It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to Garfield Primary School where I am truly honoured to introduce myself as the Principal. Whether you are an existing family that has strong connections with the school or whether you are considering enrolling your child, I thank you for taking the time to read this article.
With total enrolments of approximately 150, Garfield Primary School is fortunate to be set on picturesque grounds and have access to some incredible facilities. We have some large, modern and flexible learning spaces that provide a range of opportunities and experiences for our students on a daily basis, which were completely rebuilt in 2012. We have a large undercover sporting area as well as a large sporting oval, both of which are accessible to students during each play break, but also supports in the facilitation of a strong and engaging Physical Education program. Multiple playground areas also provide plenty of opportunities for students to be active and entertained during their break times. Finally, our specialist building houses our two other specialist programs, Japanese and Visual Art.
Our school motto of ‘Care to learn – Learn to care’, is evident through our daily teaching and learning practices. Whilst excellence in academics is hugely important to us at Garfield Primary School, as is the wellbeing of students and we strive to create well-rounded young people that are empathetic, caring and positive members of the community. Our core school values of respect, safety and learning also reflect this drive and underpin the work of our School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) framework. This is vitally important to us in promoting and explicitly teaching positive learning and social behaviours.
At Garfield Primary School we utilise a Professional Learning Community framework (PLC), which underpins our approach to teaching and learning. This supports teachers in working collaboratively to improve their own practice, to in turn strengthen student outcomes for all students. We strongly believe that learning is ongoing and a lifelong experience for students, teachers and parents and that with the right supports and approaches, all students can be successful in learning. By working together, we can and will always achieve greater results for all of the students we serve at Garfield Primary School.
Our website – garfieldps.vic.edu.au – offers a small insight to life at Garfield Primary School. However, if you have any further questions or would like to learn more, we would really encourage you to pick up the phone and contact the office.
I look forward to seeing you soon!
Danny Forster
Principal
