Coolgardie Primary School welcomes new play equipment to support students’ learning experience

Students at Coolgardie Primary School were swinging with joy on Friday afternoon when new play equipment was unveiled following four years of community fundraising.

The Goldfields school recently installed a shaded area with artificial grass to house a large oval swing and added two spring rockers to the school’s sandpit.

Principal Helen Smart told the Kalgoorlie Miner the school spent four years fundraising to purchase the new infrastructure — valued at $45,000 — through community bake sales and raffles run by the school’s Parents and Citizens Association.

“It was an idea from four years ago ... so we started a campaign to raise some money but it became evident that our fundraising efforts wouldn’t get us the $45,000 we would need,” she said.

Ms Smart said the school then appealed to mining companies operating in the region which provided the remaining funds.

These included Beacon Minerals, IGO, Evolution Mining and FMR, with Rotary Club of Boulder and Kalgoorlie-Boulder Artificial Grasses also contributing.

Ms Smart said the “calming swing” was an important asset for the school as it helped to settle upset students.

“In our environment, sometimes the kids get churned up over little things,” she said.

“Now we can take them out of (the classroom environment) and give them time on the swing.”

Ms Smart said the equipment also helped students learn collaborative play skills.

“The kids have been organising themselves to push each other and to ... let other (students) have a turn,” she said.

“It’s all supporting this idea that we help each other out, we can be fair.”

P&C Association president Jessica Baxter said the Coolgardie community had backed the association’s many fundraisers over the past four years.

“We normally hold (fundraisers) outside of our Moran’s (Store) IGA and everyone comes down and has an egg and bacon roll, cakes and lots of yummy goodies,” she said.

“Because we’re such a small school it has taken us a little while to gather the funds.

“With the support of mining companies ... and parents and family (of students) supporting us we’ve been able to gather the money.”

Ms Smart said the P&C Association’s fundraising efforts would also support the Year 5 and 6 camp to Perth in November along with a new uniform shop.

Coolgardie Primary School has 45 students enrolled and offers education for students from kindergarten to Year 6.