School shows colours

By Shaun Inguanzo
FOUR state Keysborough and Springvale secondary colleges officially became one this week in the first tangible sign of their $43 million merger.
Heatherhill, Coomoora, Springvale and Chandler secondary colleges this week became campuses of the tentatively named Keysborough Springvale Secondary College – a super school of 3000 students.
Only two of the four sites – Heatherhill and Chandler – will remain according to school principal Heather Lindsay, with the State Government to decide the fate of the land currently occupied by Springvale and Coomoora.
She said each site would hold 1500 students and offer a larger variety of study units, with the ability for students to move between campuses to pursue their favoured units.
The school has also developed a prototype uniform that is charcoal grey with purple markings, representing a smarter, more formal beginning to reflect the learning benefits of the schools merger.
Ms Lindsay said the Heatherhill Campus would focus on hospitality, physical education and performing arts, while the Chandler Campus would focus on materials, technology and visual arts, such as fashion.
The school will build its new image beginning with next year’s Year 7 students.
She said the Stage One application would be to build two junior ‘villages’ – one on each campus – and that the uniform would be worn next year by Year sevens to kickstart the transition.
Lyndhurst MP Tim Holding said the State Government fully supported the project and that benefits to students would be on a range of subjects and facilities previously unavailable at just one site.
Ms Lindsay said the school would share any new sporting or arts facilities with community groups to allow residents to enjoy part of the estimated $43 million merger.