to be building!! Yay!
Congratulations to everyone who took and interest and worked so hard.

In the last week we have engaged a landscape architect to work with us on the area around the new building. They have already got a good understanding of the school communities ideas (including the children’s) and they are really excited by the prospect of creating something really special and unique.

We have also refined the building plans to the point where we are consulting with Lane Cove Council about the development application. I’ve pinned a copy of these plans on the front notice board – it’s really exciting now that we know it’s actually going to be built!

Remember my details if you need me – Ph: 0411220111 jkimber01@bigpond.com and I’m in the office on Wednesdays.