Zoe Moffatt
Standing in a circle, students at Darraweit Primary School walk around and fist bump each other.
This is one change the school has implemented in the last year, following the 2022 floods which saw the school “basically destroyed”.
Principal Carol Booker said they introduced these check-ins, and check-outs every day as a way to greet everyone and reflect on the day.
“It’s short and sharp, but it’s basically just to say, we’re in this together,” Ms Booker said.
“It’s an individual morning greeting, saying hello and, at the end of the day, it’s a reflection of the day, and what went well.
“We’ve gone through quite a major event together. Recovery was all about doing it together.”
When the water came through the school last year it rose above everyone’s expectation. Despite sandbagging the low doors and rooms, the administration bluestone building and kitchen were filled almost to the roof.
Following the flood as the damage was repaired, the school’s 46 students joined approximately 600 students at Wallan Primary Schools for six weeks.
“The staff and students were absolutely amazing and just straight away gave us a space to work in,” Ms Booker said. “They supported us wherever we needed it, they were terrific.
“Although it was really challenging… for our kids going from a small country school… to a big school where it’s busy. Our kids have been really resilient and flexible.
“There were definitely some positives. They absolutely loved the canteen, so we now have a canteen at our school.”
Reflecting on the renovations and recovery efforts, Ms Booker said while the school is still waiting on a few things to be fixed, the generosity of the community was a big help.
“One beautiful thing is that the whole school has been renovated.
“Nearly a year on and we are back in our original buildings and we have restored our gardens for our kitchen garden program.
“We still have portable toilets [and] workers around but we are almost back to normal. We could keep our programs running because of the generous donations of the community.
“They came from everywhere… we had community groups, adults and children packing up their library books from their own house and bringing them over.
“We had money donations from friends, families and businesses that donated generously.”
