Principal Report

Welcome to our Week Four newsletter. We are now well underway in Term Two and it has been wonderful to see students so engaged in their learning and enthusiastically participating in the many opportunities taking place across the school. Over the past few weeks, students have continued to demonstrate our school values through their positive attitudes, resilience and commitment to learning, both inside and outside the classroom.

There are many exciting events and activities taking place throughout the term including: Education Week celebrations, Dance Curriculum performances, Interschool Sports, Social Skills Programs and some incursions. These events provide valuable opportunities to strengthen our school community and celebrate the talents and achievements of our students. Thank you to our staff and families for your ongoing support and contribution to school life. I look forward to another successful and productive fortnight ahead.

Welcome to Highvale

This term we have had many new families begin their journey at HPS. Welcome to HPS to the following students: Anika N 1P and Kushita N 4C. We are sure you will love being a part of the Highvale community. Please reach out if there is anything we can do to assist with your transition into our school.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to the following students who will celebrate their special day throughout May: Cici S 3C, Austin C 1GC, Harnur L PFY, Charlie D 2L, Gina G 3L, Faraz G 1GC, Alice Y 2L, James Z 6T, Joshua D 4C, Harry N 4C, Ethan X 4P, Shiv M PA, Senuth W 6T, Chen X 4P, Nathan W PFY, Adam J 1GC, Shanaa J 1GC, Erica J 3C, Ewen L 2M, Joshua C 6S, Adyashakti G 4G, Violet W 6D, Olivia T 4C, Owen L 4G, Ethan N 2L, Chong ze O 6T, Jackie K 4C, Mikayla L 5S, Quinn L 5M, Navya P 5M, Oliver L PFY. We hope you all have a terrific birthday.

Attendance

At Highvale Primary School we firmly believe that attending school every day plays a crucial role in shaping a child's educational journey. Regular attendance allows students to fully engage in classroom activities, discussions, and hands-on learning experiences. It provides them with the opportunity to grasp new concepts, ask questions and collaborate with their peers. Consistent attendance helps build a strong foundation of knowledge and skills, enabling children to excel academically. This term, we will be reinforcing the importance of attending school every day. 

Congratulations to the 315 students who have achieved 100% attendance in May so far. Some of these students include: Astera Z PA, Mason X PA, Wes W PFY, Nathan W PFY, Lydia Y 1P, Zoe N 1p, Joy P 1GC, Casey L 1GC, Dara F 2M, Kaylee C 2M, Anisha D 2L, Ethan N 2L, Jenil P 3A, Kaylee S 3A, Dhaani S 3C, Kenul D 3C, Hua Lu 3L, Nathan L 3L, Harry N 4C, Jackie K 4C, Remi F 4G, Vivaan D 4G, Liam F 4P, Hana Z 4P, Youli Z 5E, Kai P 5E, Kaiyah P 5M, Navya P 5M, Ranniah S 5S, Eason Y 5S, Olivia Y 6T, Aadhi S 6T, Anesh P 6S, Joshua L 6S, Vicky L 6D and Ashley C 6D.

Remember: It is not ok to be away!

Additional Education Support Staff (ES)

We would like to warmly welcome our three new Education Support staff members Jackson, Charlotte T and Charlotte C to the Highvale Primary School community. We are excited to have them join our team and look forward to the valuable contribution they will make in supporting the learning, wellbeing and success of our students. We wish them all the very best as they begin their journey at Highvale. 

Prep Enrolments 2027

We are currently accepting enrolment applications for Prep (foundation year) 2027 and conducting regular school tours for prospective families. These tours have provided an opportunity to showcase the school’s programs, facilities and values and have been positively received by members of the local community. If you are aware of families who may be interested in joining the HPS school community, they are encouraged to contact the school office for further information. The school will continue to support families through the enrolment process in line with Department of Education timelines and requirements.

Cross Country

On Wednesday 22nd April we held our HPS Cross Country Event. The event was a fantastic success, with students demonstrating enthusiasm, determination and excellent sportsmanship. It was wonderful to see all students participating with a positive attitude, whether running, jogging or walking the course and encouraging one another along the way. The event provided a great opportunity for students to challenge themselves, build resilience and enjoy being active outdoors. Congratulations to all students who completed the challenging course. 

The winners of the U9/10 boys were as follows:

Calvin C, Akith G, Chen X, Jenil P, Jia Yang M, Oscar S, Roger Z, Weien D, Yuvi M & Harry N.

The winners of the U9/10 girls were as follows:

Sophie M, Lily M, Zara L, Claire H, Tiya T, Anekha D, Bonnie W, Heidi H, Dhaani S & Talitha H. 

The winners of the U11 boys were as follows: 

Anesh S, Ene Z, Mishkaat A, Artus G, Saijan T, Aadhi R, Marwin H, Quinn L, Austen H & Minul P.

The winners of the U11 girls were as follows: 

Cassie H, Emily L, Lilah S, Khloe L, Lily Y, Victoria Z, Nikki N, Hirvya N, Navya P & Emma L.

