Junior School

We believe children are never too young to be challenged as we help them achieve their goals driven by a genuine love of learning.

Our IB Primary Years Program

We provide a highly developed program of intentional teaching based on the principles of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program (PYP) which supports a unique blend of inquiry and play-based learning with Junior School students developing complex intellectual, emotional and social skills. They are exposed to a diverse program of inquiry and challenged in many areas from music and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), to financial and digital literacy, cultural understanding, leadership and social enterprise. They are encouraged to try new things, take-risks and be bold, tapping into their interests and passions.

Each Girl is Supported

Teachers develop a rich picture of every student’s learning successes, strengths and challenges, and each girl is supported to grow and develop to her full potential. Most importantly, our students develop confidence, capability and self-worth that are great assets to them in their senior years and beyond.

Inquiry Learning

At each year level there is a particular highlight feature which helps focus the teaching and learning program.

Prep: There is a focus on transition to full-time schooling through our unique Prep Connections program.

Year 1: Focus on consolidation of literacy and numeracy skills, as well as developing teamwork and self confidence through the MinnieSingers choir program.

Year 2: Focus on developing social skills and interactions.

Year 3: Focus on independent learning and responsibility. Students participate in their first overnight camp.

Year 4: Focus on environment and sustainability through the EnviroKids program featuring the kitchen garden and greater use of our ‘Classroom on the Beach’.

Year 5: Focus on formal STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects which are incorporated into many of the Units of Inquiry including a special Unit on Engineering Design and Construction.

Year 6: Focus on leadership, independent inquiry and in-depth research, culminating in the major Year 6 Exhibition.

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Before and After School Care

Mentone Girls’ Grammar partners with Camp Australia, a leading provider of Before and After School Care in Australia for girls in our kinder programs through to Junior School.

Before School

Before School Care operates from 7am Monday - Friday.

After School

After School Care is offered from 3.00pm Monday - Friday for our ELC students and from 3.35pm for Junior School students. The playground is supervised until 4.00pm with Junior School students permitted to play (under teacher supervision) until this time. Parents who are running late for pick up should contact the school to arrange for their daughter to attend after school care if they believe they will be later than 4.00pm.

Partner - Camp Australia

The Camp Australia program combines active games with planned and unplanned play, quiet time, homework time and a healthy snack all on site at the School.

For more information and to register, please visit the Camp Australia website.

For those attending Before and After School Care you may be eligible for the Child Care Benefit and Child Care Rebate. Please contact Camp Australia for further details.

Enterprise

At Mentone Girls’ Grammar, we are focused on creating the next generation of enterprising women that learn by making a difference for others. Enterprise is embedded in everything we do across our curriculum from Prep onwards with students learning the attributes and soft skills to live and work in the ever changing world and play their part in the success of it.

Our co-curricular Junior Enterprise Program is lead by Nicole Spence, an experienced Junior School educator with extensive expertise in STEM learning and Design Thinking.

Nicole mentors students from Years 3 – 6 and utilities her pedagogical knowledge of the PYP curriculum & Victorian Curriculum to provide unique learning experiences for students to develop and practise a range of enterprise skills, attitudes and behaviours. Nicole creates opportunities for the girls to be involved in a number of business enterprises and social enterprises.

Global Learning & Languages

We aim to provide a holistic education that is driven by a global perspectives to enable our students to enter the real world with the applications to succeed. It is our goal that our students graduate with the confidence and ability to become global citizens who are able to sit at the national and international table.

We introduce Language as part of the global learning curriculum at the Early Childhood level and right through our Junior School. Our ELC children regularly study basic Mandarin to lay the foundations for future global enhancement as they progress through school.

In Junior School, at the epicentre of the PYP program philosophy is a commitment to developing inquiring, knowledgeable and compassionate young people who help to create a more peaceful and efficient world through intercultural understanding and respect. Every aspect of the curriculum including English, Mathematics, ICT, Humanities, Health, Science and Arts encompasses a focus on what it means to be human in a global capacity.

Leadership & Service

We have a proud tradition of leadership at Mentone Girls’ Grammar that means more than just wearing a badge. Students in Junior School have the opportunity to be bold in their choices to help make a difference to the School and the wider community.

We place great value on young women who desire to serve in a leadership role and are committed to the pursuit of excellence. The student leadership structure consists of multiple levels, each having positions of responsibility that need to be undertaken with commitment, energy and consideration for others. These empowering young women are prepared to extend themselves, utilise their skills and talents, support others, and to enhance the School

Every student in Year 6 holds a leadership position of responsibility which they take very seriously and execute with diligence, respect and enthusiasm.

For more than 120 years, Mentone Girls’ has been committed to serving the community and there is a genuine culture of giving that is an integral part of the School community. Whether that is caring for the environment and cleaning up the beach, or raising funds for major causes to fight breast cancer, child hunger and ensuring women around the world have equality and justice. We encourage our Mentone Girls to be bold leaders in the communities that we serve and to empower others to help change our world for the better.

Academic Enrichment

At Mentone Girls' Grammar, we are recognised for our curriculum support of gifted and talented students. We do this with a differentiated approach to subjects within the classroom and through our innovative SAIL (Supporting Advanced and Independent Learners) Program.

SAIL Program

The singular objective of SAIL is to recognise, promote and advance the education of students who possess very high intellectual ability in the supportive and structured environment of the School.

The intellectual, social and emotional needs of gifted students are identified and supported throughout their schooling with specialist subjects, subject and level acceleration and mentoring opportunities. SAIL programs exist in Mathematics, Philosophy, Japanese, Science, Music and other subject offerings dependent on year levels and students.

Learning Enhancement

We also provide a team of experienced Learning Enhancement staff to help students with their individual learning needs, whether it is for extra support or extension. The support can occur alongside the classroom program explicitly teaching skills and understanding to enhance students’ ability. With a classroom environment that capitalises on girls’ language-related strengths and caters for their preference for verbal and interactive instruction, all our young learners can be a step ahead in their education.

Kerferd Library

The Kerferd Library is recognised as a leading Australian school library that plays an integral role in supporting student learning and literacy. The Library plays a critical role in supporting inquiry based learning.

Named in honour of Mr W. J. Kerferd, a long standing School President who was instrumental building the first purpose built library on campus, the Kerferd Library is one of the few school libraries that has mapped key parts of the collection back to the Australian curriculum, and in order to encourage broader reading key parts of the fiction collections have been rearranged to be more like a book store.

Through the Kerferd Library print and online collections, students at Mentone Girls’ Grammar School enjoy access to a wide range of authoritative and age appropriate resources.

Opening hours:
Monday - Thursday: 8.00am - 6.00pm - girls in Year 5 and 6 may stay after school to do their homework in the library.
Friday: 8.00am - 4.00pm

Monday - Thursday we have Learning Coaches in the Library available to assist and tutor students from 4 - 6pm. Please refer to mConnect for further details.

Visit Kerferd Library online

Bay Cafe