The move by from Tweed Heads South to Kirra has become something a homecoming for teacher Kerry Spence.
As an eight-year-old in the late 60s, Kerry was a student at the Coolangatta State School, which was then situated on Kirra Hill and this week she came back to teach, more than 40 years later.
Kerry an art teacher for the ACE Community College, which relocated to the old site of the state school – now the Kirra Hill Community and Cultural Centre – this year.
ACE Community Colleges, who have been based in Tweed Heads South for nearly 20 years, recently closed the doors to their Tweed College and have taken some space in the Kirra Hill Community and Cultural Centre. They will be offering many of their popular general program classses there.
“We’re looking forward to welcoming the local community and students from our Tweed College, which closed late last year; and have made sure there is something for everyone with our new program,” General Courses co-ordinator Di Baxter said.
“Classes starting soon, include First Aid, The Complete Drawing Course, Jewellery Making, Belly Dancing, Yoga, Literacy and Numeracy classes.”
She said the Kirra Hill Com-munity and Cultural Centre was ideally located at the top of Kirra Hill, with views up and down the beautiful coastline. There is plenty of parking and public transport and lots of undercover outside space.
Kerry said she couldn’t wait to return to her old stomping ground.
“I loved going to school there because it looked out onto the ocean – we’d all be hanging over the fence looking at the beach, waiting for the school bell to go off so we could get down there,” she said.
“I’m so glad that it has been given to the community to use. It will be a wonderful experience to be back there teaching – it’s certainly an environment that is very conducive to creativity.”
Kerry has worked in pencil, charcoal, pastel and coloured pencils, acrylics, watercolours and oils and enjoys all mediums and a range of subjects, portraiture being a favourite. She has been teaching art for ACE Community Colleges for over 13 years and she also has her own studio at Coral Street, Tweed Heads.
Kerry’s ‘Complete Drawing Course’ commenced at the Kirra Hill Community and Cultural Centre yesterday, Wednesday, January 30. To enrol, or to enquire about other courses available at ACE, visit
acecolleges.edu.au or call 07 5536 9429.
