Why Gardenvale Primary School?
Why Gardenvale Primary School?
GARDENVALE PRIMARY SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY EVENT 2025
Our annual Cross Country event was held today at Landcox Park under stunning blue skies and brilliant sunshine. Landcox, Milroy, Thomas and Hosking Houses competed in this event and students from Year 3 - Year 6 were required to complete various laps around the lake and surrounds according to their age. It was wonderful to see all the parents supporting this event and Milroy House was the eventual winner on the day. Students with winning times will be eligible to compete in a District and possibly a State competition in the following weeks. All our students are to be congratulated on their involvement, behaviour and positive attitude. “Winning is something, but participation is everything.”
GARDENVALE PRIMARY WHOLE SCHOOL BUSH DANCE
On Wednesday, April 2, Gardenvale Primary School conducted our annual “Bush Bash” dance fundraiser event on the Senior School campus, under the COLA. The whole school got together to raise money for the Queensland flood victims and the students were asked to bring a gold coin on the day. It was so brilliant to see every year level, donned in country and western clothing, participate in various square dances that they had learned and then practised during weekly Performing Arts classes.
The event also brought about a greater awareness of the tremendous impact the recent floods have had on townships, food supplies and livestock in Northern Queensland.
Students, parents and teachers thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon and all year levels joined in with great enthusiasm and excellent dancing skills. Thanks must go to Ilsa Cook and Tom Pitts for their dedication and tremendous encouragement!
GARDENVALE PRIMARY SCHOOL SWIMMING CARNIVAL 2024
On Friday, November 29, students in Years 4 - 6 attended the annual House Swimming Carnival at the Klim Swim Centre in Sandringham. Races included freestyle, backstroke, breastroke and butterfly and the students competed in their individual age groups as well as in their designated houses. Hosking, Thomas, Landcox and Milroy were all well represented, but it was Thomas House who took out the honours on the day. Students winning with fast times in their individual heats then went on to compete against other schools in the District Championships and then the State Championships if successful.
JAPANESE DAY 2024
On Wednesday, October 23, Gardenvale Primary School celebrated a whole school Japanese Day. The entire school was divided into 30 multi-age groups and through the course of the day, each class particpated in such activities as a costume parade, making hachimaki headbands, making Ninja origami spinners, Taiko drumming, Japanese videos on sushi making and chopstick games to name a few. One of the highlights was a sushi lunch enjoyed by all and everyone agreed that it was a fabulous celebration of Japanese language and culture at our school. Arigato Sensei Naoko for your incredible contribution.
SPACE DISCO!
On Friday, October 18, Gardenvale Primary School held a disco for the whole school in the Junior School hall, based on the theme of "Outer Space!". For Year Prep - Year 2 students, their disco was from 5pm - 7pm and Year 3 - Year 6 were from 7pm - 9pm. Apart from dancing with music provided by a DJ, students participated in a range of activities which included arts/craft tasks, face painting, fake tattoos, a photo booth, making door hangers and creating jewelled glasses. There were also lucky dips, lolly bags, icecream sandwiches, popcorn and a range of hot foods as well. Parents from Year Prep and Year two were the masterminds behind this outstanding event, which was enjoyed by everyone who attended! Overseeing the activities and the cleaning up was our ever smiling and hardworking PFA President, Robyn Krawitz. What a fabulous night of fun!
EUREKA! THE MUSICAL 2024
At the end of Term 3, Gardenvale Primary School presented their biannual musical titled, "EUREKA!", set during the gold rush. Held over three nights (including one matinee), at the Alexander Theatre, Monash University, students in Year 5 and Year 6 presented a brilliant show. Junior and middle school choirs also participated, as did students from each year level throughout the school. The script and music score was written by staff at Gardenvale Primary School and the productiom was a culmination of a term's effort. Another fabulous accomplishment that our senior students in particular, will remember for the rest of their lives!
FOOTY FEVER DAY
On Friday, September 20, Gardenvale Primary School held their annual Footy Fever Day, a celebration for the all the achievements in Term 3. From 9.00am - 10.30am, mixed classes from Prep - Year 6 competed in a tabloid football activity, involving such tasks as kick-to-kick, handball and marking and everyone wore the AFL football team colours/uniform that they supported. After recess, everyone congruated under the COLA to participate in the singing of their club's song. The event
was run by the Year 6 students and every team was represented in the singalong. Even teachers came out and gave their all!
A fabulous day to end a fabulous term! Onward and Upward everyone!
