David Rose
Upper Ferntree Gully Primary School principal David Rose needs to stay fit for his job and he does by racking up kilometres on his bike during the week, when he has the time.
And if that's not enough his down time is spent with his wife and daughter and current foster child. The Rose's have fostered around six children over the past five years.
David Rose is a family man and his life revolves around his children, and the hundreds of families involved in the primary school.
"We can provide a pretty good family life," he admits.
"It gives me a sense of well-being, providing kids who need it with an extra helping hand in life."
Mr Rose has been a teacher for more than 20 years and spent much of his working life in the secondary school system as an English teacher.
He said it was common for a secondary school teacher to switch to primary education.
"I saw the secondary system becoming too large and I wanted to be involved in a system where you actually became involved with parents, students and the community," he said.
"There is a real sense of community here in Upper Ferntree Gully..almost like a country town."
Mr Rose has certainly made an incredible impact on the primary school community after taking his position in Term 2, 2004.
The school managed to secure $3.12 million from the state government to completely re-vamp the aging facilities. Construction of the new buildings have been completed. Members of the community are welcome to contact the school for tours.
Upper Ferntree Gully Primary School has come a long way from the one room school situated on 1.6 hectares of State Forest Reserve north of Burwood Highway, on May 1st, 1916. Fiftynine students were enrolled. There's around 230 students and 15 permanent teachers at the Talaskia Road site, which officially opened on February 15, 1964.
The last twenty years have seen great changes in curriculum and teaching and learning approaches.
Mr Rose predicts the future of primary school students will once again change dramatically.
"They are different learners," he said. "We concentrate on them learning for life and what we're about is teaching them how they learn best and how to become independent learners.
"Their world will be so different to ours and the majority of jobs they will apply for haven't even been invented yet.
"We've also identified social skills as an important part of learning.
"Learning how to work cooperatively as a team member."
Mr Rose said the students have a "real say" in what happens at the school.