By Victoria Stone-Meadows
As the 2017 school year kicked off, three new schools in the Cranbourne area officially opened their doors to students on Tuesday 31 January with very special visitors.
Minister for Education James Merlino and Member for Cranbourne Jude Perera visited Barton Primary School in Cranbourne West, Tulliallan Primary in Cranbourne North and Willandra Rise in Clyde North.
The new schools are all state-of-the-art purpose-built educational facilities with new technology and building designs to encourage learning and teamwork among the students.
Barton Primary School also had a visit from the great-granddaughter of Australia’s first Prime Minister Sir Edmund Barton after whom the school is named.
Barton Primary school principal Andrew Felsinger said the opening wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication of his hard working teaching and administration staff.
“The teachers have worked really hard over the last three weeks to get this ready,” Mr Felsinger said.
“They worked their whole vacation, as did our admin team, and put in some really long hours to make it happen.”
“Today is day one and we have a long future ahead of us,” he said.
Mr Felsinger gave the visitors a tour of the brand new school building before an official ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the opening of the new school.
In addressing the assembled students, parents, and teachers, Mr Merlino said the new schools in the growing Cranbourne area were more than just an investment in infrastructure.
“Our south-east suburbs are booming, and we’re investing in infrastructure support growing enrolments as well as creating bright futures for our kids and ensuring they get the education they need in the facilities they deserve.”
Mr Felsinger said Barton Primary school would give a thoroughly modern education for the modern student and was looking forward to educating Cranbourne’s youngest community members for many years.
“I was appointed principal in April 2016 and the journey from then to now has been huge,” he said.
“From selecting the name for the school to selecting the uniform and colours and also understanding what the pedagogical vision is going to look like.”
“Our motto is ‘do it differently’ because of the purpose built new spaces and because it is embracing 21st century pedagogy, we can’t be using stuff we have always used and expect it to be the same,” he said.
