It's been a tough few weeks for students and teachers at Apsley Primary School. But at least once they're allowed to return to the classroom, they'll find it in better shape than before.
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The state government this week announced it would provide the public school with an extra $195,000 under the Planned Maintenance Program.
Principal Tanya Turner said it would allow her to upgrade old ceilings at the Laidlaw Street institution.
"We've got a little bit of work to go on a shade shelter over our sandpit, and some leaky ceilings which we'll fix up," she said.
"We are in a scrubby block, so we have to be on top of the fire safety side of things. We have special netting put under our buildings and on the gutters so no embers or leaves can get in."
Mrs Turner said the aim was to have the upgrades done by term four. In term three, Ms Turner said the school community had been heavily affected by the South Australian border closure.
"I have seven staff, and five are from South Australia," she said. "We also had a third of our students from South Australia too. When the border closed to nearby residents last month, one of my teachers put up her hand to take students into her home and teach them there.
"That was a bonus, and it only lasted a week, but there was a lot of stress and anxiety. What was probably more concerning was the staff weren't too sure when they would be able to go back over to get their resources for kids' learning packs.
"They handled it really well, and put together a month's worth of literacy and numeracy curriculum together."
Ararat West Primary School is also set to receive $50,000 under the planned maintenance program.
The money is aimed at repairing floors, ceilings, kitchen equipment, shade structures and walls, as well as repainting.
Fire education never stops for Laharum primary
Apsley Primary School is also receiving $19,660 this year for bushfire maintenance, one of 15 across the Wimmera and Grampians included in the annual Bushfire Preparedness (Vegetation) Program.
Another, Laharum Primary School, is receiving $15,000, having been forced to close during the Northern Grampians Complex Fires in 2014.
Principal Jane McLean said students at the school still had memories of the blaze, and this heightened the need to provide high-quality fire education and maintenance.
"We remove any timber that is dead or too close to the buildings, so we're having an arborist come in," she said.
"I know some schools may have a big blitz, but we use the money for ongoing maintenance throughout the summer period, from October to February. We have our gutters cleaned and make sure everything is working over that time.
"We also engage our local CFA to visit the school in term four, and we go over the location of any gas bottles, any points for water and any changes that may have occurred at the school during the year.
"The students here were quite young when the fire was in Laharum, Wartook and the Grampians, but they do remember bits and pieces of it. You have to be mindful you're not giving students undue anxiety and stress, but we talk about it on a very practical level."
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Alexander Darling
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
Alexander has been a member of the Wimmera Mail-Times' editorial team since December 2018, covering politics, business and property among other rounds. He is a passionate St.Kilda and rock and roll fan, and has previously worked as a radio reporter in Port Macquarie and Gosford, NSW.
