On Tuesday, October 25 Daniel Andrews was visiting Kings Park just across the road from Seymour Flexible Learning Centre; principal Shane Elliott was notified at 1pm that the Premier would be visiting his school, and 50 minutes later, he was there.
Mr Elliott said he was appreciative of Mr Andrews’ offers of support and time spent visiting the school.
“It was a good thing for him to come on site; he got to meet some of the kids, and the kids were over the moon that they got to see him,” Mr Elliott said.
“I guess they were more excited that somebody of that stature … was taking an interest in them.”
Throughout the flood emergency the students’ investment in the school has been evident, with some even helping in sandbagging efforts.
“They always check in with us and say ‘How are you doing? What can we do to support the school?’” Mr Elliott said.
Despite significant damage to the old schoolhouse, the school has been committed to remaining open for students. The school wasted no time in reopening on Tuesday, October 11, something Mr Elliott said the Premier seemed appreciative of.
“We were transparent with the school community about the damage, but we assured them our kids wouldn’t miss out on any learning,” he said.
For Mr Elliott, the visit was really about conveying the extent of the disappointment that the teachers and students felt about the damage to their school.
“It is pretty devastating opening the door … especially for our kids to see that,” he said.
Students’ family homes were not flood-affected, but they have still been deeply impacted by the event.
“It’s more the vicarious trauma,” Mr Elliott said.
Still, they continue to travel from all over the region, despite the anxieties of further flooding and road closures making returning home a challenge.
“We are a real community here within the school … the kids are resilient,” Mr Elliott said.