Carey Donvale ELC Celebrates 25 Years

In acknowledging a wonderful first semester, including a very successful 10-day period of online learning, we are already casting our minds ahead to what promises to be a very exciting Term 3.

In addition to our Prep to Year 6 Musical Production, Seussical Junior, our ELC are well on the way to realising their 25th Anniversary project. We aim to celebrate this ELC milestone through an art installation in the form of a blue-tongued lizard, a welcome resident reptile that frequents our play spaces. Additional artwork is also planned to connect this lizard to the existing campsite area and creek bed.

Community art projects were a feature of Jeanette Jennings’s time at Carey Donvale and Kylie Crampton is proudly continuing this tradition. The central artwork will reflect our unique bushland environment and is in keeping with our community-based ethos. The finished installation will capture the culture of our Wurundjeri people and will rest peacefully amidst the colours and patterns of the surrounding bush. Participants have been leaving their mark on this permanent installation through workshops held across our whole school community.

Our blue-tongued lizard will take pride of place in the ELC garden. The children and associated members of our Carey community have made hundreds of ceramic discs which form mosaic scales as well as glazed ceramic rocks in blue green colours to give the impression of water. Our ELC children recently made their own river rocks out of clay. As you can imagine, they were very excited when they finally got to paint their handmade river rocks in under-glaze colours.

The redevelopment of our existing campfire site and the creek bed will complete this extensive commemorative project.

Processing your child’s report
As you read through your child’s first semester report, I offer these words of advice as you discuss the contents:

• pitch your expectations in line with your child’s abilities
• take into account your child’s effort and attitude to learning
• look for individual progress and avoid comparing your child to siblings or friends
• the skills of independence, collaboration and co-operation are highly valued so please do not dismiss these as unimportant
• ask your child for their opinion about how they performed and discuss their concerns.

Steve Wilson
Head of Carey Donvale

Kylie Crampton
Junior School Donvale Art Teacher