Albert Park College’s new Year 9 campus to finally open
ALBERT Park College’s new Year 9 campus will finally open this week after lengthy delays which saw students forced to study out of lifesaving clubs and church halls.
Inner South
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STUDENTS at Albert Park College will no longer be forced to study out of lifesaving clubs and church halls with a new multi-million dollar campus in Port Melbourne finally open this week.
And the community continue to dig deep to help fund the college’s new $8.5 million Year 9 campus, with a film fundraiser in Elsternwick on Friday night.
The college’s new campus was due to open at the start of the year but “unanticipated heritage and site contamination issues” forced the school to find alternative sites for last semester’s classes, including Port Melbourne Surf Life Saving Club.
Year 9 parent, Moira Burke, said the purpose-built campus in the former Circus Oz site in Port Melbourne’s Bay St had been “a little while in the making” and her daughter was looking forward to having a permanent campus.
Ms Burke said she was impressed by the school’s solution to the lack of classroom space, which forged ties to the broader community, but said it was time for the students to settle into their new space.
SCHOOL SETUP A ‘TRAGEDY WAITING TO HAPPEN’
“The school did marvellously with incorporating other community building and organisations into the fabric of the school,” she said.
“I think although the walking from campus to campus has probably done a lot of good for the students — a lot of fresh air, a lot of exercise and therefore they have clearer heads and are fitter — it’s not an ideal situation.”
Education Department spokesman Simon Craig said plans for the Bay St site were expanded following an extra $2.3 million in funding from the State Government last year.
“While this and some unanticipated heritage and site contamination issues caused some delays, the end result is a state of the art campus that will be ready for Year 9 students (this) week,” Mr Craig said.
Principal Steve Cooke said the extra money allowed the school to include a marine education centre and “environmentally sustainable design features” at the campus.
The campus will also include a fully-equipped kitchen and solar powered hydronic heating.
The college community dug deep to help fund the Bay St campus and raised more than $470,000, including securing a $150,000 injection from the Victoria International Container Terminal.
Ms Burke said a screening of critically-acclaimed Australian film Pawno, directed by college parent Paul Ireland, would contribute to the overall target of $1 million.
Mr Ireland, who has a son in Year 9, said he was very proud of the film and hoped it would be embraced by parents at the school.
“The parents at Albert Park College are very supportive with fundraising so we’re hoping for a good crowd,” he said.
The additional campus will see the school’s enrolment capacity grow from 950 to 1150 students.
Pawno will be shown at the Classic Cinema in Elsternwick on Friday night at 7pm.
There will be a live performance by singer/ukulele player Cece before the film and a Q&A session with Mr Ireland and cast members after the film.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for concession holders.
Book online at trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=209611
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