Glenroy Specialist School
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Glenroy Specialist School (GSS) provides education for students with physical disabilities from prep to year 12 in the northern region of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.


History

GSS was officially opened on 17 February 1976 in Box Forest Road Glenroy. The school was purpose built on ten acres of land, with three acres being under roof. The building consists of 22 classrooms, two gymnasiums, swimming pool, a large hall, and several areas catering for the physical therapy of the students. During 2011 work started on a new building to house GSS after the student population outgrew the Box Forest site, which had developed significant structural issues. The new school building opened January 2013, and is located on Hilton Street, Glenroy.


School structure

The school is divided into separate sub-schools: junior, middle and senior.


Junior school

Junior school is made up of Red and Yellow Sections and accommodates students up to the age of approximately eight.


Middle school

Once students leave the junior sub-school they go to middle school, which is made up of Light Green and Blue sections.


Senior school

Senior school includes classes for transition, sensory students and also students studying the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) certificate, and students preparing to enter the VCAL class.


VCAL

Students aged from 16 to 18 are able to participate in a VCAL program, a hands-on educational certificate for students in years 11 and 12. It allows students to practise personal skills and develop work related skills. Students complete projects of their choice. Past projects have included Tuck Shops, Pyjama days, performances and a variety of stalls. The VCAL program was introduced at GSS in 2005 when the school won the "Student Team Achievement Award".Minister for Education VCAL awards media release
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Health services

Yooralla provides students at GSS with
physiotherapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, patient ...
,
occupational therapy Occupational therapy (OT) is a global healthcare profession. It involves the use of assessment and intervention to develop, recover, or maintain the meaningful activities, or ''occupations'', of individuals, groups, or communities. The field of ...
and speech pathology. Therapists work with teachers to support students access to their learning.


Physiotherapy

The physiotherapists help to encourage independence. They provide strength and fitness training modified to suit individual needs and disabilities. Apparatus such as standing frames,
splints Splints is an ailment of the horse or pony, characterized by a hard, bony swelling, usually on the inside of a front leg, lying between the splint and cannon bone or on the splint bone itself. It may be "hot," meaning that it occurred recently an ...
and arm wraps are used to build bone and
muscle Skeletal muscles (commonly referred to as muscles) are organs of the vertebrate muscular system and typically are attached by tendons to bones of a skeleton. The muscle cells of skeletal muscles are much longer than in the other types of muscl ...
strength and stretch muscles. Physiotherapists assist in providing assistive equipment such as wheelchairs, crutches and walking frames.


Occupational therapy

The occupational therapists assist students in using equipment to gain independence. Some of the equipment used include: hand splints, ankle foot orthotics, mealtime equipment, modified writing equipment, class chairs, hoists, computer access equipment, hand grips, switches, personal care items, scooters, bikes and wheelchairs.


Speech pathology

Speech pathologists assist students to eat and drink safely, effectively and independently and also train other staff to assist students. Speech pathologists also help students with their speech articulation, literacy and grammar. Speech pathologists assist students to communicate using equipment such as: communication books, tablets, communication devices, signing,
picture communication symbols Picture communication symbols (PCS) are a set of colour and black & white drawings originally developed by Mayer-Johnson, LLC for use in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems. These AAC systems may be high-tech (Dynamyte) or low ...
and switches.


References

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External links


Glenroy Specialist School entry at localnote.com

Special Schools at Yooralla Website
Schools in Melbourne Educational institutions established in 1976 Special schools in Australia 1976 establishments in Australia Buildings and structures in the City of Merri-bek