With just 85 students enrolled, Cawdor Public is not the biggest school around.
But it hasn’t stopped it from dreaming big.
An exciting plan for a sky high treehouse as part of a new nature playground has received a mountain of support from the local community so far.
The mammoth fundraising effort has seen this 160 year old school raise an impressive $110,000 towards the cost of constructing a treehouse nature playground for the benefit of its students – current and future.
“It’s amazing what support is out there if you go looking for it,” says Cawdor Public School P&C Association’s Alison Lee.
The P&C first applied to the NSW Government Community Building Partnership and Australian Government Stronger Communities Program.
Both awarded grants worth $20,000.
The school has also received a huge amount of support from businesses operating in our area, including $57,000 in grants from Benedict Industries’ Bene-Factor Program, South32 Illawarra Coal Community Contribution Program and AGL Local Community Investment Program.
Donations were also received from property developers and builders Mirvac and Dahua Group.
A sod turning ceremony was held at the school this afternoon.
“We are grateful that our local MPs and companies who operate in our community chose to support our small school’s big project,” Ms Lee said.
“The play space is going to reflect the unique environment of Cawdor with its small size and caring environment.
“You definitely can’t get lost in the crowd when there are only 85 kids in the playground.
“Our students enjoy building stick forts and fairy gardens, playing handball and bull rush.
“Lunchtime activities are often organised by students and our school learning and support officers, who make sure all children are included.
“Soon they will be able to add logs, rocks and rope to climb, balance on and hang from.
“The treehouse will be the nature playground’s centrepiece – a structure that can transform into whatever the children imagine – it could be a pirate ship, zombie hideout, ninja arena or castle,” Ms Lee said.
