Australians understand the value of shade and thanks to a bit of financial support, Gloucester Pre-school has a whole lot more around its yard.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Over the past few years, the school has focused on upgrading its outdoor education area.
It all started with the acquisition of an additional property and the construction of an award winning natural outdoor learning environment followed by the addition of an early years outdoor area.
Now, with the addition of six new shade sails, these outdoor areas can be utilised even more.
Sun-safety is important, so making sure the children are protected is key.
"It allows for the children to be outdoor for longer periods of time by providing extra shade," assistant director, Kareen Higgins said.
Five of the shade sails were installed during the school holiday closure period.
Since returning, the children and staff have taken full advantage of the reduction in heat while playing in the outdoor environments.
The extra play time outside means even more education can take place.
"The outdoor environments offer extra learning opportunities for the children," Kareen explained.
Being a not-for-profit community-run organisation, Gloucester Pre-school relies heavily on the financial support of grants, donated time from community members and the hard work of its parents and school community.
For Kareen, it's important that those who helped make the additional shade happened get acknowledged.
"We received grants from Yancoal's Community Support Program, the NSW Government Community Building Partnership Program and the NSW Department of Education," she said.
"We would also like to thank Lukas Dellsperger for installing the poles and Keiran Laure for the timber poles."
Installing the shade sails are all part of the finishing touches on the school's long term project and make a pleasant addition to the beautifully constructed areas.