By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
CORNISH College has unveiled plans to build a $1.34 million learning facility named after long serving principal Kerry Bolger.
The new classroom space for grades four, five and six will commence construction in July for completion around December.
Head of campus for 20 years, Mr Bolger left St Leonards College in 2011 and became principal of Cornish College after the Uniting Church bought the school along with its 100 acre grounds.
Principal since 2012 Mr Bolger said he was proud of what the school has achieved in just four years.
“It’s a fabulous way for me to finish my career and to become the principal basically because the parents wanted me to stay has been a real highlight,” Mr Bolger said.
The Kerry Bolger Centre will be the first new building since the school became Cornish College and Mr Bolger said the large learning space will meet the needs for a new way of educating.
“I have seen education over the past 44 years change,” he said.
“Rows and desks have disappeared, building spaces that accommodate children to be able to work together, on different projects and in progress is the new way forward – providing an environment that accommodates our students working the way everyone else works,” Mr Bolger said.
The school opened with 219 enrolments in 2012 and currently has 543 students from kindergarten to Year 12 and expects more than 600 students in 2016.
Raising most of the money itself, Cornish College has secured a federal government grant and is hoping to raise another $300,000 for the build.
Mr Bolger said the centre would include writable glass walls, coffee tables to brain storm around, electronic white boards, solar panels and cross flow ventilation.
“It’s about providing the sort of learning environment to prepare them for the future, we want to use as many sustainable building features as possible as a model to the students going forward so when they build their own home they build them the same way,” he said.
The modular construction will be built offsite and transported to the college.
Six new class rooms at 75 square metres each will be built with 50 metres of break out space in between each classroom.
Mr Bolger said he was excited and proud that the school community chose to name the centre after him.
“I’ll be 66 soon and it’s time to do what other grey haired people do,” Mr Bolger said of his retirement.
Reverend Dr Robert Johnson, chairperson of the Cornish College council has announced that Ms Vicki Steer, current principal at Ravenswood School for Girls in Sydney, will take the top job in 2016.
