Portrait Gallery

Here is everything you need to know about our excursion to the National Portrait Gallery.

Where and what

We will be taken to selected paintings and sculptures at the National Portrait Gallery on a special tour designed for preschoolers.  We get to dress up, draw, pretend we are aviators, princesses or explorers, and learn about some of the people who have helped shape the world as we know it.

When

Date as per our email to families.

Timings and transport

Families arrange their own transport to drop off children at the National Portrait Gallery.  Here is a map to find the Portrait Gallery.

Please bring your child to the front foyer at 9:15am, where one of the teachers will welcome you.  If you are running late, please ring the GAP mobile on 0481 590 656.

The staff and children will return to the GAP by ACTION bus.   We will leave the Portrait Gallery on ACTION Bus #2 at 12:26pm. We will walk 1.1km (about 20 minutes) from the Marcus Clarke bus stop to GAP,  arriving at GAP by 1:30pm latest,  where we will resume our normal program.

As usual with public buses, there are no seatbelts and children are required to remain seated while the bus is moving.

Pick up is at 3:30 at the GAP, as usual.  

Cost

Excursion fees cover any tour guide or entry fees and logistical costs, and are added to your statement on the day of the excursion.  This excursion is approximately $6 per child.

What to bring

Please pack all your child’s belongings in one backpack (clearly labeled with their name) that he/she can carry home on the bus and the walk by himself/herself.  Children should wear footwear suitable for lots of walking.

Please pack a morning tea (separate from lunch) which can easily be eaten at the Gallery (eg rice crackers or fruit; not yoghurt).  Please keep in mind that we won’t have access to a refrigerator while on the excursion.

Staff and parent volunteers

There will be three or more GAP teachers/director supervising this excursion.

Parent volunteers are needed, please.  No siblings are allowed on this excursion – volunteers will have their hands full with the GAP children. Please let us know if you can help us.

We will maintain a 4:1 ratio of children:adults for this excursion.  (A class of 22 children requires 6 adults.)

Permission

Please sign the Excursion Authorisation Signature Sheet when you drop off your child on the day of the excursion.

Contingency plans

If we are running late returning to GAP, we will ring the Playschool management to let them know.  In the highly unlikely event the bus has a break-down which would cause us to arrive at GAP after pick up time, the Playschool will notify parents directly.