The winners of the U12 boys were as follows:

Josh C, Aaron P, Keitarou Y, Gavin W, James V, Chong Ze O, Adrian C, Michael P, Xiuqi Z & Eelon L.

The winners of the U12 girls were as follows:

Faith C, Lily M, Kaitlyn W, Ling X, Aleina C, Mikayla L, Yimei L, Ashley C, Violet W & Sara I.

Thank you to our two PE teachers, Miss Sophie Stokes and Mrs Soleda Graham for their organisation of the event and to our staff for being at various checkpoints across the course. We appreciate the families who came along to support and cheer on the students, thank you for your support of this special event. 

Colour Run

On Friday 1st May students participated in our highly anticipated Colour Run, which was a fantastic success and a wonderful celebration of fun, teamwork and school spirit. Students and teachers enthusiastically completed the course while being showered with colourful powder, creating an exciting and memorable experience for all involved (the photos prove it!). The event also served as  a very important fundraiser for our school, supporting planned facility upgrades, including improvements to our student toilets. 

Congratulations to our top four fundraisers who won the wonderful prizes:

1. Louis H (6T) - raised $1700 and won the Nintendo Switch
2. Arabelle C (6D) — raised $1186 and won the tablet
3. Dinson K (2L) — raised $1180 and won the AFL tickets
4. Nikan Vaziri (1GC) — raised $1080 and won the bike and helmet

Thank you to our staff, families and wider community for their support, generosity and enthusiasm in helping make the event such a success.

Student Toilets

We are aware of ongoing concerns regarding the cleanliness of the student toilets and have taken immediate action to address this, including arranging additional emergency cleans throughout the week, alongside the standard nightly cleaning completed by our contracted cleaning service. In parallel, we have continued to raise funds through initiatives such as the Snack Packs and the Colour Run, which are supporting planned upgrades to our toilet facilities. We are pleased to advise that we have now obtained multiple quotes for this work, which we are hoping could start as early as the Term Two school holidays. As this is a significant project, we are required to follow Department of Education procurement processes to ensure appropriate sourcing and approval of companies and quotes. In addition, we will continue to reinforce student expectations and responsibility through explicit teaching and education to support the ongoing maintenance of clean and respectful facilities. We thank families for their ongoing support and will provide further updates as the project progresses.

Chess Tournaments

We are looking to build a school chess team to represent our school in local competitions, held once per term. Chess is a fantastic way for students to develop strategic thinking, problem-solving skills and concentration, while also enjoying friendly competition. To make this possible, we need more interested students to join the team. If your child enjoys chess or would like to be involved, please email me directly at carly.epskamp@education.vic.gov.au. If you have already emailed me, I have added your child’s name to the list, so you don’t need to send a follow up email. 

Mothers Day Breakfast

On Monday 11th May, we warmly welcomed all mothers, carers and special friends to our Mother’s Day Pancake Breakfast. The event was an opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge the important role these special people play within our school community while enjoying a relaxed morning with students and the wider HPS community. It was fantastic to see so many families attend and share in this special occasion together. A BIG thank you to our partners TheirCare, who provided all of the ingredients and assisted us with the cooking of the pancakes. Also thank you to the students who performed beautifully, Chris who assisted us with the cooking of the pancakes, Mx Dutlow for creating the Mothers Day video and Miss Abrahams and Mr Politis for leading and organising the Mothers Day event.   

Dance Curriculum

This week, students have enthusiastically commenced the Dance Curriculum program with their dance instructor Omar. Dance Curriculum provides students with opportunities to develop confidence, coordination, creativity and teamwork through movement and performance. Students are already enjoying learning new skills and routines, and we look forward to seeing their progress throughout the term. There will be two Showcase Performances on Friday 22nd May where parents will be welcomed onsite to see the students perform. The first showcase will be where students from Years Prep, 2,4 & 6 perform at 1:40pm – 2:20pm. The second showcase will be where students in Years 1,3 & 5 perform at 2:40pm – 3:20pm. Last year, these showcases attracted a lot of parent support and we are hoping for the same this year. We are looking forward to showing you all of our dance moves on Friday 22nd May!  

Education Week 

Education Week will be taking place from Monday 18th May to Friday 22nd May. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the amazing learning, connections and opportunities happening across our school community. As part of the week, we will be holding an Open Morning on Wednesday 20th May. Join us for an English, Maths or STEAM activity in your child’s classroom. A huge thank you to the following teachers for organising Education Week activities and celebrations: Miss Arambawela, Mrs Coady, Mrs Pace, Mr Smith, Miss Amarasinghe, Miss Fegan and Mr Salamouras.    

Walk to School Day

This year, we are taking part in National Walk Safely to School Day on Friday 22 May 2026. This day also supports National Road Safety Week. Walk Safely to School Day encourages positive environmental action, better use of public transport, reduced car dependency and helps reduce dangerous traffic congestion around schools. Being active every day, including walking to school, can make a big difference for many Australians. Whether you’re a parent, teacher or carer — everyone has a role to play in helping children lead active, healthy lives. On the morning of Friday 22nd May, there will be four meeting points with HPS staff at each location from 8:30am. If you wish to participate, please ensure your child arrives at one of the meeting points between 8:30am–8:35am. Teachers will be wearing orange vests, so they are easy to spot. Families are warmly welcome to meet us at the meeting points and walk with us too! Remember, Active Kids are Healthy Kids, so start planning your Walk Safely to School Day journey for Friday 22 May 2026!

