Skinned knees will be a distant memory for South Thornlie Primary School students, with new rubberised matting installed in the school’s undercover area.
According to Physical Education teacher Chris Mattock, it was an entire-school effort to fund the purchase and installation, inspired by the former long-time Physical Education teacher Grant Edwards.
“This soft-fall floor allows for gymnastics, winter sports when we can’t get out because it’s raining, that sort of thing,” he said.
“I took over Phys Ed two years ago, and Mr Edwards, who’d been at the school for about 100 years, this was his dream, he really wanted this permanent flooring because it makes such a difference to kids falling and hurting themselves.
“He had this vision and about 15 years ago he purchased a bunch of heavy-duty gym mats but they just got to the end of their useful life.”
A fundraising event at the school raised $10,000 for the flooring, a figure the P&C matched, with the school making up the shortfall.
Students played their part in helping install the flooring, which is in the colour of the school’s factions.
“We’ve already used it for faction games and it connects them to what we all belong to in the school.
“The kids absolutely love it, when we’ve been doing junior sports circuits on the area when it’s too hot outside and it’s already proved its worth.”
