about+coburg+west+primary+school!!

=School History!!= The initial plans for establishing this school began in 1912 when the Education Department purchased 3 acres of land fronting Reynards Road from landowner Mr Cook at a cost of 10 pounds. A public meeting was convened in the Methodist schoolroom in Munro Street in June 1914 and a committee formed to campaign for the construction of a new school in West Coburg. West Coburg had only 3 made roads -Bell Street, Munro Street and Reynards Road, with large areas of grazing land separating the scattered houses. There were 4 primary schools serving the area - Coburg, Moreland, Pascoe Vale and West Brunswick and no high school in the area, Coburg High being established in 1916. These schools were already overcrowded and Coburg was beginning a period of rapid development. Later in 1914, Maurice Blackburn M.L.A. wrote to the committee saying work was to begin during this financial year. However, the war intervened and there was a sudden shortage of money, materials and teachers as Australia pledged itself to defend the Empire. The Public Works Department drew up plans for a 3 storey building and after some alterations these plans were approved by the Government in March 1916. The plan provided 4 classrooms, a head teacher’s room and an entrance hall on the ground floor, 4 classrooms and a staffroom on the first floor and an additional classroom on the second floor. In 1917 the School Committee met to discuss two issues, the positioning of the water closets (toilets) and the possibility of applying for a caretaker’s residence.

In 2002 the school Principal, Adrian De Ross retired after seventeen years of service at Coburg West. Performing Arts continued to be a feature and a number of grade 5/6 students participated in “Spotlight for Youth Arts” at the Melbourne Concert Hall. An exciting curriculum initiative was the introduction of the Early Numeracy Program. An Intranet was also established for students and teachers.

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