![LEARN YOUR WAY: The former Baluchi Oriental Rugs building on the intersection of High and South streets has been transformed by artist Kade Sarte, for Indie School. Pictures: MARK JESSER LEARN YOUR WAY: The former Baluchi Oriental Rugs building on the intersection of High and South streets has been transformed by artist Kade Sarte, for Indie School. Pictures: MARK JESSER](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ellen.ebsary/e3132e2a-3bb6-49ef-a3af-f58312a4c1eb.jpg/r0_0_5530_3687_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
During future lunch breaks at Indie School in Wodonga, a new mural will inspire students as they recharge.
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The former Baluchi Oriental Rugs building on the intersection of High and South streets has been transformed by popular local artist Kade Sarte.
Indie School, part of Albury Wodonga Community College, began leasing the building at the end of last year.
Executive principal David Pickett said with the school's signage on the building and its interior fitted out, now was the right time to adorn the exterior.
"Last year, with our increasing student numbers, we took over our former common room and turned it into a classroom," he said.
"The idea was to take over this building [across the road] and turn it into a common area.
"With that, we wanted to work with the students and put something positive up.
"We want them to be able to see that positive language on the wall.
"It helps with their self-monologue, and it adds to the greater community as well - we're seeing a fair bit of artwork pop up around town."
Mr Pickett said their motto, "learn your way", was the hook for the mural, which took shape across the last week of July.
"Learn your way is from our new website which has recently come out - we spent a lot of time working with Dutch Media over the summer," he said.
![NEW LOOK: Indie School's David Pickett and Fiona Keeble outside their new site. Picture: MARK JESSER NEW LOOK: Indie School's David Pickett and Fiona Keeble outside their new site. Picture: MARK JESSER](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ellen.ebsary/045abfaf-6c05-422a-b0e7-beded2cff5dd.jpg/r0_0_5568_3712_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"With our brand-new website, the idea was to continue what's on our website and keep the imagery and colour.
"Speaking to Kade, the artist, he had a lot of community members walk past, and stop him for a chat about it.
"What we really want to do on our building, as part of an annual event, is to have the students come up with a design and do an art exhibition, and have the community choose a design.
"We'd hopefully get the artist back in to teach the kids techniques, and apply it to our wall."
IN OTHER NEWS:
Students enjoyed only one day of the finished product, before Victorian schools returned to online learning on Wednesday.
Indie School, which provides an alternative education for young people aged 15 to 19, is unique in that it is based in Victoria but students are enrolled in the NSW curriculum.
But to align with restrictions, classes are not running at Wodonga and some students are instead attending the Albury campus, with a bus provided to assist their travel.
"Here in Wodonga, we're doing remote learning, but the school over in Albury is going ahead as normal at the minute," Mr Pickett said.
"Like for other schools, there's been the background concern that there will be a hard shut-down [of the border closure].
"We'll keep going ahead as best we can."