Principal's Item 

Dear parents, carers and friends of EEPS,

Welcome to week 2 and the first Newsletter of the year. I am absolutely thrilled with the way everyone has settled into a new school year, including all our new Preps and new students across the school. It was wonderful to hold our first assembly on Monday and to present the badges to our 2025 student leaders.

School is an important place of learning but also an important place for forming connections and for belonging. Starting off the journey together is always filled with hope and encouragement. Whilst there are always ups and downs, we will all work together to harness the starting energy of this last week and look forward to a great year.

Welcome to Our New Staff and Update

A very warm welcome to our new staff who have joined EEPS this year - Hannah Cullen, Jacquie Gasson, Simone Flanagan, Stephanie Mirecki, Linda Kovacevic. Welcome back to our returning staff, Laura Banks and Alex Harriman. I hope that your time at EEPS is both professionally and personally rewarding.

At the very end of last year Miss Dow was successful in gaining another, short-term teaching position at Concord to work in a mental health and wellbeing role. We wish her all the best, and welcome Mrs Linda Kovacevic in her place in 3/4HK. We would also like to welcome three Education Support Staff, Raymie Hall, Emily Cottier and Nikki da Luz to the EEPS staff.

Japanese Update

Towards the end of last year Miss Sakamoto was successful in obtaining a 12-month teaching position at a bilingual school in a different part of Melbourne. It is planned that she will return to EEPS next year. Replacing language teachers in schools can be a tricky process. I am very pleased to announce that Mrs Simone Flanagan, an experienced Japanese teacher, will be joining EEPS for 2025. Mrs Flanagan can only work part-time, but between her and Miss Harris, will be able to continue to teach Japanese for Prep-Year 4 students. Despite, several contacts and rounds of job advertising I have not been able to secure an additional teacher to cover the Year 5 and 6 classes, at the moment. I will continue to look for another teacher but in the meantime Mrs Hartney and Mrs Banks will provide double Creative Media, rather than Japanese, to allow the teachers to have their planning time. I would, however, like to ensure everyone that we value highly our Japanese program and I hope that this is just a temporary alteration. We will continue to look at ways to provide opportunities for all students in Japanese.

Holiday Projects

The ‘holiday’ break was a very busy time at EEPS. Whilst we didn’t have any major projects, we installed new signage, new carpets in all the portable classrooms, undertook a lot of painting and re-mulching playgrounds and garden beds. We also had new furniture delivered for our multiuse classroom space located next to the Discovery kitchen. I would also like to commend Nillumbik Shire Council for their extensive footpath replacements in Luck Street. Later this week we will finish tidying up around the middle cross-over to improve pedestrian safety. Thank you to the teachers and support staff for the hard work that went into the school readiness preparation at the end of the holiday break. 

Our School Goals for 2025

Every year we have clear goals that connect to our Annual Implementation Plan. This year we have two goals, broadly around maximising student learning growth in literacy and numeracy, and around enhancing wellbeing. The three main areas of focus are on: reporting on the new Victorian Mathematics Curriculum 2.0, refining our approach to structured literacy and enhancing the positive climate for learning in every classroom. You will see our goal posters around the school, please take a moment to look at them as you are moving around. Continual school improvement is of critical importance to EEPS and we work closely with Regional staff in this endeavour.

New Year of Learning Website

Families may also be interested in looking at a new government resource. The Department has produced a ‘New Year of Learning Website’, which you may find useful.

Prep Information Night

Next Tuesday 11th February, at 7.00 pm we are holding our Prep Information Night. We are looking forward to welcoming our prep parents and I encourage you to make every effort for at least one parent per family to attend.

Open Afternoon - Tuesday 18th February 2025 2:40-4:50 pm

After the successful introduction last year, we are once again holding an ‘Open afternoon’ on Tuesday 18th February from 2:40-4:50 pm where families are very welcome to pop in to say hello. For those families not able to make it then please always remember that teachers are always very happy to be contacted for you to impart important information.

School Savings Bonus

Whilst the government’s $400 School Savings Bonus, to assist families with the cost of excursions, camps and uniforms, is a great initiative, there continues to be teething problems with the implementation. Please continue to be patient with the school office whilst they do their best to work through the ‘behind the scenes’ administration.

Emergency Management Plan

Existing EEPS families will know that I write regularly of the importance of safety in our school. Please be confident that we regularly monitor weather conditions and make adjustments when, and if needed. This week, for example, we limited the amount of time that the students were outside due to the hot weather. For this, and other events, we have a comprehensive Emergency Management Plan that is submitted to the Department in September of every year.

