Recognising our centenary through art

Steve Wilson, Head of Junior School Donvale

The unveiling of our centenary sculpture this May was a milestone moment for the School. In honouring our past and embracing the future, it is important to understand where Donvale sits in the overall Carey storyline.

Donvale opened in 1989 with 82 students and 13 staff. Since those humble beginnings, the Donvale campus has grown to a community of just under 300 students, 180 families and approximately 45 staff. Junior School Donvale has maintained a commitment to going beyond the academics in an effort to nurture curiosity, collaboration and creative thinking. To that end, the visual and performing arts have been at the heart of some of the most memorable wholeschool projects that have left their mark on our campus and the local community. Most importantly, in every case, these artistic pursuits have connected with concepts in mathematics, science, history, storytelling or languages. These endeavours have helped to shape who we are as the Junior School Donvale community.

Continuing this tradition, our sculpture involved every student and staff member to create a powerful story represented in three strikingly beautiful mosaic leaves. Kylie Crampton and Jeanette Jennings, current and past Donvale Art teachers respectively, designed the sculpture with the theme, ‘Landscape of Learning’.

As you enter our campus, this imposing sculpture is a reminder of the three-way partnership of student, parent and educator that underpins everything we do.

• The child is the central leaf, the most prominent and integral part of the learning landscape. The tones reflect the comfort of the embracing landscape alongside the blues of the Mullum Mullum Creek. The creek reflects the flowing nature of the student in their learning journey, and their capacity as an individual to respond to the curriculum.

• To the left is the parent leaf, guiding the development of their child. We also pay respect the land of the Wurundjeri people through the colours of Australian wattles: orange, yellow and the colour of the earth.

• To the right is the leaf of the educators who nurture and provide knowledge. One side of this leaf depicts the reds of our flowering gums, a colour that also connects us to the earth with the deep brown of the tree trunks.