Building Bell Primary School

On a lighter note, love it that a Seinfeld tragic has gone to the trouble of doing this paste-up at Newman Reserve, the epicenter of the new 'Village Bell' development 😂😂😂

And 'Village Bell' isn't even the half of it. The adjacent industrial area including retro warehouse, seafood wholesaler and op shop (shown in red) has been rezoned for development up to 8 stories. That's 1,800 new households all up or 5,400 people by our estimates.

It makes sense to house more people close to services like this. But you have to invest in the infrastructure to support it, including our school.

BREAKING NEWS - Development Plans for 'Village Bell' were released today for State Government land 300m from Bell Primary School on the corners of St Georges Road and Oakover Road. This is a development by the Victorian Director of Housing in partnership with a private developer.

This initial development will include around 650 new households or approximately 1,800 people in a collection of buildings up to 10 storeys high.

With Bell Primary already exceeding capacity (most of our kids are in portables) and still no funding commitment from the State Government, how are we expected to cope with this demand? So far we've only received 15% of the funding needed to deal with the last growth spurt which saw us go from 200 students to over 500 in 12 years (the highest growth in the inner North). But we can't take any more - the next growth spurt will break us.

We've got the masterplan. We've got jobs for builders ready to go. And we've got the leadership team already in place to deliver it. James Merlino

Congratulations Preston South Primary School on the whopping $14.63m funding announcement yesterday by Kat Theophanous MP.

So great to see the Government getting ahead of the growth curve. This is how school funding should be done - we only wish there was the same foresight 10 years ago when our enrolments boomed from around 200 to over 500 in a few short years. To this day we still haven't received the funding needed to manage all that growth, with most of our kids still in portables.

We are simply delighted that the future students of Preston South Primary School will have the permanent classrooms they deserve, and maybe even a hall! Congrats

Victoria to get new schools, upgrades and relocatable buildings...

Victorian Government announces $2.7b construction blitz to stimulate state's economic recovery from coronavirus - ABC News Premier Daniel Andrews has announced a $2.7 billion construction blitz to stimulate the Victorian economy and create thousands of jobs.

Thanks Kat Theophanous MP for all your on-going support, Dan Andrews, James Merlino and the Victorian School Building Authority. Thanks also to our school leadership who managed this project to completion on time and budget and our school community who were so understanding during construction and the disruptions it caused.

The new classrooms are a great example of how good design can be an enabler for education and collaboration. The new toilets are literally a breath of fresh air - gone are the days when kids held on all day because they didn't want to brave the old toilet block! And although this is only the first phase of the three stage masterplan to get Bell PS up to scratch, we couldn't be more delighted.

There is a new feeling of optimism around the school and we look forward to building on that 🎉🙏⚡️

Something exciting is happening down at Bell Primary school...

This term we opened the doors on their brand new library, bathrooms, classrooms and shared learning spaces!

With a $2 million investment from the Andrews Government the facilities at Bell Primary are looking better than ever.

I joined the Grade 5’s and 6’s getting nice and comfy in their new digs!

State Memorial service for former Premier and Belll PS student John Cain today.

Family, friends and associates are invited to attend. Members of the public are also encouraged to attend, with doors to open at 10am.

State Memorial Service For John Cain A State Memorial Service for former Victorian Premier John Cain will be held on Monday 3 February at 11am at St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne. Family, friends and associates are invited to attend, as we reflect on John's life and many contributions to our state. Members of the public are also en

We are saddened by the passing of former Bell Primary School student John Cain. An esteemed Bell alumnus, John Cain dedicated his life to serving his community and the broader Victorian community as Premier of Victoria from 1982 to 1990. Despite his achievements he never forgot his roots, pictured here in 1988 at Bell Primary for the ceremonial sealing of the school time capsule. Our thoughts are with his family at this time. Dan Andrews announced a state memorial service will be held in the new year.