Staff Wanted at OSHC

We are on the lookout again for additional staff for our school run Outside School Hours Care service. To work at OSHC you need to be at least 18 years old and either hold, or be working towards some sort of certificate or qualification in childcare. If you know of anyone who would be interested, then please contact Jess or Kathryn at OSHC on 9431 2228 or email at oshc.eltham.east.ps@education.vic.gov.au   

Start of the Year Reminders

Several reminders for the start of the year;

• Hats - please remember that school hats are essential for outside play and learning
• Phones and devices - a reminder for students with mobile phones, they must be securely in bags or stored in the safes during the school day and on school grounds. Smart watches must also be set in ‘school mode’ during the day.
• Nude food - we actively and strongly encourage students to have ‘nude’ food in their lunch boxes as much as possible. This means to minimise the wrappers and plastics that they bring to school.
• Walking to and from school - please help to remind the students to have respectful interactions with the school neighbours, and other community members, when walking to and from school - this just makes for a positive and pleasant experience for everyone. Riding, skating or scootering also requires a helmet at all times
• Arrival at school in the morning - please remember that we do not have staff on Yard Duty in the mornings until 8.45 am. No child should be arriving at school, at the absolute earliest before 8.30. Please ensure that you have arrangements in place in the mornings. Children who regularly arrive early may be sent to OSHC.
• Interacting with the school staff - as we start the school year please continue to remember to maintain polite and respectful interactions with all members of staff. It is certainly reassuring to know that we enjoy a proud history of the overwhelming majority of parents who do this and are strong advocates for all that we do. It can’t be underestimated how much we appreciate and value this.
• Voluntary parent payment contributions - please remember that the voluntary parent contributions for curriculum contributions are on Compass for those families who are able to support. The estimated costs for the 2025 Extra Curricular contributions will be available later in the term. To arrange any payments please make contact with the office. 
• Updating details with the school office - if you have moved, have a different phone number, emergency contacts or changed family circumstance then please let the school know.
• Parking - please remember to follow all parking signs around the school, and reminder that the back carpark on Luck Street is for staff only.

Parent Social Media Groups

We know that feeling part of a community matters. We also know that the best way to foster this is to have face-to-face contact. However, in the modern busy world this isn’t always possible. Another way that EEPS parents and carers have connected in the past has been through social media chat groups and messaging apps. Due to necessary privacy concerns the school does not circulate class lists or any parent contact details without the express permission from parents and carers. With the new year, and new class groups, a number of parents have contacted the school asking about the possibility of connecting into existing social media groups or establishing new ones. Below is an outline of the process that we would like to facilitate: 1. If you would like to be the host or convenor of a class group then please email your child’s classroom teacher with your name, contact details and a short blurb.2. The classroom teacher will then send this message out to all parents in the class through Compass and parents are absolutely free to elect to participate or not. After the initial Newsfeed from the teacher, the school will not have any further involvement. After that point, parents can make direct contact with the parent convenor who has sent out their details.3. The classroom teacher will inform the office of the name of the parent who is the convenor or moderator for the class group.4. If parents have already established groups for 2025, or have pre-existing year level groups then please also send your details to the teacher and they will re-send to the new class, which often may include new families to the school. These social chat groups can be effective in helping people stay ‘connected’, however I would like to remind parents of three things:

Firstly, the intention is for parents and carers to have another method of connection and not for direct student involvement or input. Secondly, please be aware and mindful, that whilst independent platforms are used, as they are directly related to school events and activities, the use on them also falls within the realm of the Respectful behaviours in the School Community DET policy. Thirdly, I respectfully ask that conversations are kept positive and light-hearted or used as reminders (such as ‘remember Friday is Library day’, ‘we are playing Eltham PS for interschool sport and it’s a home game’, ‘don’t forget to send in an empty jar for Thursday’, ‘can anyone remember when the swimming trials are?). They may also be used to arrange outside of school social events or catch-ups for the children, or used as a ‘shout-out’ if a particular family in your class group is experiencing some personal challenges such as a health concern or loss of a family member. If you have a concern about your child, then the appropriate avenue is to always directly address this with your child’s teacher. If, from time to time, you have a concern about a broader school-wide issue, or would like to provide feedback, then please approach a member of the School’s Leadership Team. 

I know that the overwhelming majority of parents and carers do engage respectfully in the online messaging groups. Remember, from time to time, if there is a message stream that isn’t helpful then it is ok to politely remind group members of the purpose and intent of the group. Please also remember that these groups are optional for parents and carers. Not everyone may wish to join, and that is perfectly ok. Those that do join please be aware of this. Please also be aware of any implications for you if you join a group if there is parent separation involved. Our main channels of communication remain through Compass and through the school newsletter. We have a lot to be grateful for and I think we all can play a key role in continuing to communicate in these messaging forums in positive ways that are supportive of the school and all its endeavours.

Finally, my apologies that some of this information in this Newsletter wasn’t communicated earlier in the year.

After a great first week back, I look forward to a positive and rewarding year for us all. 

Kind regards

Warren Lloyd

Principal