BOOK WEEK 2024
On Friday, August 23, Gardenvale Primary School held their annual Book Week parade under the COLA on the Senior School campus. Year Prep to Year 6 students came dressed as their favourite book characters and each year level was given the opportunity to parade in front of their peers and family members. Even the staff came dressed up and they received loud cheers from their students as they too had their own parade. The Children's Book Council of Australia annual shortlisted books are on display in the school library for classes to read during their library sessions and the winners of these awards will be announced in late August. A fun time was had by all and was such a wonderful way to celebrate reading at our school!
SCHOOL ATHLETICS CARNIVAL 2024
The 2024 annual House Athletics event took place at Duncan Mackinnon Reserve in Murrumbeena on Wednesday, August 8. All our students in Year 4 – 6 competed in at least 7 athletic track and field events, including, running, relays, shotput, discus, hurdles, long jump and high jump. The house system at Gardenvale Primary School consists of 4 houses; Thomas - Blue, Hosking - Red, Milroy - Yellow and Landcox - Green. The house with the highest score is crowned House Athletics Champion and overall, Thomas House were the 2024 house athletics champions. Congratulations to all the students who competed and gave it their best. Eighty-one of our students will now move on to District Championships and then Regional Championships if successful.
FAMILY FUN AND COLOUR RUN!
On Sunday October 29th, from 12pm - 3:30pm, Gardenvale Primary School hosted a fun-filled whole school event on the Senior School campus. Lead by the incredible Jodie Holthouse, who had the vision and who spent hours planning and overseeing everthing, the Family Fun Day event and Colour Run was a huge success.
The Grand Final of ''GARDENVALE'S GOT TALENT'' was held and the students who participated, showcased their amazing singing and dancing talents.
In the Multi-Purpose Centre, there was also a whole school ART EXPO, celebrating the amazing accomplishments of students from Prep to Year 6. Throughout Term 3, the students completed tasks showcasing their skills in threads and textiles, painting, clay, collage, drawing, printing and mixed media on the theme, “LET'S FACE IT!” There were over 900 pieces of artwork on display and the level of excellence had to be seen to be believed! Families unable to attend the event, had the opportunity to come in on Monday and view the display.
Performances by the amazing GPS Dance Troupe, Rhythm Nation and the Senior Choir, also took place and there was an array of stalls including cake, lolly, colour and plant stalls, as well as lucky dips and a fabulous sausage sizzle! The weather could not have been more stunning and it was fantastic to see so many students, parents and friends come out to support this fundraiser!
The day of course finished with a giant colour bang! Registered participants competed in a crazy obstacle course around the school grounds, whilst being bombarded with coloured bombs. The only rules were to wear a white T-shirt at the starting line and to finish plastered in an array of colours!
Participants received a pair of coloured sunglasses to wear in the race and there were additional prizes for those raising the most funds via sponsorship.
Thank you to everyone who attended, participated, offered their services, donated, sponsored students, volunteered and assisted in the organisation of this fabulous whole school event. These events just cannot take place without the dedication and passion shown by our school community. It is your effort and presence that makes our school the fabulous school that it is.
Thank you to all the students who participated in the Colour Run and who helped raise an outstanding amount of money for our school. It will certainly be put to good use.
Congratulations Gardenvale Primary School, under the leadership of Jodie Holthouse, on presenting such an amazing whole school event. The happiness, commradory and wonderful memories will stay with us for ever. Onwards and Upwards!
BOOK WEEK 2023
This year, Book Week was celebrated on the Senior Campus underneath the COLA. Students from the Junior School walked up from their campus to join the Year 3 - 6 classes. All students and teachers dressed as their favourite book character and parents also came along to join in the fun. Each class was given the opportunity to come out to the centre and form a parade while everyone clapped and cheered. The Children's Book Council of Australia annual shortlisted books were on display in the school library for classes to read during their library sessions and the winners of these awards were announced in late August.
RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIP / HERRRBY WEEK - 2022
The Respectful Relationships program currently being undertaken at Gardenvale Primary School, is about embedding a culture of respect and equality across our entire community, from our classrooms to staffrooms, sporting fields, fetes and social events. The Respectful Relationships program supports schools to promote and model respect, positive attitudes and behaviours and teaches our students how to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence.
On Tuesday June 14, a whole school, multi-age event took place on both campuses as part of our annual Herrrby Week celebrations and Respectful Relationships Program. Herrrby, our school values mascot, is an acronym for Honesty, Empathy, Resilience, Respect, Responsibilty and Being Yourself. Throughout the week, a variety of activities were planned, including a fun whole school homework task, a staff verses student netball match, a whole school in-house performance and a 'Dance Off"under the COLA to name a few.
