Principal's Report

STEM

This year we are thrilled to introduce STEM as an additional specialist program at Gardenvale. Mr Meng Tan will teach all Year 1 to 6 classes for their weekly STEM session in the MPC. Ms Ilsa Cook will teach the Prep classes for STEM. 

What is STEM? 

STEM is an approach to learning and development that integrates the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. 

Why is STEM important?

The global economy is changing. Current jobs are disappearing due to automation and new jobs are emerging every day as a result of technological advances.

The continual advances in technology are changing the way students learn, connect and interact every day. Skills developed by students through STEM provide them with the foundation to succeed at school and beyond.

Pastoral Care Meetings

Please remember that Year 1 to 6 Pastoral Care meetings are scheduled for next week, from Monday 19th February.  Bookings are open on Compass.  Access to bookings will close this Sunday 18th February at 6pm. These are important conversations between parents and class teachers that allow our staff to access the information from families that assist them in providing optimal classroom teaching and care for their students. 

School Council

Gardenvale Primary School is supported by the governance and direction of our School Council. This group meets twice per term (or as required) and is made up of staff and parents. The current School Council of 15 members (9 parent, 1 community and 5 staff) has five sub committees that look at Education, Finance, Buildings and Grounds, Communications and Out of School Hours Care. 

Below is a timetable for the upcoming elections for the 2024 Council. We are seeking to fill 5 parent vacancies. Please consider nominating for a role or call the office to discuss any queries regarding this upcoming election process. Nomination forms are available now from the Senior Campus office.

Year 5 Camp

Our Year 5 campers boarded the buses this morning for their journey to Bayview Adventure Camp, Grantville, where they will be involved in surfing and adventure activities. We wish our Year 5 students a most rewarding time as they learn new skills and make new friends.  We sincerely thank the teachers and parents for making this camp possible, they will provide the students with a rich and rewarding experience.

Annual Privacy Reminder for Our School Community

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy, describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn. 

We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use [Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education] safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using [Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education], please contact the school.

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in ten community languages: Amharic, Arabic, Dari, Gujarati, Mandarin, Somali, Sudanese, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese.

Have a great week,

Janine Hall