Kinder set for primary school

A NEW kindergarten is to be built in Pakenham’s Heritage Springs Estate in time for the 2008 school year.
The facility is expected to cost about $1.5 million.
Cardinia Shire Council has accepted a tender of $1,078,000 from Allmore Contructions Pty Ltd to build an integrated children’s centre at the primary school site in the Heritage Springs estate.
Cardinia Shire general manager of community wellbeing Fiona Hodges said the children’s centre would be integrated with the new primary school, which will open in 2008 on the Livingstone Boulevard site.
Mrs Hodges said the centre would include a dual kindergarten, maternal and child health centre, consulting rooms and occasional care room.
“The centre will be similar to one located at Caroline Springs in Melton Shire,” she said.
“The operation will be fully integrated with the school.
“There will be one school reception area with the kindergarten off to one side.”
Mrs Hodges said the children’s centre was likely to be managed through the school with the Department of Education and Training being involved in selecting teaching staff.
“This will reduce the burden on volunteers, usually parents, who are often have to be heavily involved in running kindergartens,” she said.
Mrs Hodges said the council did not have land for a community facility in the precinct near the new school and the integrated option meant a facility which could otherwise not be provided was now a reality.
The council successfully sought finding of $1.2 million towards the cost of the children’s centre from the Department of Human Services through the Growing Communities, Thriving Children funding package in the 200607 State Budget.
Mrs Hodges said the population rise in the shire’s growth area around Pakenham meant there was need for a new kindergarten each year, but the council’s budget only allowed for new community facility every two years.
“The Growing Communities, Thriving Children package means we can provide a facility we would have otherwise not being able to provide,” she said.