From the Headmaster
I have been greatly encouraged by the progress that our builders have been able to make during the last month. Improved weather has provided the opportunity for them to attack the various parts of the project with some vigour. The first slabs in our new Car Park 3 have been laid and blockwork is starting to come up out of the ground, the construction of the ramp from the carpark down to the Junior School is emerging, and the excavation of the Seaview St site is complete.
During the summer break, the scope of the work being undertaken on the Summer Hill campus expands massively, with a number of additional work fronts opening up. As a consequence, access to the site over the break will be very limited. The School will mostly be occupied by builders, with only a skeleton staff from Trinity.
Additional works that will be undertaken during the summer include the landscaping of the quadrangle and the new pedestrian access adjacent to the Chapel from Prospect Rd. There will be an internal realignment of Car Park 2. There will be some underground services put in place beneath the top section of the grandstand along the north side of Oval #1. In addition, some works will take place in the public domain outside the School grounds, including new pedestrian crossings on Prospect Rd and Victoria St, new footpaths, and some changes to the intersection of Prospect Rd with Old Canterbury Rd.
There will be no vehicle access to the site from Victoria St. The ramp will be closed and Car Park 2 will be inaccessible. As a general rule, access to the site will happen through the gates on Prospect Rd and visitors should plan to park on the street. Staff at the main Reception desk will be able to provide any necessary directions around the rest of the site.
The Uniform Shop will be open at its advertised hours, with access available through Gate 7A, being the pedestrian gate adjacent to Chapel Way on Prospect Rd. This gate is also the route for swimming squad members to get to the pool.
All the works that are currently underway, as well as the ones about to start this summer, are expected to be finished by the end of Term 1; much of the work should actually be finished before the start of Term 1.
The programme of construction work is an ambitious one, although we have received assurances that there is adequate contingency in place for poor weather and other vagaries. As families will be aware, we have extended the summer break slightly in order to maximise the time available for the sort of disruptive works that cannot be carried out during the School term.
The works that are being carried out in these early stages of the Renewal Project are not, for the most part, glamorous or exciting. No one tends to get too excited about car parks, traffic intersections, underground services or delivery and maintenance workspaces. However, these early works are the enablers of our future plans. They will help the School to function more smoothly, efficiently and sensibly in decades to come, even though most of them will be barely noticed once they are complete. These are humble projects, but they will serve us very well.
Detur gloria soli Deo
Tim Bowden | Head Master
