THERE were smiles all around on Monday morning as the children walked through the gates of the newly transformed Mitchell Park Kindergarten.

In 2021, Combined Preschools of Southern Grampians (CPSG) was awarded two grants of just over $880,000 through the Victorian State Government’s Building Blocks Early Childhood Refurbishment and Minor Works and Inclusion programs, for the refurbishment of Mitchell Park Kindergarten.

These works included new roofing, internal walls, double-glazed windows and doors, new floor coverings, internal fixtures, external cladding, perimeter fencing with a security system, new extended verandah structure, new bathrooms and storage spaces, new pathways and an accessibility ramp.

CPSG’s Executive Officer, Tracey Gould said that it has been a long journey to get to this point, with the first round of plans being drawn up with a local architectural firm.

 “The kindergarten was in a very poor state after many, many years of little maintenance, so we knew that we wanted to create something that would enhance the children’s learning and be something that the children and staff could be proud of and is sustainable for many years to come,” she said.

“Through the support of the Victorian Schools Building Authority, our Early Childhood Improvement Branch Team, the CPSG Board, Cooper Scaife Architects and Ultrabuild Construction Group, we finally got there and are just thrilled that our plans have finally come to fruition.”

Works commenced in September 2023, with the kindergarten relocating to the stadium at George Street Primary School for the duration of the works.

Mitchell Park Kindergarten’s early childhood teacher, Ms Amelia Ball said the refurbishment had been a fantastic opportunity for learning in a new and innovative space.

“As educators we are happy to be able to offer our cohort a new warm, welcoming and inclusive education setting,” she said.

“Such a serene setting provides the ideal environment for our children to grow, thrive and learn.”

As COVID saw a considerable price increase in the cost of building materials, the outdoor environment was unable to be completed, however future plans have already been put in place for this new project after increased funding was announced.

“We are thrilled to announce that we have recently been awarded a further grant from the Victorian State Government to complete these works,” Ms Gould said.