Gordon Education opens dedicated space for parent engagement

Gordon Education Centre have celebrated the opening of their new Parent Hub, a space for parents to learn, unwind and connect with others.

Many students make the round trip to Gordon Education in Mount Gambier from surrounding areas daily, and with parents missing out on the opportunity to engage with the staff and the school, the Wellbeing Team wanted to make a change.

Wellbeing School Services Officer Mel Jones said the inspiration came from wellbeing hubs at other schools within the region, and the idea was to provide a space for parents to take some time out for themselves, engage with other parents and staff, and access or services available.

“With the support of a OneFortyOne PINE Community Grant, what was originally a storage shed was transformed into the Parent Hub,” Mel said.

Complete with a TV, iPads, a printer, coffee and tea facilities, the Hub is a central area where parents can also access support and resources. The Hub also features donated clothing and meals from Spare Ya Change 4 Kids, which are free for anybody in need.

The Centre’s Autism Inclusive Teacher Michelle Adams is also available on a fortnightly basis, to provide further support to parents.

Mel said the Parent Hub is separate to the Education Centre and has a door that can be closed for the privacy of visitors.

“They’re free to come in, they don’t need to ask – if they don’t want to see or talk to anybody, that’s okay,” Mel said.

We’re hoping from now on we’ll get a few parents in, and they’ll let us know what they want in their space.”

“What we do is for the kids and for the families, so supporting these families and making life easier for them at home is what it’s all about.”

“OneFortyOne were great, we could not have done this without their help.”

Tara was one of the first parents to use the new space and was excited to see other parents use it too.

“It’s amazing for the parents to know that this is a space they can come to, whether it’s to vent or just to spend some time out without their children,” Tara said.

“If you’ve had a tough morning and the Hub’s open, you can just come in here and relax and have a breather.”

“If any other parent is like me, sometimes you just want to have a little cry before you head off and start your day.”

I can’t wait to see how well this is going to be utilised.”

Tara said everything in the Parent Hub was amazing, but her favourite bit was the coffee.

“The free coffee is amazing. I can just think in my own thoughts and take a breather and have a coffee that’s actually hot.”