Working in mixed aged groups, our students were asked to create and decorate a Gardenvale student character, to be displayed around the school, who depicted their own personal strengths.
During Visual Arts sessions, students also decorated a pebble with their name and face, as well as writing one of their strengths on it. Over 630 pebbles were used to create a "Strength Garden" on the Junior School Campus.
ANZAC CEREMONY 2022
At 10am this morning, Tuesday 26th April, a whole school commemorative Anzac Day ceremony was held under the COLA on the Senior Campus. In the school’s Centenary year, our neighbour, Jim, an army veteran who also turned 100 earlier this year, was our special guest of honour.
The Flanders poppy has long been a part of Remembrance Day, the ritual that marks the Armistice of 11 November 1918, but it is also being used as part of Anzac Day observances. During the First World War, red poppies were among the first plants to spring up in the devastated battlefields of northern France and Belgium. In soldiers' folklore, the vivid red of the poppy came from the blood of their comrades soaking the ground. The sight of poppies on the battlefield at Ypres in 1915 moved Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae to write the famous poem “In Flanders fields”.
Today during the ceremony, every child in the school held a paper Flanders poppy in memory of all the lives lost in wars, past and present, while our Year 6 students recited part of the poem, “In Flanders Fields” by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae.
Hopefully it was a very memorable day for Jim and it gave our school the opportunity to reflect and be thankful for the quality of life that we have today.
HERRRBY WEEK!
Tuesday June 15 was the start of HERRRBY WEEK celebrations at Gardenvale Primary School. Throughout the week, the school focused on the HERRRBY values of Honesty, Empathy, Resilience, Respect, Responsibilty and Being Yourself. A variety of activities were planned, including a fun whole school homework task, a staff verses student netball match where the whole school came to the Senior Campus to cheer on the players, a buddies art activity which addressed the current theme of "Supporting Each Other" and a “Dance Off” event organised by the Music specialist teacher and Music Captains where HERRRBY arrived and joined in all the fun in the Junior School hall. He even blew out the candles on his special HERRRBY cake!
Year 5 and Year Prep students also entertained everyone with some beautiful songs, including the HERRRBY song.
Each day the following classroom activities were undertaken:-
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Discussions such as treating everyone how you would like to be treated, being true to yourself, ways that you can support your friends,what we can all do to make ourselves more resilient.
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Circle time activies such as sharing why you think it is important to be honest and what does empathy look like.
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A family homework task of making a poster representing "How you survived lockdown".
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A focuss on each HERRRBY value over the four days.
MOTHER'S DAY @ GPS
Throughout Term 1 and Term 2, Year Prep - Year 6 students commenced creating their annual Mother's Day cards and gifts during their weekly Visual Arts sessions. Every year, each year level makes a different card and gift, using a wide variety of skills and techniques and they are gift wrapped and taken home in time for the Sunday celebrations.
This year, the following gifts were created:-
Year 6: Drawn student faces in glass picture frames with collaged background
Year 5: Hand stitched felt cats with lavender potpourri
Year 4: Collaged love hearts on canvas with stand included
Year 3: Folded owl tea towel with a chocolate egg
Year 2: Collaged flowers in a flower pot on canvas with stand included
Year 1: Black eco shopping bag with flower artwork inserted in pocket
Year P: Collaged picture frame with child’s photo inserted
The cards and gifts are part of a Parents’ Association annual fundraiser and this year all monies are going towards the construction and refurbishment of a new art room on the Senior School campus.
WALKATHON AT LANDCOX PARK
0n Wednesday, April 28, at 9.15am and in fabulous sunshine, Year Prep - Year 6 students made their way to Landcox Park for our annual Walkathon fundraiser. Students were asked to collect sponsors who nominated to pay an amount for every lap walked. Junior School students were encouraged to walk at least 8 laps of a marked course with their teachers, while the Senior School students tackled at least 10 laps around the lake. Parents manned stations around the courses and stamped a score card each time a student completed a lap. Herrrby, our values mascot, danced, cheered and high-fived all the students as they past by. Even a friendly T-Rex ambled into the park and helped Herrrby encourage our students.
This year the fundraiser hopes to support the relocation and refurbishment of a new Visual Arts Centre on the Senior School Campus. Congratulations to all the students who walked further than their designated laps and thank you so much to the brilliant parents who lined the course, cheering on our students!
