By Rowan Forster
Pakenham Primary School is set to welcome its first ever cohort of students in a fortnight, boasting an impressive projected enrolment of 475 pupils.
The new facility, located at 50 Atlantic Drive, has received $22 million in State Government funding.
Construction ramped up over the Christmas and New Year period, geared to prepare the school for the first day of Term 1, on 31 January.
A recent tour of the site has revealed that Pakenham Primary School has been designed in accordance with open-space planning.
In an interesting development, it has also been revealed that the new school does not have any air conditioning.
According to the Victorian School Building Authority, schools are only provided with air-conditioning if they are for “special development” or if buildings are multi-storey, portables or in certain designated climate zones.
However, the revelation has not quelled the excitement of parents.
Lynette Deaner said she could not wait to send her youngest daughter to Pakenham Primary School.
“It just looks head and shoulders better than anything else we’ve looked at,” she said.
“From everything we’ve heard from the other parents, it seems like it’s going to be a great place for them to learn.”
Principal Gail Butterworth spoke of her excitement in lead up to the beginning of Term 1.
“I can’t wait to see the kids get there on the first day in their uniform,” she said.
“I’ll be the one crying – not just the parents.
“I can’t wait to see them get into the learning spaces and see them for the first time.”
She detailed the effort involved in preparing the Pakenham Primary School for day one.
“If you start thinking about it systematically, nothing exists,” she added.
“House names don’t exist, colours, logos, uniform, and curriculum.
“You’re literally working from the ground up and it’s amazing how everything weaves together to create a school.”
The school has also appointed dozens of new teachers and staff.
New appointments can be viewed on the Pakenham Primary School’s Facebook page.
