Principal's Report

Dear Skye Families,

I hope you all had a restful September holiday break and are ready for an exciting Term 4. We’ve had a busy start, and I’m pleased to share the latest updates with you.

Splatacular Colour Run

Last Friday’s Colour Run was a huge success, with lots of fun for students and families alike. I’ve been finding bits of green slime everywhere since and was absolutely soaked from head to toe! It was great to see our senior students looking out for the younger ones as they made their way around the course and I was impressed by the commendable behaviour from all participants.

A big thank you to our PTF, school admin team, and the many parent volunteers who helped make the day run smoothly. Thanks to the community's efforts, the funds raised have allowed us to install new split system units in the Year 1, Year 2, and Year 5 buildings—perfect timing with the warmer weather on the way.

Kindergarten at Skye PS Announcement

I am thrilled to announce that a new kindergarten will be built at our school. This exciting development was announced last week by the Minister for Children, Lizzie Blandthorn.

The new centre will offer additional kindergarten places for the local community and make drop-off time easier for many families. We’re working closely with the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA), who will oversee construction. The kinder is expected to be completed and open in Term 1, 2027. 

An external organisation with experience in running kinders will be appointed to manage enrolments, staffing, and program enquiries.

We’re working with the VSBA to minimise any impact on the school community during construction. The VSBA will also create a dedicated webpage to keep everyone informed and updated on the project’s progress. I look forward to sharing further details, including the building design, as they become available.

Staffing Update

As mentioned in the previous newsletter, we welcome our new Assistant Principal, Gareth Snow, to the team this term. Gareth has hit the ground running, taking the lead on teaching and learning across the school. You can head over to the Curriculum page for a special message from Gareth, as he introduces himself to the Skye community.

Grandparent Open Morning

We’re excited to welcome Grandparents and special friends into the classrooms for our Grandparent Open Morning on Tuesday, 29th October. The morning will start with a Book Fair in the Library at 8am, followed by time in the classrooms where they can join in some literacy-based activities. It’s always a highlight seeing our students share their learning with their loved ones.

Class Placement Requests for 2025

As we begin planning for next year, staff will be working on class placements over the coming weeks. Students will have the chance to indicate some preferred classmates. If you have any specific requests for your child’s placement, please send them to me in writing at timothy.bernau@education.vic.gov.au by 8th November. Be sure to review our Skye PS Class Placement Policy before submitting any requests.

Ballarto Road Changes

If you’re using Ballarto Road, please take note of some important changes coming up:

• Late October: Overnight closure of Ballarto Road at Potts Road intersection (7pm-5am). Detours will be in place via Frankston-Dandenong Road, Hall Road, and Western Port Highway.
• Once reopened, Ballarto Road will be down to one lane in each direction with reduced speed limits.
• Potts Road remains closed at the Ballarto Road intersection until late December. Detour options include Valley Road and McClelland Drive or Cranbourne-Frankston Road and Western Port Highway.

There will also be additional disruptions from mid-November, including temporary lane closures and changes to traffic flow. For more details, please visit the Ballarto Road Upgrade webpage.

Thank you for your continued support as we head into the final term of the year. We’ve got plenty of exciting events planned, and I look forward to seeing many of you around the school.

Warm regards,

Tim