3 February 2009

Kingsford Smith Mega School ready to go

| johnboy
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[First filed: January 30, 2009 @ 14:45]

Andrew Barr has proudly announced the on time and under-budget opening of the new preschool to year 10 Kingsford Smith School in West Belconnen.

    “Kingsford Smith School will be able to accommodate approximately 1,100 students with up to 110 teaching and ancillary staff. Enrolment will be in stages, beginning in 2009 with students from preschool to year 7, and expanding progressively each year until the school has students enrolled from preschool to year 10 in 2012.”

Apparently the $500,000 saved on construction’s been spend on smart boards and wireless internet.

Street View offers a look from the construction period:


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UPDATED: The Canberra Times brings word that Steve Dozspot does not think the school is ready at all:

    ”Mr Barr has waxed lyrical about the timely fashion with which the school has opened … why then does the back of the school still look like a construction site surrounded by barbed wire?” he said.

    ”It is quite clear that the front of the school is well and truly open for business but the back end of the school which faces Hardwick Crescent is surrounded by barbed wire, signs and activity that indicate construction is still in progress.”

    A spokesman for Mr Barr confirmed work was continuing, but on landscaping and sporting ovals.

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i agree with scrappykat some people are actually doing this because they want to see the school get off the ground

just to add one thing SLOW DOWN OUT SIDE THIS SCHOOL ITS NOT A 60 ZONE drop your kids of and leave in a orderly matter rather than at over 60 km hour

deadlydad

my 3 cents worth well after volunteering with the 6 ladies that had offered their time bought their children and also lunches and worked for not one single cent or one single piece of clothing and spending over 80 hours of their time packing the preorders.

in which some parents couldn’t even be bothered picking up after the all the trouble the volunteers went throught packing them from December last year.

we had received enough abuse buy people and we were all ready to go home but we carried on with the volunteer work the abuse got worse and the complaints got ridiculous and to the point of where we had no choice but to be nice and explain that we were doing
our best thatwas not good enough for these people.
they still returned with attitude and reduced more than one of the volunteers to tears you as parents do you think this is responsiable behaviour we should be teaching our children

deadlydad

I hope Rottweiler isn’t the head of the English Department at this school.

thankyou Scrappycat you sound like one of the other six hard working volunteers or a member of staff

I agree with rottweiller. Over the past week there have been plenty of people complaining to the point of rudeness. Is it really necessary to abuse volunteers to the point of making them cry?

A school isn’t only about the buildings, its about the families whose chidren are attending there, the children and the staff. Staff who worked weekends in an to have things running smoothly.

If there is anyone to bash about the building, its the designers and the government. From what I’ve seen the classrooms have new everything. The children have shaded playgrounds, more than what was available at both Holt and Higgins. There are verandahs and shaded seating areas. If that isn’t enough for everyone, how about volunteering on the fundraising committee to help the school get more shade structures built.

The buildings I have been in have evaporative cooling and fans. Unfortunately, the only area that doesn’t have evaporative cooling is the preschool, they only have fans. The department needs to change that.

The school will get a kickback from selling the school uniforms, so how about buying your uniforms at the in school shop and help raise funds that way. The kids look so smart in them.

Every child I’ve talked to in the past few days has been very happy, and so have a lot of the parents. I know I’m happy that my child is happy.

can’t run both…………

Why did you save all the punctuation for the end of the paragraph?

if your a parent of KKS stop your bitching about the teething problems god all the teachers staff workers and volunteers are working too hard to get it up to scratch as quicky as possible it’s all new to them too and if your not happy with anything join the p&c first meeting will be on 17th feb i belive or go to school and ask if they need more volunteers it’s pathetic that with nearly 800 student enrolled this year only a small handfull like 6-8 parents have put their hands up each day for the past 3 weeks to volunteer their time to help out we don’t even have a canteen running yet as no one will offer to get it up and running and then run and staff it and parents in uniform shop are that stretched (and tried) can’t run both ……………

in closing parents get of your arses and get involed in your kids school instead of bitching and complaining about the first what 2 days and a bad tour you had when you get involed and nothing comes of it then bitch and complian other wise get over it and pull your head in

We were sent home sometimes from school in the 70s. It was cause for great excitement and celebration. We loved it! We used to hope it would get too hot.

tylersmayhem said :

I dunno man – I managed for over 12 years with no aircon during the 80’s. I’m sure the little darlings of today can get by just fine with fans!

