The MARC LIBRARY VAN services six small schools in the Warrnambool area. The participating schools include Grasmere, Panmure, Cudgee, Noorat, Nullawarre, and Woolsthorpe. The MARC library provides a range of resources to approximately 320 students and 25 teaching staff across the six schools. 

The MARC Library van is at Grasmere Primary School on a Thursday. Each class participates in a one-hour library lesson, as well as having the opportunity to borrow a range of new release books and quality reading material from the MARC van. Mrs Christina White is responsible for the delivery of a rich and engaging MARC Library Program during these weekly library sessions.

The MARC Library Program aims to:

• Promote a LOVE OF READING and a genuine appreciation of literature amongst all students
• Contribute to the development of  a strong reading culture within each school
• Keep updated with new release reading material that is of high-interest to students and staff
• Provide a wide range of resources that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge, thinking skills, problem-solving ability and cognitive development 
• Provide a weekly library lesson that is highly engaging for the students and aims to further develop skills across a range a curriculum areas, with a focus on literacy
• Provide teaching staff with highly effective teaching materials that will enrich and support the Victorian Curriculum, taking into consideration the varied interests, abilities and needs of the different cohorts and individual students.

Our school has a strong commitment to the personal development and wellbeing of all the students at Grasmere. 

We believe in strengthening each student’s physical, social and emotional wellbeing. 

Each Learning Community focuses on the individual needs to ensure that they reach their full potential.  

We utilise programs and philosophies such as Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships curriculum to ensure we create an inclusive and safe environment for all to learn.  

Our journey in Wellbeing is continuously evolving as we deepen our understandings, and the needs of our students grows and changes.  Our staff are incredibly passionate about wellbeing and ensure we strategic plan and invest in Professional Learning that is relevant, evidence based and what is required at the time for the school. 

We have created a Nurture Room for vulnerable and neurodivergent students that has a focus on oral language, sensory development and social and emotional development that aligns to the Victoria Curriculum.  The Nurture room is a safe, calming space in the transition between school and home. Students are supported in this space by staff who plan, provide opportunities and time for the students to be “ready for learning”. 

Within the Sensory program we have incorporated into the Nurture Room we focus on the senses (vision, sound, smell, taste, and touch) and the more abstract senses such as wellbeing, space or togetherness.  

The Sensory Program supports students with organisation, self-regulation, relaxation, communication, and stress release to better equip students to cope in mainstream classroom settings and therefore, participate more positively and successfully in their learning. 

Big Life

The ‘Big Life’ program is a collaboration between Brauer College, Grasmere Primary School, Koroit & District Primary, Woodford Primary School, Warrnambool West Primary School, Woolsthorpe Primary School, Merrivale Primary School and Warrnambool College (collectively known as “the schools”) and the Warrnambool Student Wellbeing Association. 

The Warrnambool Student Wellbeing Association was established in 2015. It evolved out of the Warrnambool Chaplaincy Committee which has a 50-year track record of working with local schools to deliver pastoral care services. The association has been formed in response to the growing need for a strategic approach to delivering wellbeing services to students, to address key elements of human development which fall outside the resources and remit of public schools.  

The Big Life program is working toward building student, staff, and parent capability to more effectively negotiate key life challenges. It is doing this through developing whole of school routines & common language, professional development for staff, curriculum development and parent engagement and support. It commenced in Term 3 2014 and is building a framework in real time, which is being closely observed around the state. It is resourced 50/50 between the Association and the Schools. 

The program is guided by the evidence based “5 big questions” which are at the heart of personal development, and guide the social and emotional learning of students across their years at primary school and into secondary school. These questions are:  

1. How do I relate to people who are different to me?  

1. How can I love and be loved? 

1. What is the meaning of life?  

1. How do I make family work – even if I haven’t got one or don’t want mine?  

1. What do I do when bad things happen?  

The Grasmere Community commits to promoting a school that promotes happy, active and healthy kids as a supportive, collaborative and encouraging environment where students feel content, loved and valued. 

Children enjoy coming to school and are engaged in their learning. They are aware of their goals and are provided with opportunities to learn both in and out of the classroom.   
Students enjoy open, natural play spaces and plenty of time outdoors. They are physically active and understand the importance of good habits when it comes to their physical and mental health.  
Children have healthy interactions with other students and positive connections with staff. They build their social skills and confidence through talking and playing with one another and they learn how to manage their emotions. 

Specific priorities for action include:   

1. Promoting positive connections – strengthening a sense of belonging and connectedness.  

1. Providing explicit social and emotional learning programs – strengthening community action and personal skills by continuing to embed social and emotional learning. 

1. Promoting physical health- utilising curriculum, plans, programs, facilities and interactions between staff, students, and parents to influence health promoting behaviour. 

Breakfast Club

In 2020 Grasmere Primary School was invited to participate in the School Breakfast Club program. The Victorian Government continues its partnership with Foodbank Victoria to provide healthy meals that will help students focus better and enables them to participate fully in their education. 

We run the breakfast club 5 mornings a week, our School Breakfast Club aims to ensure students start the day with a healthy meal, to improve concentration, and to help students make friends and create strong social connections. 

Staff along with students from Year 3 – 6 assists with the set-up, serving, and packing up each day. Healthy Breakfast is an all-inclusive initiative which is well received by students at Grasmere Primary School.  

In 2023, we were lucky to receive a $2000 grant from The Good Guys to help cover the cost of resources such as toasters, a freezer, and sandwich press to ensure we run an effective Breakfast Club for all students.  

At Grasmere, we include a wide variety of arts into our program.  We show students many ways to express their creative sides.  We explore the artwork from different cultures and times in history.  Students are encouraged to respond and reflect upon artworks by famous artists and those of their classmates.  

Imagine learning about Henri Matisse and having a bowl of goldfish to inspire you. When learning about monochromatic colours (variety of light and shade within 1 colour) we transformed the classroom into a tropical rainforest to accurately draw and paint all the green colours of the leaves. 

We invite local indigenous artists to the school and celebrate the cultures of our students.  You can see the giant mural at the front of the school welcoming you to Grasmere Primary. 

Grasmere students regularly attend drama performances in Warrnambool at secondary schools and the Lighthouse Theatre.  Classroom teachers integrate elements of drama into their everyday lessons, e.g. In Literacy, students participate in Reader's Theatre, which is acting using vocal expression. 

Our Values program and lunchtime activities support the ARTS curriculum through; drumming, ukulele club, choir/glee club, and art club.  The whole community is invited to attend our annual concert to sing and dance along!