Principal's report

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung People of the Kulin nation; past, present and those who will walk with us into the future. We acknowledge the rich and unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas, educational practices and the hopes of all First Nations Peoples. We do this in the spirit of reconciliation as we move to a place of justice and partnership - together we work, learn, play and care for one another and this land.

Volunteer's Week

During Volunteers Week, we would like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank the many volunteers who generously support our school community throughout the year. Schools are strengthened by the time, care, and commitment of people who willingly give of themselves, and Kalinda is incredibly fortunate to have such a supportive community.

Whether it is helping in classrooms, supporting excursions and camps, assisting at special events, volunteering through Parents and Friends, helping with fundraising initiatives, helping in the Kitchen Garden or contributing in countless other ways, our volunteers make a meaningful difference to the experiences of our students.

The support we receive does not go unnoticed. Your willingness to give your time, energy, and care helps create the vibrant and connected school community that makes Kalinda such a special place. 

On behalf of our students, staff, and wider community, thank you for all that you do. Your contributions are deeply valued and greatly appreciated.

National Reconciliation Week

Next week, our school will recognise National Reconciliation Week. This is an important time for students to learn about and reflect on the histories, cultures and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This year’s theme, “All In”, encourages all Australians to work together towards reconciliation through understanding, respect and meaningful action. It reminds us that reconciliation is everyone’s responsibility and that we all have a role to play in creating a more inclusive and connected future.

As part of this recognition, students will participate in a Kalinda Crew activity focused on respect, inclusion and reconciliation. This will provide an opportunity for students to come together and further explore the importance of connection, understanding and working towards a more united future.

National Reconciliation Week encourages us all to continue learning, listening and growing together as a community.

School Readiness Session

This year, our Prep teaching team is running a School Readiness session for anyone in our community with students starting at Primary School next year (at Kalinda or elsewhere). Please see the flyer and registration details on our 2027 Prep Information Page of the newsletter.

NEVR Concert at Hamer Hall

Since our last newsletter we have been proud to support young performers at the NEVR concert held at Hamer Hall. We had 5 representatives join the Primary Choir, as well as the honour of our 5/6 Highland Dancers being invited to perform a special piece. Hamer Hall has an audience capacity of 2500 people, so this concert was certainly on a grand scale and an experience our students will never forget. I accompanied the students into the city for their full day dress rehearsal, then Mrs Hopkins was lucky enough to be backstage during the performance at night and the excitement and sense of occasion was very special to witness. It is such a privilege to celebrate this achievement as a testament to Kalinda's many years of dedication to rich and diverse performing arts opportunities for our students. I want to make special mention to staff Sarah Butler, Cheryl Henry-Wild, Tiahna Wild and parent Melissa Luke for their dedication to supporting our students in this way.

ICAS Testing

ICAS Testing will be conducted at school in August for those who are interested. Please have a look at the office page for information and registration details.

Industrial Action and semester reports

You may be aware that industrial action across Victorian government schools has currently been paused following an in-principle agreement being reached. While this is a positive step forward, as we are nearing the end of the semester there will still be some impacts on student reports for staff who had been participating in industrial action.

As part of the industrial action, some teachers will not be completing General Comments or the Attitude and Behaviour Checklist for Semester One reports. All students will continue to receive their progression point information on reports, ensuring families are informed of student achievement and progress.

In classes where teaching responsibilities are shared between a staff member who had been undertaking industrial action and one who had not, there will be a proportional (pro-rata) approach taken to the completion of General Comments and the Attitude and Behaviour Checklist.

Families may also notice that reports this semester will no longer include links to the continua. This change aligns with statewide reforms aimed at reducing teacher workload and administrative burden. The Department of Education is currently working towards a more consistent report format across all Victorian government schools from next year, with the intention of simplifying reporting processes while continuing to provide families with meaningful information about student learning and progress.

We appreciate the understanding and support of our community as these changes are implemented.

School Tours

Bookings can be made for our 2027 Prep School Tours. Bookings can be made via the link below:

https://www.trybooking.com/DJFEX

We are kind. We are resilient. We are respectful.