Benalla P-12 music students entertained community members and Benalla Rural City Councillors at the school’s open day on Wednesday, June 11.
Photo by
Simon Ruppert
If you haven’t visited the Benalla P-12s Faithfull St Campus in the past few years, you might not recognise any of it.
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On Wednesday, June 11, it hosted an open day, with the 2025 school captains and campus principal Karlie McGrath taking community members, future students’ parents and local councillors on a tour.
It’s fair to say, no matter what a young person aspires to in life, they can achieve their dreams and forge a pathway to them at Benalla P-12 College.
Benalla P-12 students are offered a variety of learning opportunities including automotive studies.
Attendees on the tour experienced several classic and contemporary songs confidently performed by music students.
The tour visited the newly renovated Year 3/4 hub, before moving over to the school’s STEAM building, which is only two years old.
In there they were shown the science rooms and library, the school’s art facilities and the technology section where students are programming an arcade machine — among many other things.
The Rex Wills trade centre was a highlight, with students getting on with various creative metal-working and woodworking projects.
It adjoins the school’s automotive workshop, where students were busy learning about the automotive industry, while working on one of the teachers’ cars.
Students were busy undertaking a range of projects when the open day tour visited the Rex Wills trade centre at Benalla P-12 College.
Photo by
Simon Ruppert
The tour also featured a visit to the school’s new food technology facility, which includes a new canteen where students can get involved and learn about food service.
Campus principal Karlie McGrath said the school aimed to offer education in a range of fields, from academic to more hands-on learning.
“We’re really proud to be able to show the community just how much the school’s changed and how calm and inviting the learning environment is for our students,” she said.
Benalla Mayor Bernie Hearn, herself a former student at the school, said it looked like getting kids to school wouldn’t be a problem, but getting them to go home at the end of the day might be.
“It’s fantastic, and it’s so modern and up to date,” she said.
“The facilities aren’t cramped, there’s lots of room and it’s just fantastic.
“The food hall is absolutely amazing. I’ve done food in a lot of schools over the years and this is just phenomenal.
Benalla P-12 Faithfull St Campus principal Karlie McGrath led the tour of the school’s state-of-the-art facilities — the culmination of a decade of building work and upgrades.
Photo by
Simon Ruppert
Cr Hearn said she was particularly impressed with the school having a fully operational car mechanic workshop on-site.
“I remember the years when the Faithfull St Campus was actually a technical school, where the trade people came and did their weeks learning here.
“And the automotive facilities are impressive. As long as we have cars, we’re going to need mechanics.
“Not every student will be an academic scholar, and guess what? We don’t need all academic scholars.
“So it is fantastic that this school actually has the facilities in all the trades for kids to even just dabble in and see if that’s the way they want to go.
“There are so many more options for children while they’re learning in schools like this, to be able to try out different occupations.
“To think that the youth of this time get such great facilities is amazing.”
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