WITH a smoke ceremony, traditional dancing and a rendition of the national anthem sung in English and Kamilaroi, Moree East Public School officially launched its multi-million dollar upgrade last week.
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Principal Muriel Kelly, Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall and Moree East Public School Reference Group chair Lloyd Munro, turned the first sod on the $14 million redevelopment on Thursday.
First the soil was cleansed with a ceremony which included Kamilaroi singing and dancing and burning leaves. Visitors were invited to take off their shoes and participate, walking in a circle on a mound of sand.
“This place has a lot of happy memories but we want to move forward with positive energy,” Mrs Kelly said. “This is the beginning of a new era.”
The executive principal paid tribute to the thousands of staff and students who had passed through the school gates since they were first opened in 1972.
Mr Marshall passed on NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli’s apologies for not attending the event. The minister’s plane had to turn around Thursday morning due to low-lying cloud.
“The minister very much wanted to be here,” Mr Marshall said. “But the closest he got was 500 metres above us.”
Mr Marshall said high-quality infrastructure was crucial to improving the standard of education.
“Gonski, Connected Communities – this money doesn’t mean anything unless you have the right facilities,” he said.
The MEPS redevelopment will include new high-tech classrooms, a new school hall, refurbishment of the community room, external works and landscaping and outdoor learning spaces.
“This will completely transform the look and design of the school, and more importantly allow teachers access to state-of-the-art facilities,” Mr Marshall said. “It will give the next generation the best start in life and help them to achieve their dreams.”
President of the Moree Aboriginal Education Consultative Group and chair of the Moree East Public School Reference Group, Lloyd Munro, captured the optimism and ambition of the day when he addressed the crowd. “We’ve still got a long way to go but, with support of parents and grandparents, I can see this school being one of the best – not only in the district – but in the whole country.”
