Hatters get mad over facilities

Cobargo students got into the spirit of their school's Mad Hatter's Tea Party.

by Kerri Carr

A Mad Hatter's Tea Party has been used to highlight the need for improved facilities at a rural school.

Cobargo Public School's tea party was held during Book Week, with celebrations focusing around the 25-year-old demountable library.

P&C president Julie Davies said the P&C got involved as an opportunity to invite politicians to see the school and talk to them about improving facilities.

Ms Davies said a four of six classrooms were also demountables. "Some of them are more than 25-years-old," she said.

"They are small, have no insulation, no verandas, and little storage or display space," she said.

"The toilet blocks are extremely old and hard to clean.

"Our walkways are quite dangerous and uncovered."

Ms Davies said Bega MP Andrew Constance, Bega Valley Mayor Tony Allen, and councillors David Hede and Janette Neilson attended.

She said Mr Constance was presented with more than 50 letters from concerned parents.

"He is going to present them to the Education Minister," she said.

"The next step may be a delegation to the Minister."

When it came to the actual tea party the day revolved around the book Alice in Wonderland. Teacher Kathryn Summers said the children rotated through old fashioned games such as croquet, marbles, elastics and skipping.

"The children all wore special hats for the Mad Hatter's Tea Party and we had a wonderful parade for the guests," Ms Summers said.

"The tea party involved the whole school sitting down at long tables to a mass of delicious delicacies."

Students were entertained by a play about Suleiman the Magnificent, a recital of the poem "The Jabberwocky".

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Last Modified: 14 Sep 2006