A ONCE-UNUSED concrete terrace at Irrawang Public School has been given a new lease on life, with students now able to grab a book, play a game of chess or take their lessons outdoors.
Created at a cost of $42,812, Irri’s Learning Garden is an outdoor library and learning space made possible after three years of fundraising by the school’s Parents and Citizens Association (P&C).
Students even had a say in naming their new space through a school-wide poll.
The outdoor library features reading areas, soft-fall flooring, tiered seating, sensory spaces, outdoor chess and a large all-weather awning, allowing classes to head outside throughout the year.
Teacher-librarian Michelle Lynch said the idea was to create a place where students could enjoy learning beyond the traditional classroom.
“We wanted to create a space for our students to be inspired, to discover and to connect with literature,” Ms Lynch said.
“It brings the learning from indoors to outdoors and creates a space that changes how they learn.”
It is not just for reading either, with the space already being used for English and mathematics lessons, while also giving students a quieter spot to read or spend time with friends.
For P&C President Kim Antonio, seeing the finished garden is particularly special.
Her own children attended the school and she now has grandchildren following in their footsteps.
“It’s really special to see something like this come together after all the fundraising,” Ms Antonio said.
Between 2022 and 2025, the P&C raised funds through colour runs, school discos, Mother’s and Father’s Day stalls and Bunnings barbecues.
The result is a space the school’s 319 students, including preschool children, will be able to enjoy for years to come.
Families who bought a sausage, attended a disco or supported one of the many fundraisers along the way can now see exactly where their money went.
And for Irrawang’s students, there is now a new place to open a book, learn something new or challenge a friend to a game of chess.
By Althea GUINSBERG
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