Redland Bay’s latest principal calls for names for her new school

Baysiders are about to get a new principal and a new school, with an opportunity for the community to help name the primary years campus.

A principal from a regional Queensland school has been named as the founding head of one of the state’s newest primary schools.

Sue Hendrik will take the reins of Redland Bay’s second state primary school when the $74.9 million facility opens in January.

Original costs for the school in 2021 were $68 million before works started in November last year, with onsite construction now under way following months of earthworks.

Ms Hendrik will move northeast from Texas on the Queensland/NSW border, where she will finish up as the principal of the Texas State School, the state’s most southerly Prep to Year 10 school.

Founding principal of Redland Bay’s second state school Sue Hendrik. Picture: Facebook

Her first task at Redland Bay will be helping to name her new school, with suggestions already flowing including the favourite, Talwalpin State School, the indigenous name for the Redland Bay region taken from the cottonwood tree which grows in the area.

“I will be looking for interested community members to assist and provide input as we begin to develop all of the information and processes required for a new school,” Ms Hendrik said on Facebook.

“One of our first tasks will be naming the school. We would love to see some of your naming suggestions.

“These suggestions will be taken to one of our community meetings due to take place within the next few weeks with the dates to be posted on Facebook.”

The suburb of Redland Bay already has a state primary school and according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data, there were 251 children enrolled in a preschool or preschool program in 2021 and 1279 children aged between five and nine.

A plan of the new school.

However, the state government has promised population growth for the area, paying $8 million for the new school site directly opposite the Shoreline housing estate.

The new school, capable of eventually catering for a student cohort of more than 1500, initially will not be connected to town sewers and will rely on septic tanks with waste pumped into tanker trucks.

The first stage of the new state school for Redland Bay will include an administration building, prep and junior general learning areas, student support and staff building, information and resource centre, multipurpose hall, canteen, oval, multipurpose court, general and student amenities and carparking.

Designs show multistorey buildings on the greenfield site. Graphic: supplied

The state government said the new school would increase capacity in the local schooling network and provide enrolment relief to Redland Bay State School, Victoria Point State School and Mount Cotton State School.

Ms Hendrik said an interim school website page would be created to give prospective parents, community members and students a place to be informed about the new school’s progress.

The state government is also calling for staff with advertisements for a deputy principal and business manager.