Yesterday, as I informed an outdoor assembly of the students of the results of the 2010 CBCA Awards for Book Week, work continued on our new BER (Building the Education Revolution) school library here at Penrith Public School. They are now starting to prepare the grounds for paths and covered walkways.
Last Thursday, I had my first tour through the site, and was able to get the inside scoop! It’s really coming together in there!
These wooden boards are protecting the new glass double doors of the main entrance. Behind me, an external vestibule area – complete with a toilet (luxury!) and a staff/grade/”special programs” room – is taking shape. This meeting room has very generous storerooms, and will have a sink and an interactive whiteboard. We are getting this room because there was no way to use BER funding to overhaul the existing staffroom. Adding this area onto the library plan has given the building some character, especially when compared to the long, rickety tin box of a demountable library – which the school was so used to having around, for over two decades.
This will become the spacious library office and circulation areas.
An IWB (the second one in the building) shall be installed on the far wall, about where that ladder is standing.
I venture into my office for the first time!
Circulation, as viewed from the location of the library’s IWB.
Yes, we will still have a second door for faster exits.
Down the other end of the school, a matching building, comprising a modern double classroom, with wet areas, storerooms and a glassed-in, shared withdrawal teaching space, is almost complete!
Hand-over of the new buildings may be only about six weeks away, but I’m not holding my breath. I know that many school libraries are ordering shelving and furniture at the same time and I guess some delays will be inevitable. But the new library is really coming. We can almost smell it!
UPDATE: The second walk-through!
AT LAST!!! It looks WONDERFUL!
So much room! So much scope for arranging and rearranging and separate spaces – have fun planning!
Oh Ian, it’s so exciting to see the work in progress and it will be even more riveting when you actually move in.
How did you managed to get inside the building? Ours is all fenced in and no chance of having a little peek. Any tips?
Gina
Thanks everyone!
Gina, I made a point of being on very friendly terms with the site manager and the security guy right from Day 1, and they’ve been really great. I was invited to have a tour. 😉
Hey Ian, where’s your hardhat????
You could have used it a chance to do a whole “Bob the Builder” picture collection!
The thought did cross my mind. Our site manager is affectionately known as “Rob the Builder”.
Notice my casually resting arm that is not actually touching any surfaces, by request.
Things were fun when I was clearing out the old library in Term 1. I was deep into packing and they erected the construction fencing around the building in very quick time. I came out into the light with a box of stuff to put into storage, only to realise I’d been penned in! No hardhat – and no idea where either of the secret gates were. I thought I was there for the duration.
Hi Ian,
I can’t believe how quickly everything has happened! I know how excited you must be feeling. Our library is ready to move into – I’m just waiting on some boxes to start packing! Catch up soon…
Ian, our libraries are being built at a very similar rate! Last Friday I toured ours and both appear to be Core 14s. Now the race is on to see who will take possession first! Keep you posted.
Wow! It’s looking pretty good and you have spurred me into action. I am going to approach the site manager at Willoughby to have a chat and see if I am invited for a tour. We are getting a fairly big library with three classrooms on top. I just hope there is a lot of sound proofing in the ceiling!
Congrats!