Meeting with your child’s teacher

Please contact your child’s teacher via email if there is anything that you need to discuss with them. HPS staff have Staff Meetings and Professional Learning on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesdays afterschool, however, if you email them they will let you know of a suitable time to meet. There is no need to wait for a formalised opportunity to come onsite and discuss things that are important to you.

Online Vs paper based activities

From 2027, new Department of Education requirements regarding student use of digital technologies will apply in all primary schools. Schools must not invite or allow families to purchase or provide personal digital devices for use at school. The policy also recommends that digital device use during learning be limited, with minimal use in Foundation to Year 2 other than for explicit teaching of Digital Technologies and a maximum of 90 minutes per day for students in Years 3–6. Exemptions will continue to apply for students requiring digital devices as part of reasonable adjustments to support their learning needs. At Highvale, we maintain a balanced approach to teaching and learning through the use of both digital and paper-based activities. As such, these upcoming changes will have minimal impact on our current programs and practices, as our approach continues to prioritise purposeful, evidence-based learning experiences that support student engagement and achievement. 

Student Snack Times

Across the school, clear and consistent routines are in place to support students’ wellbeing and learning throughout the day. Students have a structured eating period of 10–15 minutes prior to going outside for their breaks, with a daily fruit break occurring at approximately 10:00am. Students in Prep and Year One are provided with additional opportunities to eat throughout the day to support their needs. Students are able to choose to eat either their snack or lunch during first break, depending on their level of hunger and lunch box contents. Classroom teachers can assist students to make those decisions if required. All classrooms utilise visual timetables which include scheduled break and eating times to support predictability, structure and student understanding of the daily routine. One class per week is scheduled on ‘Caring for Country’ where they are responsible for any mess that is found in the school yard. As students do not eat outside, the class often reports that there is little to pick up, which is pleasing. We are extremely proud of our school grounds and how students care for country. 

Homework at Highvale

At HPS, we believe that homework can play a valuable role in supporting student learning and helping students develop responsibility, organisation and independent study habits. Homework provides an opportunity for students to practise and consolidate skills learned in the classroom, while also encouraging a connection between school and home. Our homework policy outlines the expectations for homework across the school and aims to ensure that tasks are purposeful, manageable and appropriate for each year level. It also recognises the important role families play in supporting and encouraging positive learning habits at home.

A reminder that in 2026, homework at Highvale will be:

Prep - Readers - one take home reading book and a revision sheet with heart sounds & heart words in a scrap book. These change after every Little Learners stage. Students will receive a login for Reading Eggs and Mathletics (these are optional online programs for Prep students) 

Year One/ Two - Readers - one levelled reader (hard copy), online readers plus library books. 2 reading eggs tasks and 2 Mathletics tasks linked to the weekly concept. Spelling List linked to Little Learners. 

Year Three/ Four - 60 minutes of reading per week with a one or two sentence reflection. One comprehension activity off Reading Eggspress and 3 Mathletics tasks per week. Spelling sheet to be completed

Year Five/ Six - 80 minutes of reading per week with a one to two sentence reflection. One comprehension activity off Reading Eggspress and 4 Mathletics tasks per week. Spelling sheet to be completed

Homework at Highvale will be provided to students on a Monday and will be due back the following Monday. We have a school wide approach to homework and classroom teachers will be checking each week to ensure students have been completing the required tasks. If students do not complete their homework they will get a verbal reminder from their teacher. If students do not complete their homework for two weeks, teachers will make contact with parents so that they are aware. If there is a reason that your child cannot complete their homework tasks, please let your child's classroom teacher know.

Changes to our mid year Semester Reports

This semester, we have made a change to our reporting format in response to industrial action, with teacher comments not included in the written report. Student achievement will continue to be clearly communicated through curriculum grades and achievement data, ensuring families have a clear understanding of their child’s progress. To further support meaningful communication about student learning, we will also be holding Student Led Conferences on Tuesday 23rd June. Each family will be allocated a 20-minute time slot, which will include time for students to present and reflect on their learning from Terms 1 and 2. There will also be an opportunity for parents to discuss student progress, ask questions and engage in conversation with their child’s teacher about their learning journey. We remain committed to maintaining open communication with families and encourage you to contact your child’s teacher at any time if you wish to discuss their learning further.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS 

Kids Help - kidshelpline.com.au phone 1800 55 1800 

Parent Line - betterhealth.vic.gov.au phone 13 22 89 

Headspace - headspace.org.au phone 1800 650 890 

eSafety Commissioner - esafety.gov.au - Advice for parents and carers to help children have safe experiences online 

Have a great week ahead HPS families,

Carly Epskamp

carly.epskamp@education.vic.gov.au