Principal's Report

Dear Skye Families, 

2026 Art Show

Thank you to the Skye community for your flexibility and understanding when wild weather forced us to reschedule the Art Show from Wednesday to Thursday. We were absolutely thrilled with the response—families turned out in record numbers on Thursday afternoon, making it our biggest Art Show yet!

Congratulations to our students for their incredible exhibition of creativity and talent. Every piece on display reflected effort, imagination and skill, and they should be extremely proud of what they achieved. The immersive art show was a highlight, beautifully complemented by our community market featuring games, activities and craft stalls that brought energy and connection to the afternoon.

A huge thank you to our Skye staff for all their work in the lead-up and on the day, ensuring everything ran smoothly despite the last-minute changes. Thank you also to our PTF for their ongoing commitment to building community and contributing time and energy to make events like this possible.

Finally, a massive congratulations and heartfelt thank you to the chief architect of the Art Show, our wonderful Art teacher, Jac Jackson. Jac's vision, collaboration with stakeholders, high-quality art teaching and flawless execution—not to mention her calm demeanour throughout (even with a horrendous forecast looming)—was nothing short of amazing. Thank you, Jac, for creating such a memorable experience for our students and community.

Parent Payments

Thank you to families who have already contributed towards 2026. If you haven't yet had a chance to review the Parent Payments letter, here's a quick reminder of how your voluntary support helps shape learning at Skye.

Your contributions in action

This year alone, parent contributions helped fund new classrooms in the BER and Prep Patch, refreshed learning spaces across the school, expanded our digital devices by 160 units, supported 300+ students in the Kitchen Garden, added 1500 books to our libraries, and kept 10+ wellbeing and lunchtime clubs running each week.

2026 voluntary contributions

• Curriculum: $180 per student
• Building Fund (tax-deductible): $50
• Library Fund (tax-deductible): $50
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How to pay: QkR app (preferred), BPAY, EFTPOS or cash at the office.

All contributions are voluntary—no student will be disadvantaged. Need a flexible payment plan? Contact Michelle Drew confidentially on 9786 1555 or skye.ps@education.vic.gov.au.

Class Placement Process – Reminder

As mentioned in our last newsletter, we're now in the process of carefully planning class placements for 2026 to ensure a balanced and supportive learning environment for all students. Here's a quick overview of how the process works:

Teacher judgments: Each teacher assesses students' academic and social needs to inform balanced, thoughtful placements.

Student input: Students will nominate five classmates they "work well with." We encourage them to think about who supports their learning, rather than simply choosing friends.

Parent requests: We are not able to take requests regarding specific teachers. However, if there's an educational, health, or wellbeing reason for your child to be separated from or paired with another student, you may submit a request by emailing me at timothy.bernau@education.vic.gov.au with the subject line "2026 Class Placement Request" by close of business on Friday 7 November.

Class placement is a complex task, and we trust our teachers' deep understanding of each student to make considered, well-informed decisions. For more information, please refer to our Class Placement Policy.

2026 Year 6 Leadership Program

Our Year 5 students are about to embark on an exciting journey as they prepare for the Year 6 Student Leadership Program in 2026. This program offers students a meaningful opportunity to develop agency, lead with purpose, and contribute to positive change across our school and wider community.

Next year's program will continue to offer formal leadership roles while expanding pathways for all Year 6 students to actively participate in shaping school life. Students will develop essential leadership skills including communication, collaboration and decision-making. They'll gain a clear understanding of leadership roles and responsibilities, and have the chance to lead school improvement initiatives that reflect their ideas and values. At the end of the year, we'll formally recognise the meaningful contributions our student leaders have made.

We're excited to watch this cohort grow into confident, capable leaders who make a real difference at Skye Primary.

NDIS Therapists and Specialists – On‑Site Support at Skye PS

We're committed to partnering with families and therapists to support student learning and wellbeing. Our updated 2025 NDIS Therapists and Specialists Policy ensures that therapy sessions on school grounds are safe, collaborative, and minimise disruption to learning.

How it works

If you'd like your child to access on‑site therapy (speech pathology, OT, physio, psychology, etc.), simply email a request to our Disability Inclusion Coordinator, Danielle Wadley (Danielle.Wadley@education.vic.gov.au) or Administration, Wendy Jones (Wendy.Jones@education.vic.gov.au).

The school will review the request, provide required documentation, and work with classroom teachers to schedule sessions at suitable times. All therapists must hold a current Working with Children Check, relevant qualifications, and insurance before commencing sessions.

Full policy

For complete details—including scheduling procedures, observation guidelines, privacy requirements, and compliance information—please refer to our full NDIS Therapists and Specialists Policy.

If you have questions about the process or would like to discuss your child's needs, please contact Danielle or Wendy using the emails above.

National Water Week Winner – Congratulations Billie!

Congratulations to Billie Davis (Year 4) who came second in this year's National Water Week Poster Competition!

The competition was fiercely contested, with more than 6,000 students from across Melbourne's south-east and the Mornington Peninsula taking part. A total of 1,166 creative posters were entered reflecting this year's theme, 'Water Heroes: Save Every Drop', which highlights the important role we can all play in using water wisely.

Representatives from South East Water recently visited Skye Primary School to congratulate Billie and present her prize. Well done, Billie—we're so proud of you!

Have a great fortnight!

Warm regards, 

Tim