School check mates

By Kath Gannaway
AFTER nearly a week in their new school, Marysville students looked very much at home on Friday.
The 33 students who have been attending school in Taggerty since the Black Saturday bushfires of 2009 returned from school holidays to an exciting new phase in their education and recovery after the fires.
State Government Minister for Children and Early Childhood Development Maxine Morand welcomed the children, parents and teachers.
The new complex caters for the education and early childhood needs of local children from birth to when they leave Marysville for secondary education with a maternal and child health area, childcare room, pre-school and open-plan classroom.
The staff area, kitchen and utility areas are also state of the art – and ultra modern.
Principal Peri Dix is especially taken with the view over the football oval to the surrounding mountains, which are showing signs of recovery.
A graffiti whiteboard and giant indoor chess board are eye-catching indoor activities and outside the sandpit is an obvious favourite with the juniors.
Ms Dix said the multi-use concept works beautifully.
“We had brilliant architects and fantastic builders; people who were so committed to getting the project up and running and they did it beautifully,” she said.
Pre-school director Megan Strongman said her first group of three and four-year-olds explored their new kinder on Thursday and loved it.
Ms Strongman said the pre-school is the first step in the children’s formal education before they go on to either Taggerty, Buxton or Marysville primary schools.
Mark Henwood, who managed the rebuilding project, was given an enthusiastic “thank you” from the students – with instructions to pass it on to everyone who had a hand in the project.
He said the Marysville School project was special for everyone who worked on it.
“It is just good to be part of something which for a lot of reasons is special,” he said.
An open day for the wider community will be held on Saturday 1 May.