Tag: Avalon Public School

Students Help Shape Avalon Public School’s Renewed Nura Djaroba

Photo Credit: NSW Department of Education/Facebook

Avalon Public School’s community gathered to see a well-loved natural play space return to daily use after a major upgrade, marking a new chapter for an area shaped by students, families and local supporters for nearly three decades.

Read: Avalon Pet Owners Warned as Tick Cases Triple in Early Season Surge

History And Community Roots

The school welcomed families, staff, students and local community members back into Nura Djaroba during its reopening events held in mid November 2025. Planning and fundraising efforts for the renewal began several years earlier, supported by a NSW Government Community Building Partnership grant matched by school community contributions.

Photo Credit: NSW Department of Education/Facebook

Nura Djaroba began in the early 1990s when parents, teachers and local designers worked together to build a natural space that reflected bushland surroundings and Aboriginal knowledge. The space opened in 1996 and supported generations of children who played, learned and explored outdoors. 

Student-Led Redesign

Over time the area needed repairs and updates to meet modern standards, prompting the school community to begin renewal work around 2020. Longtime contributors, including members of the original design team, attended the 2025 reopening to see the refreshed area return to use.

Photo Credit: NSW Department of Education/Facebook

The renewal placed students at the centre of planning. School leaders explained that students shaped ideas for features, accessibility and layout. Their input guided choices such as a wider stage, clearer pathways, new natural play elements and full accessibility through the site. The school emphasised that the space forms part of its identity, and student participation ensured the design continued to reflect the children who use it.

Cultural And Environmental Elements

The reopening featured cultural acknowledgement, including a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony led by local First Nations representatives. A new sculpture named Kip the Koala was introduced as a symbol of respect for local heritage, created by Richard Stutchbury, one of the original designers involved in the 1996 project. 

Photo Credit: Avalon Public School/Facebook

Native plants were added throughout the play area, with each student planting one, continuing a tradition from the original opening. A waratah was planted as a further link between past and present.

A Space For Learning And Play

School staff described the area as a place that encourages creativity, social connection and outdoor learning. Children use the space for play that grows from their imagination, supported by the natural setting and upgraded features. 

Read: Police Probe $1 Million Bitcoin Theft In Avalon

The project brought together families, students, educators and local residents who share a long connection to the site. The reopening reinforced the importance of community involvement in shaping school environments that support both learning and belonging.

Published 26-November-2025

Students at Avalon Public School Will Have Cooler Classrooms

Students from Avalon Public School will soon enjoy cooler classrooms, thanks to a scheduled approved installation of an air conditioning system under the $500-million Cooler Classrooms Program.

Read: Avalon Local Launches Petition To Keep Darko Desic In Australia

In June 2021, the NSW Government approved the tenders for the aircon installation at Avalon Public School, Bilgola Plateau Public School, and Elanora Heights Public School. These schools were part of the over 400 schools that were enjoined to apply for the installation of the reverse-cycle units in 2019. 

Over 600 state schools experiencing temperatures above 30°C in January were automatically included in the Cooler Classrooms Program. However, schools with lower temperature averages that still experienced a warmer environment during the summer, were asked to submit their applications. 

Avalon Public School averages a January temperature of about 27°C. The new smart air conditioning systems are expected to deliver a more conducive environment for learning. 

Studies have shown that temparature impacts the students’ ability to focus and concentrate in class and the optimal classroom temperature should be between 22°C to 24°C. According to the experts, some two per cent of favourable learning environment is lost for every one-degree rise in temperature.

Read: Woolworths Avalon Beach Not Switching to Metro Store Format

However, questions have been raised on the process of application approval, as schools with average temperatures reaching almost 30°C have been turned down. Of the 447 schools that applied in the second round, only 15 were approved, including Avalon Public School. 

Meanwhile, several schools within the Penrith, Blacktown, and Windsor triangle, which have warmer microclimates that sometimes reached 37°C, missed out on the program. Critics said that the NSW Govermment should have identified and targetted these schools instead of basing the decision on the applications.

Education Minister Sarah Mitchell said that applications were audited based on the technical requirements, the electrical capacity of the school, and the number of classrooms. Ms Mitchell also said that the government will look into the additional requirements from other schools after the “rollout of the current delivery priorities.” 

Since the announcement of the program in 2018, 922 schools have received or will soon get the cooling systems in the first and second rollouts. The government plans to complete its target by June 2022.