Works start on new school

Touring the site of Casey Central Secondary College, which is expected to be open Touring the site of Casey Central Secondary College, which is expected to be open

By Lia Bichel and Bridget Cook
WORKS for a new state-of-the-art secondary college in Cranbourne North are quickly progressing.
Casey Central Secondary College is expected to be opened by the start of the next school year.
State Education Minister Bronwyn Pike and Narre Warren South MP Judith Graley attended a tour of the construction site last week, opened by the head man of the Wurundjeri Tribe, Murrundindi.
Ms Graley MP said she was pleased with the progress and enjoyed watching plans develop.
“This was my big promise to the electorate. This school is my baby, and I’m enjoying watching it grow up,” she said.
“This school has been especially designed to be innovative, practical and state of the art.”
About 1100 students are expected to attend the school by 2014. While the school is being built, students are attending a temporary site at Hillsmeade Primary School.
The school will be an environmentally sustainable building design with modern sporting facilities and advanced technology, Ms Pike said.
“Today is just marking another milestone in the making of a fabulous school,” she said.
“This is providing parents with a high quality education facility. Schools are the heart of the local community.”
Ian McKenzie will be the first principal of the new school, after serving seven years as founding principal at Kambrya College, Berwick.
“I have learnt so much from my experience at Kambrya,” he said. “I will be bringing rich traditions from Kambrya to Casey as well as new aspects. While numeracy and literacy will be a main focus, we also want to teach a healthy lifestyle through things like diet, meditation and yoga.”