Community to choose name and uniform of new public school in Throsby

An artist’s impression of the new public school in the north Canberra suburb of Throsby. Photo: ACT Education Directorate.

A new public school in the Gungahlin suburb of Throsby will open its doors to students in 2022, but before that happens it needs to settle on a name and uniform design, and it’s calling on the community to help.

Children, families, teachers, local organisations and the broader Canberra community are invited to vote for their preferred name and uniform option on the ACT Government’s Your Say Conversations website.

The name of the new school will be selected from a shortlist of distinguished Australians whose contribution is related to the suburb’s name of Throsby.

The names were shortlisted by the ACT Place Names Advisory Committee following consultation with the ACT Office of the Surveyor-General and Land Information, and families of the nominees. They include Clifford ‘Possum’ Tjapaltjarri School, Shirley Jeffrey School, John Calaby School and Throsby School.

The school uniform will be chosen from four design concepts which are based on the natural habitat of the region, under the names of ‘Bettong’, ‘Tree’, ‘Eucalyptus Leaf’ and ‘Sunrise Over Throsby’.

The four uniform options for the new public school in the north Canberra suburb of Throsby. Image: ACT Government.

The $43 million school is the 90th public school in the ACT and will cater to 132 preschool students and 450 kindergarten to year 6 students, with space available for future student growth.

It will be the ACT’s third zero-emissions school, building on the ACT Government’s commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2045. It will use technologies that maximise the efficient use of electricity, in addition to having a vast array of solar panels generating renewable energy onsite.

ACT Minister for Education Yvette Berry said Annamaria Zuffo has been appointed as the school’s foundation principal, and that she is looking forward to establishing a collaborative place of learning where students, staff and the community can build a vision for the future, and where all students are welcomed and successful.

As part of last week’s ACT Budget, more than $51 million will be injected into the ACT’s public schools in an effort to improve equity programs, with an extra $5.9 million over four years to address safety and capacity issues. All up, $1.4 billion is devoted to the education sector – 23 per cent of the ACT’s annual budget.

Like all ACT public schools, the new school in Throsby will deliver the Australian Curriculum, with specific facilities to enrich learning in the arts, music, and science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM).

The new school will be the first community facility for the growing area and will include a large community room and kitchenette; multipurpose double gym; sports courts; change-room facilities; an outdoor turf sports field; and outdoor multipurpose hardcourts.

To cast your vote on the name and uniform design for the new public school in Throsby, visit the Your Say Conversations website.