Principal's Message

Welcome

We would like to take this opportunity to introduce you and your family to Laburnum Primary School. We believe you will find our community to be an open and friendly one, with a sincere desire for parents to take an active part in their children's schooling.
With a current teaching staff of around 50 and an enrolment of approximately 760 children, divided into 34 classes from Prep to Grade 6, excellent programs are provided across all areas of the curriculum, with a focus on Literacy and Numeracy.  In addition, we deliver specialist programs in Visual Arts, Music, Library, Physical Education, Languages Other Than English (Italian), Reading Recovery, Literacy Support and a well supported Disabilities & Impairments program.

Great emphasis is placed on the traditional learning areas of Maths and English where we strive to develop each child's skills to their maximum individual potential. We also recognise the importance of providing a comprehensive curriculum, with Studies of Society and the Environment, Science, the Arts and Health all being incorporated into classroom programs through an inquiry based Integrated Curriculum that focuses on student engagement.  The recently developed Community Garden has proven to be an outstanding addition to our integrated curriculum, with grade levels incorporating this resource into inquiry based units of work around the central concepts of sustainability. 

Laburnum also places great importance on the integration of ICT into all curriculum areas, with fully networked computer rooms between every two classrooms, and thirty interactive electronic whiteboards distributed across the school ensuring that students have the opportunity to work with relevant technology.  Next year laburnum will be a trial school for the DEECD’s much anticipated, and highly publicised, Ultranet Program, which will use ICT resources to significantly increase open and effective communication between students, parents and teachers. 

The Performing Arts are well catered for at Laburnum, with a specialist music program being delivered to all classes. This year, students have also been given the opportunity to perform in a Prep-6 Gala Performance, grade level concerts, and a Prep Christmas concert.  Tuition is available in a variety of instruments, whilst our highly-regarded bands, string ensemble, dance group and two choirs provide children with an opportunity to display their musicianship by performing in front of a range of audiences.

Next year our outstanding facilities will be further improved by the addition of a modern new library, refurbished administration area, exciting outdoor classroom adjacent to our Community Garden, synthetic grass running track around the oval, and new children’s playground equipment, the basketball stadium sized hall and Performing Arts Centre that have provided the focus for our Physical Education and Performing Arts Programs.

Parental involvement and participation in the educative process can take many forms, ranging from helping at working bees through to involvement on Parents Group and School Council. This is a vital part of education at Laburnum. It is not simply making life easier for the teaching staff; it is active, hands on involvement in the development of your children. Parental involvement enables many educational activities to be undertaken that would otherwise be out of the reach of the school. In addition, parents have the opportunity to establish new friendships where the school can become a valued part of social life in the community.

At Laburnum we very much value and appreciate all parent input and genuinely seek to encourage parental involvement in the organization of our school. Please feel free to communicate with the school at any time to discuss areas of concern or interest, as open communication between parents and teaching staff is essential in providing the best possible education for each individual child.

We sincerely hope that any association you might have with Laburnum Primary School is a happy and rewarding one for both the school and your family.

Gavin Gamble
Principal