Sustainable Living Program – 5 Star Smart School

EPPALOCK Primary School has a strong environmental focus through our involvement in water saving initiatives, National Tree Planting Day and sustainable energy projects.

Our school has recently won an award from the Bendigo Sustainability Group in the Early Education/Primary category for showing commitment to sustainable learning through our Living Green Program.

We have also won a Bendigo Sustainability Award. The involvement in these activities provides many opportunities for authentic learning to take place. Eppalock PS is also a 5 star resource smart school.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Education is taught to all students in a 90 minutes block every week and covers the specific knowledge and skills found in science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines. It also covers the interrelationship between these areas, allowing learning to be delivered in an integrated way, helping a deeper engagement in the four disciplines.

Skills are increasingly in demand in our rapidly changing world. STEM skills and knowledge are important for all stages of our learning, jobs and everyday lives.

Our school has a dedicated Performing Arts specialist who helped co-create our first ever musical production, titled ‘School Of Gepparock.’ Once a term, we host ‘On The Deck,’ a casual Friday afternoon showcasing all the students musical talents. This year has also seen the formation of our first rock band, The Possum Tragics,’ who practise every Thursday before school.

Our school has two School Captains, three House Captains and a Performing Arts Captain, which form an enthusiastic and positive student leadership group. Students from all grades are elected as Junior School Councillors and take a leading role in the organisation of community service activities. Classrooms are well resourced and each classroom has a television screen used for displaying digital learning content. A one-one netbook program runs from Grades 3 to 6 and the prep to grade 2 access a bank of iPads and netbooks.

Eppalock’s school values include Be Resilient, Be Kind, Be Responsible, Be Respectful. These values were chosen by our school community in 2019 as what we see to be most important to us.

We use the restorative approach across the school to resolve conflict and the school community is currently in the process of implementing SWPB (School Wide Positive Behaviour).

As part of the SWPBS framework our school has a matrix of expectations across the school and in each classroom which has been made with input from students, families and staff. Our school community works hard to live by these values and expectations, at school, home and in the community.

Our school is set in attractive, well maintained, spacious grounds in the rural community of Axe Creek, just 7 kms east of Strathfieldsaye. You will find us by driving down Mannes Lane (off Strathfieldsaye Road) and turning at Patons Road, we are not far at all.

The area caters for families who look upon the unique features of a rural school as part of their lifestyle choice. Students are in three small multi-age groups supported by dedicated teachers and strong family involvement.

Mandarin is taught from Prep to Grade 6 and children benefit from specialist areas of Drama/Music, Physical Education, MARC library Van as well as our Living Green Sustainability Program and STEM Program. We also take part in cluster athletics sports with other neighbouring schools, the regional cross country as well as many other sporting days.

Eppalock Primary School is an open, friendly and caring school that strives to provide quality education that maximises all student abilities and produces well-adjusted, responsible and self-reliant students.

//SPONSORED CONTENT