Tuckshop Renovation
The PRSS Tuckshop has delivered a valuable contribution to the school community for many years. Over the last few years, the QLD government has placed an emphasis on encouraging state schools to comply with the Smart Choices initiative to provide healthier food options to students. Our Tuckshop, like many others, has found itself ill equipped to comply with these guidelines as it is mainly set up to reheat ready-made freezer meals. Whilst we have over recent years been able to upgrade our refrigeration equipment, with the steady growth of our school Tuckshop demand is now rapidly outgrowing the current space. We have found ourselves with inadequate cooking equipment and storage space, and our capacity to make freshly prepared, cooked and baked food items is limited.
Plans began in early 2019 for a major renovation, which was kicked off by the inaugural Colour Explosion Event to help us raise the funds required.
Since then, extensive research has gone into identifying what changes are needed. Tuckshop staff and P&C members have taken themselves on excursions to other renovated school Tuckshops for inspiration. It was identified quickly that there is considerable merit in combining both our Tuckshop and OSHC food preparation requirements. Having a functional and multipurpose kitchen space could include the introduction of new services for the Tuckshop, such as breakfasts, take-away dinners, and more extensive catering options for groups within the school community.
Designs are in the process of being finalised and an independent Project Manager has now been appointed to take the project through procurement, construction and finalisation.
With a newly designed and renovated Tuckshop, this P&C business unit has the potential to be an integral, innovative, and prosperous service provider within our school and local community, that will meet the needs of all our customers. We can't wait for construction to begin in early 2020.
(Before Photos:)
Hall Upgrade Project
The School Hall is the heart of the school where children, staff and families come together to celebrate what makes Patricks Road State School unique. The School Hall was constructed over a decade ago and since that time Patricks Road State School has continued to expand and its programs evolve, to the point where it has outgrown the current facility.
Planning began at the end of 2017 for a redeveloped School Hall that is fit for the future: one that will enhance the academic, cultural and sporting experience of students. Initial concept designs were created with the objective to enhance the use and function of both the school hall and the oval. The idea is to improve the access and use of the hall to support whole of school and community events, including curriculum outcomes for music, performing arts and HPE, and support our growing Outside School Hours Care service, operated by our P&C Association.
The P&C went into saving mode with all funds raised from the 2018 Carnival being directed towards this significant project. Earlier in 2019 we received the brilliant news of the Australian Government funding commitment for our Hall redevelopment.
This project is now inching towards reality with the submission for the Smart Schools Subsidy in late 2019. This will be the final piece in the financial puzzle. Results of the application will be released in July 2020, and pending this outcome, designs will be finalised in late 2020 and construction will commence around January 2021. We just ... can't ... wait!! A considerable amount of time, effort and energy has gone into this project so far by a number of different people and we can't thank them enough!
Watch this space.
(Hall Concept Plans)
Community Hub and OSHC Building Renovation
The current physical positioning of the Tuckshop, Uniform Shop and Coffee Cart, lends itself to a wonderful community space, where parents gather to socialise, network, and simply share their children's primary school journeys. This community space can be enjoyed by all: students, teachers, school staff, P&C staff, Chaplaincy, volunteers, and parents.
Again, with the steady growth of our school over the years, our community (including our P&C office, OSHC and Uniform Shop business requirements) has outgrown this space. The idea was born in 2019 to redevelop the area into a place where people are made to feel welcome and inspire them to contribute to their community. A new, fresh, welcoming and inspiring environment for P&C staff and community members to work will create excitement to do more and different things for the benefit of our students.
The current OSHC building is part of this project, with plans to create additional storage and multipurpose shared space to be used by both the OSHC team and the school teaching team. This building has had a very recent facelift with children and OSHC staff returning in January this year to a freshly painted building and new flooring. It looks fantastic!
Concept designs will be ready early 2020 for our community to comment on. Very exciting times ahead!
(Before Photos & OSHC painting / flooring photos)
OTHER P&C PAGE UPDATES ON SCHOOL WEBSITE