Pop-up primary: Rochester Primary School principal Kate Whitford, Victorian Education Minister Natalie Hutchins and school council president Casey James.
Photo by
Bransen Gibson
Victorian Education Minister Natalie Hutchins met with students and staff from Rochester and Elmore Primary Schools when she visited Elmore on Tuesday, December 13.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
Ms Hutchins was at Elmore Primary School — where Rochester students have also been based in recent weeks following the flooding — and got a first-hand look at the temporary set-up.
The minister got a tour of the portables that have housed the Rochester students, visiting classrooms and chatting with students, teachers and school staff.
It was the first time Ms Hutchins has been to Elmore, and she said it was an essential trip to make.
“It is more than anything a check in on the ground,” Ms Hutchins said.
“Because I could read stacks of briefs as tall as me and not get the sense for how things are going in location, so being here is really important.
“The relocation to here has been very smooth and quite fantastic.”
Sam Ryan secondary Dux
Rochester Secondary has celebrated its students on their strength and resilience after their VCE results were announced.
A total of 37.5 per cent of students from the school achieved ATAR scores of above 75.
Principal Melissa Gould said the Class of 2022 would be remembered for its resilience, determination and commitment.
“They really are incredible humans and our community is proud of every one of you,” Mrs Gould said.
Rochester Secondary said there was a large number of students with outstanding scores this year, with top performers listed as Tanzin Myers, Olivia Stone, Fiona Dipasupil, Charlee Roulston and Chelsea Jones.
The top scorer for 2022 was Sam Ryan, announced as school Dux on Monday, December 12 with an impressive score of 95.85.
Rochester strikes ‘gold’
Agnico Eagle’s Fosterville Gold Mine has pledged $750,000 in funding to support the repairs required to have Rochester Recreation Reserve restored to working order.
The contribution was announced last week, aimed at assisting the Rochester community as it recovers from the devastating floods that occurred in October this year.
Many of the gold mine’s employees at the announcement also provided assistance to the Rochester community prior to, during and immediately following the floods.
The funding — which has been awarded through the Agnico Eagle Community Partnership Program — will not only be put towards repairs and upgrades at the Recreation Reserve, but also assist the Rochester Community House to create a new home and fully resource their team, so they can continue to provide vital support services to the community.
Adopted name ‘shelved’
Campaspe News will no longer be referring to the Emergency Recovery Victoria site, at Elmore Events Centre, as Rochester South.
The adopted name of the site, which was continuing to grow at a rapid rate on the back of displaced flood victims from Rochester taking up residence at the Rosaia Rd location, was never officially named Rochester South.
ERV developers of the site, its Elmore Field Days ownership group and other state government authorities and contractors, have never documented the Rochester South title in correspondence concerning the construction of the 400-plus-bed facility.
A good-humoured, and completely innocent, suggestion from the floor of a public meeting seems to have “grown legs’’ and — probably without sufficient consultation — has been a constant reference point by not only the Campaspe News, but also by several other community groups.
But here is where it stops, in print at least.
Tanya’s flood recovery role
Looking to the future: New Rochester Flood Recovery Co-ordinator Tanya McDermott (left) will work under the auspices of Rochester Community House co-ordinator Amanda Logie.
Tanya McDermott has established a single priority to her head-spinning start as Rochester Flood Recovery co-ordinator — do whatever she can to help as many people as she can.
The job description for the flood-recovery role is expansive, from helping people to access financial support and assisting with the potential relocation to the Emergency Recovery Victoria site at Elmore Events Centre, to acting as the “right hand” of Rochester Community House co-ordinator Amanda Logie and ultimately assisting Rochester people back on their feet.
Ms McDermott, who started only a week ago, is no newcomer to the Rochester community, having held a communications role with the Rochester Elmore District Health Service and an administrative position with Campaspe Prevention and Population Health through the Loddon Mallee Public Health Unit.
The position is a 12-month contract, funded by the state government through the Neighbourhood Houses Victoria program, where Ms McDermott is employed by Rochester Community House and operates under the auspices of Amanda Logie.
“The aim is to allow Amanda to get back to her functions as Community House co-ordinator,” Ms McDermott said.
10°C