Warradale Primary School

Ms DIGANCE (Elder) (15:11): Just recently, I was delighted to host a group of year 6 and 7 students from Warradale Primary School, along with their teachers Amber and Brenda. It was great to have them as guests in Parliament House. The students were enthusiastic, asking many questions, showing their interest and understanding of democracy in action. They were a group representative of their school community, demonstrating strong values of courtesy and respect.

The students enjoyed experiencing both the Legislative Council and the House of Assembly, learning where the Speaker sits and discussing that important role. They were inspired by the amazing and historic array of books and maps in the parliamentary library and enjoyed searching for relatives on the suffrage petition register. Upon completion of the tour, I was pleased to take them to their seats in the Stranger's Gallery so they could settle back to listen to question time. It was my pleasure to ensure that the Speaker acknowledged their presence in the house.

Warradale Primary School is one of the many dynamic schools in my electorate and is known locally as a caring learning community with a commitment to development of socially responsible individuals supported to reach their academic potential, foster responsible relationships and expect engagement that maximises their learning. The Warradale Primary School has in fact been labelled by the local media as 'the caring school' for their work in the local community as they work in partnership with local aged-care providers, churches and the council. It is little wonder that these partnerships have translated into well-deserved awards and grants.

Warradale is committed to healthy lifestyles through sport and activity programs, healthy eating and environmental sustainability. The school is very active and dynamic, offering a breakfast club, wetland programs, environmental programs, a native food trail and orchard, a vegetable garden and a specialist music program.

The breakfast club operates every Wednesday morning during term before school and oftentimes there are around 50 students in attendance. I am told it has been a great success in providing a healthy start to the day for students who, for various reasons, do not have breakfast before arriving at school. It has been successfully operating since 2005 thanks to the pastoral support worker with involvement of local church groups and volunteers. It is a great way for students, parents and teachers to enjoy the community aspect and friendship with the volunteers at the breakfast club. I am told there are a number of students who really just like to attend because they can.

The students at Warradale Primary School have the opportunity to enjoy the wetlands that were developed in partnership with many, including the Warradale Urban Camp School, Trees For Life, Bunnings and Bendigo Bank, to name a few. It was the students who suggested the development of such a site because, when in 2008 they were researching the plight of the southern purple-spotted gudgeon, they identified—

Mr Speirs: Excellent!

Ms DIGANCE: —thank you—that a need for clean, natural environments was paramount. I understand that, within weeks, an increase in birdlife in and around the wetlands was noticed. Native fish, including the southern purple-spotted gudgeon, were introduced to the ponds in 2010, and during that year, teachers worked to develop learning units based in and around the wetlands.

Another program that is noteworthy is the environmental program, which sees students and staff, as well as parents, committed to the continual improvement of the environment to reduce the school's carbon footprint. This commitment has seen the school undertake a number of recycling projects, including ink cartridges, bottles and cans, and the local council kerbside recycling program.

Warradale Primary School has also addressed energy conservation by installing water-saving devices on all washbasins, drinking fountains and toilet facilities. Solar panels have been installed on two buildings and records of electricity consumption can be monitored by the students through the curriculum by way of maths and science.

It would be remiss not to mention the wonderful eight-plot vegetable garden for growing vegetables and herbs. Each class provides compost from lunch scraps for the gardens. The excess produce is given away to community members. To complement these environmental projects that the school has, to their credit they have constructed, courtesy of a grant, a native foods trail and orchard. It gives students the opportunity to be involved in planting a variety of native fruits and herbs, and has connections with the local Aboriginal community of the area.

Appropriately, the native food trail is positioned near the wetlands so that students not only from Warradale Primary School but also those students from visiting schools can study both the habitat of the wetlands and the links with the native flora of the district. Warradale Primary School, under the guidance of principal Greg, is a vibrant, friendly school offering a welcome and an opportunity to all students who pass through its doors.

To have the opportunity to visit this school is a pleasure, as friendly faces are there to greet. Thank you to the students and teachers from Warradale Primary School who were my guests in Parliament House just recently. I enjoyed your company and will welcome you back at any time in the future.