There’s much more to maintaining a school than meets the eye. Matthew Downey’s work is crucial to keeping his regional primary school running.
When Matthew Downey had a serious accident while servicing heavy machinery in 2009, a job at St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Orange, in the NSW central tablelands, was a lifeline.
Under a back-to-work scheme, Matt started working one day a week at the school. His wife, Nicole Downey, is the Financial Manager at St Mary’s and a member of the IEU Executive.
“One day a week turned into three days a week and, as the school grew, the role became full time,” Matt says.
Early starts
Matt’s day starts at 7am when he unlocks the school and walks around to check everything is in order. He makes sure there are no leaks in the toilet block, that the lights are all working and he fixes anything that needs attention.
This generally takes about 90 minutes, then it’s time for a coffee before he jumps on the mower to maintain the ovals. As the day proceeds he might move furniture or boxes, or do some gardening, plumbing or electrical work.
Once a week he runs a gardening club for kindergarten students.
“The kids love watching what they’ve planted grow and taking it home to their families,” he says. “People don’t get their hands dirty so much these days so it’s nice to see them having fun digging and growing their own veggies.
“It’s a fun and satisfying part of my week.”