ANZAC DAY COMMEMORATION
On Friday, April 23, students from Year 1 - Year 6 met on the Senior Campus to participate in our annual ANZAC Day ceremony. Students from the singing group, "The Jets", sang "The Last Anzac" and we were thrilled to have our neighbour, Jim Stanley Arkell, who will turn 100 years old next year, come to the commemoration ceremony wearing his service medals. He recited "The Ode" in front of the whole school and then after a rendition of the Last Post, there was one minute's silence.
Jim served in the army from 1939 - 1948 and was a member of the 2nd 23rd Battalion of the 9th division. He was part of the Cavalry Machine Gun Regiment and was first based in Western Australia, protecting our borders and then was later sent to Papua New Guinea.
It was such an amazing opportunity for our students to witness first-hand, an individual who could share his experience and exemplify the true meaning of the word "hero"; someone who made a difference and contributed to making life in Australia what it is today. Jim received an enlarged photograph of himself in uniform as a gift from the school.
BIG BLUE BUSH BASH
After nearly 12 months of not being able to meet and celebrate events as a whole school due to COVID 19, on April 15, Gardenvale Primary School conducted our annual “Big Blue Bush Bash” dance event on the Senior School campus, under the COLA. The whole school got together to raise money for "Beyond Blue", an initiative to help people battling mental illness. It was so brilliant to see every year level, donned in country and western clothing, participate in various square dances that they had learned and then practised during weekly Performing Arts classes.
The event also brought about a greater awareness about Autism, accepting our diversity and being mindful that not only do we all learn and think in different ways, but that we should celebrate these differences.
Students, parents and teachers thoroughly enjoyed the event and it was so wonderful to experience a form of normality and closeness which everyone had really missed over the past year.
GARDENSVILLE SPOON VILLAGE
To bring some happiness in these very uncertain times, the students, families and teachers at Gardenvale Primary School were encouraged to create a spoon character that would be placed in our front garden on the Senior School Campus for all to see. By September 9, we had 321 divine spoons peeking out along the fence line, protected from the elements by our Gardenvale Primary School marquis.
It wasn't long before our spoon numbers grew to over 450, with many adults from the neighbourhood leaving their spoons in the "village" as well! The tremendous joy that this initiative has brought to our community and beyond has been phenomenal and it has shown that together, we can make a huge difference to those around us. Congratulations to everyone who participated and gave their all to making this whole school event absolutely amazing. Onward and Upward as always! Brilliant effort!
"SUCH IS LIFE" SCHOOL FEATURE FILM
In 2020, Gardenvale Primary School’s Year 5 and Year 6 students embarked on the bi-annual school musical called "SUCH IS LIFE", written by Julie Pitts, Grant Puglia, and Tom Pitts. Before rehearsals began however, everything was interrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic. With schools going into total lockdown, a full scale live performance became impossible and therefore, a decision was made to convert the "SUCH IS LIFE" into a feature film. Students began rehearsing via zoom calls, learning their lines and practising songs and dances at home showing such incredible ingenuity, engagement and resilience.
When all Victorian schools returned in Term 4, filming began using various locations around the school, with social distancing maintained via the use of green screen technology. The result was beyond all expectations, with all the students performing at such a high level in the creation of a wonderful film!
To view the entire "SUCH IS LIFE" film, please click on the "Specialist Programs" tab on the home page and then on the "Performing Arts" tab. Sit back and enjoy this fabulous film, showcasing our very talented students.
VISUAL ARTS REMOTE LEARNING 2020
Throughout remote learning in Victoria last year, students at GPS were challenged to participate in daily learning programs using their devices to connect with school and home. Visual Arts was particularly challenging, as not all students had access to a plethora of art materials, so the entire program had to be focussed on some excellent art websites for all ages, as well as using materials that could be found around the home or purchased from local supermarkets / newsagents.
Assorted papers, card, coloured markers, pencils, rulers, paper scraps, tape, paints, wool, fabrics and a collection of recyclable materials, formed the basis of the art lessons and students were offered a collection of over 150 lessons to choose from using the ART- Online link on the school’s Visual Arts website. (Click on the "Specialist Programs" tab on the Home page to find the Visual Arts ART-Online link).
Every week, students were able to choose age appropriate instruction notes and videos, showing how to complete each specific art activity, as well as seeing a comprehensive materials list. Students were then asked to post their finished art product on Class Dojo, (Prep – Year 2), and Google Classroom, Year 3 – Year 6), to be shared and assessed.
The art teacher hand delivered over 180 art material prizes to each winning student’s household in recognition of their outstanding effort. Some of the remote learning artwork pieces shown above are currently on display in the Senior School Campus office foyer and they demonstrate the resisilence, resourcefulness and engagement of our amazing students in what certainly was a difficult time for all.