New school hall opens in Barcaldine in Queensland
Major flooding and heavy rain in Barcaldine, Queensland may have
been responsible for the cancellation of the official opening of the
St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School new multipurpose hall, but it
did not dampen the school’s spirit.
The school received Building the Education Revolution (BER)
funding of $50 000 under National School Pride (NSP) for school
refurbishment and $831 030 under Primary Schools for the 21st
Century (P21) for the construction of the multipurpose hall.
Being a fully enclosed facility, the new hall allows students to
now participate in health and physical education lessons and
lunchtime play in any weather conditions. Students are enjoying the
netball, basketball, volleyball, tennis and new canteen facilities
and are able to escape the searing heat.
IT systems are also interconnected between the new hall and the
rest of the complex, giving students the same access to technology
as they would in a normal classroom.
The new building was designed with the climate of western
Queensland in mind. Sustainability features include the use of
high-level louvers and roof ventilators, roller doors on each side
of the building that can be opened, and the use of cantilevered
awnings on either side to funnel cooling breezes through the
building and negating the need for mechanical ventilation and
cooling systems.
The Barcaldine community will also be benefitting, with the new
facility available for hire. The venue allows for multiple sports to
be played, has the ability to hold musical performances and
community events and provides a venue for learning, training and
in-service’s for larger groups. This will provide the school and the
wider community with a focal point for sporting, performance,
recreational and community based events and an all-weather venue for
the town.
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