Ms SPENCE (Yuroke) — It was an honour to recently visit Greenvale Primary School as part of its writers’ festival, a celebration of the students’ writing which the school has focused on enriching over the last two years. The theme for this year was ‘Wishes, Hopes and Dreams — a wish for me, a wish for my family and a wish for the world’. Each of the 735 students had their writing on display inside a balloon shape, and I congratulate each of them for their thoughtful words.

After being greeted by school captains Sandu and Zain, I was able to look at and read the students’ work on display throughout the school. It was terrific to then have one student from each of the school years present their piece. The writing was outstanding and I thank foundation student Asli, Dane from year 1, Keera from year 2, Adela from year 4, Joseph from year 5 and Cody from year 6 for sharing their work. These students told me that their writing had improved with the writing enrichment program and the parents of the presenters also noted that their students’ confidence and pride in their work had improved through this learning. The literacy program undertaken by the school has delivered great results and will stand these students in good stead for many years to come. With the learning of literary devices from onomatopoeia to alliteration, inferences, personification, similes, rhetorical questions and homophones, the extent of the students’ knowledge and understanding was outstanding.

Congratulations to principal Angelika Ireland, strategic leader of literacy Georgia Kroger, and all the support staff involved in putting this festival together.