Gee, the 80s must have been a long 12 year decade for you, dude! 🙂

Ah the joy of a pro-active Principal.

The primary school my two boys go to is airconditioned – in every classroom. This is because our Principal got the grants through searching around and then filling out a few applications. The money is out there for this type of thing – you just need to know who and how to ask for it.

PS we also are lucky enough to have smartborads in every classroom….

tylersmayhem8:46 am 02 Feb 09

As for them being under budget… perhaps they could of spent the money on AIR CONDITIONING !!!!

I dunno man – I managed for over 12 years with no aircon during the 80’s. I’m sure the little darlings of today can get by just fine with fans!

grunge_hippy9:41 pm 31 Jan 09

it would have to be a very extreme situation for kids to be sent home. the logistics involved would be insane. not to mention the fact that most parents dont even want to come and pick up their kids when they are sick, let alone if it was hot.

HC @ #21: @ 40 degrees the Principal can make the call (this usually requires that most of the classrooms reach a similar temperature).

It is more usual that when a classroom becomes unbearable (such as those directly facing the sun), an alternative location is found for the class to be taught.

My old school had over 1100 students back in the early 80’s. What’s wrong with a school of that size???

If its only 1100 students why do they have to build superschools.. cant the existing schools fit that too?

Holden Caulfield11:49 pm 30 Jan 09

What is the temperature cut off for sending kids home from school? Might be a very interrupted first week back.

So, to summarise the comments above:
– The school is ugly.
– It is too big (bring back small, unviable neighbourhood primary schools with 100 students! Sensible use of tax dollars there).
– Things were still being organised during the week before school starts.
– For some reason, no trees have grown to maturity in the 3-6 months since construction finished.

Honestly – instead of death-riding a brand new school that hasn’t even opened yet, why not show some support? The school sounds like it will have excellent facilities and if all of this energy was spent on the P&C and in fund raising, this would be a truly great school. Here’s hoping.

Gungahln Al – they get litter duty, but not what you and I know as litter duty. The kids have the luxury of being able to wear gloves.

Gungahlin Al8:40 pm 30 Jan 09

What punishment do bad kids get now in the era of smartboards? Can’t make them bang out the blackboard dusters anymore…

Gungahlin Al8:34 pm 30 Jan 09

As for them being under budget… perhaps they could of spent the money on AIR CONDITIONING !!!!

For the old schools perhaps, but the new ones are being designed to not need it, except in certain spots like the auditorium.

I wonder what will happen when the Kambah ‘Super School’ is built – remember it is meant to be completed and up and running for 2011.

I too have a friend at KSS. She is more than happy with the new resources, quality tables etc.

I’d just be thankful for some new classroom desks.

missalli – I applaud your involvement! I work in a similarly sized (by comparison) Northside school, and we had just 6 parents on the P&C last year!!! I also attended the public consultation meetings (for Ginninderra/KS as well as most of the other Northside ‘consultations’)… It was clearly apparent that the ACT Gov had made up their minds and was simply “going through the motions” (One of their ads even stated “we are interested in knowing how you feel”!!!). I know it has been “thrust” upon the West Belco community, but lets make the best we can out of it to ensure it doesn’t become what skeptics are telling us it will… good on you for caring enough to have your say and it sounds like you are going to be an involved parent (something we teachers see to little of)… keep up the momentum… it is parents like you who will help shape the community built around the school (not the building, not the resources)!

