100 DAYS OF PREP -WHAT AN INCREDIBLE MILESTONE!

This week, we celebrated a very special milestone as our amazing Prep students reached 100 days of learning at Orchard Park Primary School!

The day began with our Preps proudly taking part in a mini parade for their families, and it was wonderful to see the confidence they displayed as they showcased their fantastic "100-year-old" costumes. Their smiles, enthusiasm and growing self-confidence were on full display, making for a very special way to begin the celebrations.

Throughout the day, students immersed themselves in a range of exciting activities focused on the number 100, celebrating everything they have learnt and achieved over the past 100 days. In the afternoon, it was fantastic to welcome families back into the classrooms to join in the fun, with plenty of counting, creating and collaborative activities that made the milestone even more memorable.

It is hard to believe just how much our Prep students have grown since their first day of school. They have developed into confident, capable and enthusiastic learners who embrace every opportunity with curiosity and determination. The progress they have made in just 100 days is nothing short of remarkable, and we couldn't be prouder of each and every one of them.

A huge thank you to our incredible Prep team for creating such a memorable day and to our families for joining in the celebrations and helping make this milestone so special.

Congratulations, Preps, you are all so clever, resilient and simply amazing! We can't wait to see what you achieve over the next 100 days of learning.

BOOK WEEK -SYMPHONY OF STORIES!!

It's time to start planning those amazing costumes….Book Week is almost here!

Our annual Book Week Dress-Up Day and Parade will be held on Friday 28th August, with the parade beginning at 9:00am in the gymnasium. We warmly invite all families, grandparents and younger siblings to join us for one of Orchard Park Primary School's favourite traditions as our students proudly bring their favourite book characters to life. Everyone is welcome to join us in the dress ups as well!!

This year's Children's Book Week theme, "Symphony of Stories," celebrates the magic that happens when different voices, characters and stories come together, just like the instruments in an orchestra, to create something truly special. While your child's costume doesn't need to reflect the official theme, we encourage everyone to embrace the joy of reading by dressing as a favourite book character.

We're also excited to continue one of our much-loved Book Week traditions by inviting families to donate a new book to their child's Learning Community. It is important that the book is age appropriate and not a ‘one usage’ type of activity book that can continue to bring joy to many students beyond the first person that uses it. Each donated book will become part of the classroom library, allowing students to enjoy it for years to come. A special bookplate will be placed inside each donated book to recognise your family's generous contribution and lasting gift to our young readers.

We can't wait to celebrate another incredible Book Week filled with creativity, imagination, storytelling and, of course, a wonderful Symphony of Stories!

HOUSE CHALLENGES AT OPPS - BUILDING SCHOOL SPIRIT!

One of the exciting additions to school life in 2026 has been the introduction of our termly House Competitions. These events have quickly become a favourite amongst our students, who have enthusiastically embraced the team challenges, healthy competition and opportunity to earn valuable House points.

We kicked off the year with a fun Heads or Tails competition in Term 1, before students brought plenty of energy and excitement to our very boisterous Pool Noodle Challenge in Term 2. The atmosphere at each event has been fantastic, with students proudly supporting their Houses and demonstrating teamwork, resilience and great sportsmanship.

We're keeping the details of our Term 3 House Competition under wraps for just a little longer, but students won't have to wait much longer to find out! The competition will take place during Week 7, and we know it's going to be another exciting whole-school event.

As this year's House Competition will be held on Friday 28th August, there will be no afternoon assembly on this day. This also coincides with our wonderful Book Week celebrations, making it an action-packed day full of fun, school spirit and community.

May the best House win!

KEEPING EVERYONE SAFE – A REMINDER FOR OUR COMMUNITY

Last week's newsletter included an important reminder about road safety around our school, and I make no apology for reinforcing this message again. Quite simply, the safety of our students, families and staff is too important not to.

As a leadership team, we are aware of far too many close calls during drop-off and pick-up times. While we understand that mornings can be busy and everyone is trying to get where they need to be, saving a few extra seconds or minutes should never come at the expense of the safety of your own child, another child, or a member of our community.

Road rules and parking restrictions around schools are in place for a reason. We ask that all families:

Follow all road rules and parking signage.
Only use the designated drop-off zone for quick drop-off and pick-up, remaining with your vehicle at all times.
No parking on median strips, nature strips or in locations that reduce visibility for drivers and pedestrians.
Model safe and respectful behaviours for our students.

Please also remember that staff supervision begins at 8:30am, so students should not arrive before this time unless they are attending Kelly Club Before School Care.

We also continue to encourage students to ride or scoot to school where possible. Please ensure your child wears a helmet and regularly discuss safe travel habits, including using designated crossings, remaining alert to traffic and being respectful of pedestrians.

Keeping our community safe is a collective responsibility. Every decision we make behind the wheel has the potential to impact someone else's safety. I cannot emphasise strongly enough how important it is that we all do our part to ensure every child and family arrives at school and returns home safely each day.

Thank you for your ongoing support and commitment to making Orchard Park Primary School a safe place for everyone.

FATHER’S DAY BREAKFAST CELEBRATION

We warmly invite all fathers, grandfathers, and special family guests to join us for a Father’s Day Morning celebration in the Gymnasium on Friday, 4th September 2026 from 8:00am to 8:30am.

A formal invitation with further details will be shared with families via Compass very soon, but for now, please save the date in your calendars and make sure you don’t miss this special morning.

This is a wonderful opportunity to spend quality time with your child/ren and celebrate the important role you play in their lives.

Guests will enjoy a light breakfast, student work displays from Visual Arts, STEM and other specialist areas, as well as special gifts created by students to share with their loved ones.

We look forward to welcoming our families and celebrating the wonderful fathers, grandfathers and special people in our students’ lives.

WHOLE SCHOOL PHOTO - CAPTURING OUR OPPS JOURNEY

As you have probably noticed displayed in our Administration Building, each year Orchard Park Primary School captures a whole school photograph featuring all of our students and staff.

This has become a wonderful tradition that celebrates our growth as a school and provides a special snapshot of our OPPS journey each year. Our students love looking back at previous photographs, seeing familiar faces, remembering their time in different year levels and reflecting on how much they have grown.

This year’s whole school photograph will take place on Tuesday 11th September.

There is nothing families need to do to prepare, other than ensuring your child arrives at school wearing their full school uniform and with their biggest smiles ready to go!

We look forward to capturing this special moment once again and adding another chapter to the history of Orchard Park Primary School.

Orchard Park News

Going Further Together

Issue 12 · 31 Jul 2026

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