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Playground Progress

23 June 2019

Our Annual Appeal 2018 raised some much needed funds for the primary playground upgrade, and it is a pleasure to report on progress as we prepare for the 2019 Appeal.

After Landscape Architect Fiona Robbe worked on the initial playground design some years ago, she was very happy to return to work on this new project as stage 2. During the second half of 2018 Fiona held a number of planning meetings with teachers to explore designs for the sandpit area. She and her team observed how children use the playground currently, and by the end of the year there was a design agreed with the teachers that had been costed. The plans are for innovative play structures that maintain the natural environment, provide physical challenges, foster social interaction and generally ensure that children are inspired to play in as healthy a way as possible.

Of course last year was a year of significant construction for the school, with the deck and the walkway pushing the limits of capacity for construction on the Middle Cove site. Our Operations Manager Julie Skuja who had responsibility for carriage of the project resigned at the end of Term 1 to move to Newcastle to be able to care for her ageing parents. In her final weeks she wrapped up outstanding projects and finalized the brief for the playground. With those projects now complete the playground is ready to start and construction will commence in the very near future. Click to continue and see images from the plan.

On the high school playground plans, Fiona is about to commence her brief to design a terraced area below the high school building on the Year 7 level that combines four different functions:

    • Outdoor learning area
    • Performance space
    • Games area, and 
    • Recreational space

We have been waiting for the architects who are reviewing our Masterplan to determine the parameters of this space before Fiona begins her design. That advice is now at hand and she will be commencing the work within the next two weeks. Thank you again to all parents and friends of the school who contributed to both these outstanding projects. Together they will significantly enhance our play spaces at Middle Cove and directly benefit all our students in adding to their healthy enjoyment of what is already a beautiful campus.

MidWinter Ball

Don’t forget to book your tickets to the annual MidWinter Ball on June 1st, this year held offsite for the first time in many years. Year 7 parents coordinated by Claire Weir have been very busy organizing this always hugely enjoyable, memorable event, and 2019 promises to be just as memorable. Thank you to Claire and the Ball organisers in advance and for all the work thus far. Tickets are available through TryBooking (see notice later in this Newsletter), so sign up before ticket sales close on May 24th, and join in!