Two heads are better than one as proved by Mt Carmel Central School and Berinba Public, who are working together to forge strong ties between the schools and the wider Yass Valley community.
The two have been successful in securing $1.7 million in Federal Government funding for the construction of shared state-of-the-art sporting facilities under the Local Schools Working Together second and final round pilot program.
The grant, which is aimed at fostering co-operation between government, non-government and independent schools through shared facilities, will open up myriad new opportunities for the young people of Yass.
Mt Carmel Principal Naish Stormon and Berinba Public Principal Ray Claydon spent countless hours preparing the joint proposal and were this week delighted to receive word of their schools’ shared success.
The facilities, which will include a synthetically turfed playing field incorporating soccer, touch football and hockey fields as well as a four-lane Athletics track and long jump pit at Berinba and a similar synthetically turfed sporting field at Mt Carmel comprising a cricket pitch, netball, basketball and tennis courts, will be made available for the enjoyment of the entire local community.
The top class sporting amenities, which will be fully fenced and lit using solar power stations, will be managed by a joint school and community committee with the support and guidance of Yass Valley Council as a third party.
“The program is a Federal Government initiative – it’s a way of developing an efficient cross-community relationship,” Mr Stormon said.
“South Yass is growing dramatically and one of our hopes is that the two sectors – government and non-government – can come together.”
“The opportunities are immense,” Mr Claydon added. “This money will give us the facilities to enhance the work we do at our schools.”
“This will give us a first class sporting surface to enhance our curriculum offerings while presenting enormous opportunities for our students at recess and lunch time,” Mr Stormon said.
The sporting facilities will enable Mt Carmel and Berinba to introduce sporting competitions and fixtures between the schools, fostering stronger relationships between the two communities.
The sporting fields will also be available to the Yass Valley community for hire, providing all-weather, day and night training facilities for local sporting teams.
“The students play sport on the weekends together and this will be a good way of reaffirming their weekend relationships,” Mr Claydon said.
“It’s really up to our imagination as to where this project can go with the right people leading and developing it.”
Mr Stormon said the Local Schools Working Together funding will enable schools in Yass to offer opportunities on a par with schools across the border.
Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector, Senator Ursula Stephens, said she was delighted that Mt Carmel and Berinba were successful in their application for funding.
"The staff of Mt Carmel and Berinba Public have worked hard to make sure their schools and communities were one of only twenty-six projects to benefit under this round of the exciting Local Schools Working Together program,” Dr Stephens said.
“The facility in Yass will strengthen the whole community. Physical activity is extremely important for young students and everyone in the community benefits from the energy and excitement of youth sporting events,” Dr Stephens said.
Mr Stormon and Mr Claydon expect to see work begin on the new shared sporting fields early in 2010.
The facilities will complement exciting renovations and additions taking place at both schools, as part of the Federal Government’s Building the Education Revolution.
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