Welcome
Wawa, Wominjika.
Here at Old Orchard Primary School, we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we visit each day, the Wurrunguri and Woiwurrung people of the Kulin nation. We acknowledge and respect the elders and leaders past and present and the elders and leaders of all of the cultures and nationalities that are part of the Old Orchard Primary School community. We express our gratitude towards the orchards that were kept in place by the peoples on this land before us. We thank the traditional owners for sharing this beautiful land that we all love, and for keeping the land, sky, waterways and animals all in great condition for thousands of years, not only for themselves but for all the generations to come.
Preps 100 Days of School
Congratulations to our Prep students who are celebrating 100 Days of School today. This has grown to become an important celebration in recent years and we love seeing the special ways that our students and teachers mark the occasion. This year, Old Orchard is celebrating with a theme of ‘100 Days Brighter’ and it was fantastic to see our students arriving at school wearing extra bright colours. The students also enjoyed celebrating with their Year 6 buddies.
Year 5 & 6 T-Ball & AFL 9’s Division Competition
Earlier this week, our T-Ball and AFL 9’s teams competed in the Division finals. Despite the inclement weather, it was a great day and we are very proud of the manner in which all of our students participated. Joe Keyhoe deserves special recognition for being highlighted at the T-Ball competition for his sporting behaviour and consistently encouraging and supporting his team members. The T-Ball teams performed very well without progressing to the next level of competition. The AFL 9’s team had a very successful day, winning through to the next stage.
Enrolments
Our enrolments for 2027 Prep classes continue to grow and we are optimistic that this will continue in the coming weeks. We are planning for three Prep classes for 2027.
Science Week
Next week is Science Week at Old Orchard, with our STEM Specialist, Lauren Todd, planning some great activities throughout the week. These include the time honoured classic ‘Egg Drop Challenge’ where each class will be asked to design and build a container which will protect an egg from a 2 metre drop. In addition, on Tuesday all classes will attend a special ‘Mad Science Show’ incursion. (Please remember to provide permission on Sentral for this activity).
Please take the opportunity to chat with your child(ren) about their science experiences throughout the week, as well as other science related topics.
2026 School Fete
The 2026 School Fete will be held on Saturday November 14th. The Fete is a huge part of our Old Orchard history and community and its strength has always been the incredible support that we receive from our school community. It is also an extremely important fundraiser for our school. Your child will be bringing home a Fete brochure today, so please take the time to read through it and consider how you might be able to assist.
Congratulations
Congratulations to Year 6 student and talented gymnast, Kotomi, who won the All Round Gold in her recent competition. This included a score of 9.80 on the Vault! Kotomi will continue competing in several other competitions leading up to the Victorian Championships in October.
Congratulations also to Year 6 baseball stars, Oscar & Austin. As key members of the Eastern Athletics 12 Year baseball team, the boys won the Little League State Championships. This qualified them to play in the National Championships, where they also performed admirably.
Our students are fortunate to have so many incredible experiences in sport, music, art, dancing, acting and much more.
City of Whitehorse Community Dinner
I was fortunate to represent Old Orchard at the recent City of Whitehorse Community Dinner. The dinner celebrates the efforts and achievements of community organisations and volunteers across Whitehorse, and it was wonderful to see Community Achievement Awards presented to recipients across the Council Wards, as well as the Whitehorse Young Citizen of the Year and the Whitehorse Citizen of the Year.
Welcome back Clare
We look forward to Assistant Principal, Clare Murray, returning on Monday following her leave. Thank-you to Adam Todd & Meg McKinley who have stepped up in her absence.
Warm regards
Duncan