The Armidale Secondary College opened with fanfare more than a week ago, but because of COVID-19 restrictions, not many people other than teachers and students have been able to go inside.
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School principal Caz Lasker took ACM on a tour last week to give us an idea of the kind of state-of-the-art education facility a $121 million budget can buy.
In the videos below we take a tour of the year 12 neighbourhood (one of six neighbourhoods in the school) with sport captain Tanaka Marume while Ms Lasker talks us through the outside layout.
But before we took off with some of the leadership team (school captains Jordan King and Emilie Gates, and sports captains Lochie McLeod and Tanaka Marume), we asked Ms Lasker what elements of the old school remain and, apart from the multi-purpose centre build, if there are any other elements still to be installed.
"The integral part of the old school and the legacy that it leaves is the heritage building which was part of Armidale High School," Ms Lasker said.
"In terms of infrastructure that has been maintained and refurbished. There will be certain customs and practices that are held over, but the school song will be rewritten, and that is in process at the moment."
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Ms Lasker said she was very hopeful that the new school song will incorporate some Anaiwan language to celebrate the land's traditional custodians.
"The old school song was the Armidale High School song so it wouldn't be correct or right to maintain that into the future," she said.
"Fergus Lupton, an ex-student of Armidale High School, is writing the new song and we hope to have it soon."
More shade is not planned, and the current buildings are complete said Ms Lasker.
"The building has been signed off as is, but we're working to identify any issues with students," she said.
"During break time the students have been quick to work out where the shade is," she said.
"Students have full access to the buildings as well, and we don't shoo them out.
"In winter we would lose too much sun and warmth if we installed shade sails, but we won't be having a performance in the amphitheatre in the middle of the day in summer."
Parents will be some of the first users of the outdoor amphitheatre in the coming weeks.
"Fairly soon we will have parents through in the evening," Ms Laser said.
"At the moment, COVID-19 restrictions allow us to only have a maximum of 100 people onsite outside for a maximum of one hour.
"So we will have Year 7 and Year 12 parents through the school in week four, then Year 8,9, 10 and 11 parents in the following weeks.
"The wider community will be after that, but with only 100 people allowed, it makes it very hard, so we are hoping the COVID restrictions will be eased soon."