SOTE auditorium now complete

Bill Campbell of Warwick builders, Bill Campbell & Co, handed over the keys for the recently completed auditorium to Richard Waters, principal of School of Total Education (SOTE) in Warwick last week.
The building comprises a state of the art theatre with a seating capacity of 350 as well as an Indoor Sports Centre suitable for futsal, netball, volleyball, and basketball.
The architect-designed building was made possible by the Building Education Revolution grant from the Federal Government with contributions from parents and friends and the Total Health and Education Foundation.
“The builder has done an excellent job and we are very excited at the scope of opportunity for sport and the arts the facility gives us,” Mr Waters said.
SOTE is a unique school providing education from Prep to Year 12.  It deliberately stays small by limiting class sizes to a maximum of 13.
Support for parents is provided through a weekly parents program, which creates a warm family atmosphere in the school.
A strong emphasis on character development and health through such initiatives as daily physical education, cooked lunches, the time out year, non-competition, yoga for secondary students and teachers as mentors helps balance the academic pressures on students.
“We find our children gravitate to the arts as a natural outlet and it helps their other academic subjects enormously,” Mr Waters said.
“This facility with its high tech video, lighting and audio capacity will broaden the students’ creative opportunities,” he said.
Mr Campbell said he was proud of the finished product and believed it was a real asset for the town.
The school plans to celebrate its 30th anniversary in Warwick later this year with a big reunion.
“We have graduates in all walks of life now, from doctors and lawyers to actors and musicians. We hope to see many of them back for the celebrations,” Mr Waters said.