Gerry,

I attended all consulting meetings regarding KSS and I plan to continue attending.
I completly understand that there will be teething problems, but I feel this is a carry on from the lack of community consultation.

I have the utmost respect for the deputy principal of the Junior School and I am confident that teething problems will be ironed out. I also agree that over time the school will have a wonderful sense of community.

Maybe I just should not have assumed that simple measures,like shade, would not have been overlooked.

grunge_hippy said :

a friend works there says it is a shamozzle.

…well of course it is, EVERYTHING there is new; teachers, support staff, timetables and resources(across three sub-schools), buildings and infrastructure etc… at least most schools only have minor problems to deal with this early (like the schools that have lost their servers over the break etc)

This is no “super-school” (thanks to the Canberra Times for coining that gem). 1100 kids over 11 years of schooling (plus PreSchool) – average less than 100 students per year group… that’s average to small for ACT (similar schools in NSW and QLD have far, far larger populations). The only thing that is ‘different’ about this school structure is the co-location of yrs PS-10…

Get over the “just a number” argument. The school will develop a culture of inclusion and community, just as every other school in Canberra (and the world) has done. Besides, there will be professionals running the place, who know their job and know how to work with kids. Sure there will be teething troubles, but things will settle down. …and the teachers there will have the best interests of the kids in mind, just like the other 3500 teachers across the public schooling system across our Territory. Just consider that the number one influence on the kids education is their classroom teachers.

missalli, I assume you are going to attend P&C meetings and ensure your thoughts and concerns are aired, oh, and have you booked a time to go and speak to the Acting Principal to air your concerns too? – sorry, not a dig or anything, it just seems too many parents complain about what happens, but aren’t willing to play their part in helping make the decisions… I’m sure as the term settles, you’ll start to feel more confident in the school and the community it develops… Though sounds like more shade would be useful!

grunge_hippy5:30 pm 30 Jan 09

andrew barr is talking out of his arse…. a friend works there says it is a shamozzle. the principal had a stroke during christmas holidays, which has thrown organisation into choas. Rest assured though that the replacement is an expert at “super schools” (was principal at gold creek) and all is getting back on track.

Granny said :

$500,000 on smartboards and our kids can’t get communication devices and wheelchairs.

I hear you, Granny.

I for one will refuse to send my kids to any “Super School”. Sounds a bit too much like “Super Max” as in prisons to me!

Well for some of us – we have no choice. The Government closed down all the local primary schools, the others wont except enrolments as they are full.

As for them being under budget… perhaps they could of spent the money on AIR CONDITIONING !!!!

$500,000 on smartboards and our kids can’t get communication devices and wheelchairs.

Is the school really open – or is it actually open in the same way that the prison is open?

Does this school meet or exceed all UN provisions on human rights? After all, we don’t want to see kids up on the roof at lunchtime protesting, do we!

Any new institution is going to be a little sketchy on the first few times they try things.

tylersmayhem4:07 pm 30 Jan 09

If the school is as unorganised as it was on weds and thurs morning’s for the ‘tours’ then we are all in trouble.

I’d just be done with it and say you’re all in trouble! A “super” school! What a wonderful idea. Get a bunch of kids, throw them into a massive school where they become numbers and hope they an education.

No this is not a go at you MissAlli! Parents of Canberra have been put in to this ridiculous situation by w**kers who’ve underestimated the importance of smaller, closer neighborhood schools.

I for one will refuse to send my kids to any “Super School”. Sounds a bit too much like “Super Max” as in prisons to me!

As a parent sending 3 children there on Monday morning, I am disgusted at the lack of planning.

There is maybe 3 trees offering shade to the students and one playground with a shade sail over it.
The back of the school(opposite WBLC) is still a pile of dirt.
Will be interesting on Monday to say the least.

If the school is as unorganised as it was on weds and thurs morning’s for the ‘tours’ then we are all in trouble.

You can say one thing for the drought, it sure helps get construction projects finished on time.

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