Primary School

The Year That Was - A Reflection of 2024

This year in Primary School has been a remarkable tapestry of growth, connection, and achievement. Together, we’ve all been part of the joy of learning, collaboration, and community spirit, ensuring that our students thrive in every way possible. Our classes have embraced countless opportunities to explore, lead, and give back to the people around us. Community service donation drives have been given to generously and shown how even just giving a little can have a profound impact.

Our focus on service shone brightly as students participated in the Thousand Hearts Project and collected donations for the homeless, embodying our values of kindness and compassion. We are lucky to have the benefits of a diverse range of teaching and learning styles here at GSG. Our students are not only taught with evidence-based practices that use our knowledge of the science of learning to learn fundamental skills such as decoding and tackling tricky words but also embrace the joy of learning through inquiry.

Creativity and critical thinking flourished through the challenge of diverse projects. Students tackled real-world challenges, from designing sustainable businesses to crafting innovative caravans, showcasing their ingenuity and dedication. Meanwhile, outside the classroom our House Spirit came alive through many different opportunities: sports, math relays, Book Week design challenges, House Singing, the Spirit Shield for Athletics...the list could go on! These moments of laughter and unity are the heartbeat of our school.

This year also saw all year groups from Years Three to Six extend their learning and independence through our camp program. This starts small with one night sleeping over at school, building through two nights away at Camp Quaranup, four nights in Perth exploring the city and finishing with the week away at Rottnest Island. These camp programs are such a huge part of developing whole cohort cohesion and resilience while building on learning experiences taken outside of the classroom.

2024 also saw a huge lineup of cocurricular offerings and opportunities for our older students to represent our school. To name just a few: line dancing and Lego Club for Horizons, summer Social Netball which has brought other schools to join us, the AFL Tour, the Hockey Tour, Pipe Band, commemorative services within our local community, and finally our Japan Tour, where students immersed themselves in Japanese culture, broadening their global awareness and appreciation for diversity.

These are just a few examples of how we continue to extend learning beyond the classroom. None of this would have been possible without our incredible staff, whose dedication and creativity bring our school vision to life. Your skills, expertise and passion for learning in all seven diverse ways make our school a great place to be every day. A heartfelt thank-you to our classroom and specialist teachers, and to Ms Christina Hitchcock for her exceptional organisation and care. We acknowledge the time and effort you put into ensuring every opportunity for our students counts.

To our families, thank you for fostering the sense of community that makes our school so special. As we prepare for another dynamic year, we are thrilled to announce the appointment of Ms Meghann Ritchie as Learning Support Coordinator and thank Ms Suzanne Youens for her high level of dedication in running our Learning Support and Enrichment Program. We also look forward to welcoming back Ms Leah Field as Head of Primary.

Together, let’s build on this year’s successes and continue nurturing a vibrant, supportive, and inspiring environment for our children. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. Here’s to 2025!

Merry Christmas and have a safe and happy holiday!

Mrs Hayley Ranger and Miss Carys Nichols | Acting Heads of Primary