Dear HPS Community,

What a big week it has been at HPS!

Our House Athletics Carnival on Wednesday was a fantastic success, filled with outstanding team spirit, effort and resilience from all students. After our first attempt was rained out, Take 2 delivered a wonderful day for everyone involved.

Well done to all students for their enthusiasm, participation and support of one another. It was terrific to see such positive sportsmanship across all events.

A sincere thank you to the many parents, grandparents, family members and friends who came along to cheer on our athletes—we greatly value your support. We are also incredibly grateful to our volunteer helpers; the day simply would not run as smoothly without your time and commitment.

Thank you to our dedicated teachers and education support staff for ensuring all students were included and able to participate fully. A special acknowledgement to Ethan Griffiths for his exceptional planning, organisation and coordination of the event.

Congratulations and best of luck to the students progressing to the next stage at District Athletics—we are very proud of you!

Congratulations to the nine students who proudly represented HPS at the Regional Swimming Championships on Thursday. It was a fantastic day of competition, with our students demonstrating great determination, skill and sportsmanship.

A special highlight was our boys relay team, who delivered an outstanding performance to advance to the State Championships—finishing less than one second ahead of second place!

Individually, Ashton achieved an excellent result, winning his freestyle event and placing second in backstroke. Henry also had a strong meet, finishing second in freestyle and third in backstroke. Max swam impressively to place fourth in butterfly, while Elle showed great effort and determination in her butterfly event. Our girls medley relay team also performed admirably, finishing in sixth place.

Congratulations to all students on a wonderful day of swimming—we are incredibly proud of your efforts and achievements. Thank you to the parents and to Ethan for their support on the day.

Congratulations to our Year 3 and Year 5 students who have shown great persistence and effort in completing their NAPLAN assessments over the past 10 days. We are very proud of the positive attitude and focus demonstrated throughout this period.

A sincere thank you to Brad Kendall and Monique Rankin for their leadership and coordination of the process, and to Rebecca Paterson for her support in managing the ICT requirements. Your work ensured a smooth and successful experience for all involved.

I would also like to thank our dedicated and committed SRC group for the work they have put in to achieve successful events this week with Hoodie Up for Autism and Wear orange for Harmony day. Check out the great write up and photos of these events in the 'From the SRC' page later in the newsletter. What fabulous leadership you are all demonstrating.

Industrial Action - STOP WORK TUESDAY 24 MARCH

The Australian Education Union has called on its members to take strike action on Tuesday 24 March 2026.

Based upon the information provided to me, 24 of our teaching staff and 3 of our Education Support staff will be taking part in the strike action.

Please read the compass newsfeed sent out earlier today to understand the arrangements for HPS on that day.

Student Safety and Readiness for Learning

We understand that families make arrangements with their children that best fit their family values and needs.

However, we are concerned that a number of students, mainly believed to be in Years 5 and 6, frequent Warringal Shopping Centre prior to school to purchase soft drinks, energy drinks and large bags of lollies and chips to consume prior to the start of the day bell.

This can be a concern for several reasons. Firstly, the high sugar and caffeine content in many of these products can significantly impact students’ ability to regulate their energy, focus and behaviour in the classroom. While there may be a short burst of energy, this is often followed by a noticeable drop, making it more challenging for students to engage in learning, sustain attention and manage their emotions throughout the morning.

Additionally, energy drinks in particular are not recommended for children and can have negative effects on heart rate, hydration and overall wellbeing. As a school, we are committed to supporting healthy habits that enable students to feel their best and be ready to learn each day.

There are also safety considerations when groups of students are unsupervised in busy public spaces before and after school. Navigating traffic, interacting with the broader public and making independent purchasing decisions can present risks, particularly for younger students or students who are easily influenced by their peers.

We ask families to support us by having conversations with their children about making safe and healthy choices before school, and by reinforcing routines that set them up for a positive start to the day.

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting the wellbeing, safety and learning of all students.

Cultural Diversity Week

Multiculturalism is a core part of the Victorian identity, our character and way of life. Our state is home to people who speak 290 languages and have 314 different ancestries. It's also a place where anyone can contribute and belong.

Cultural Diversity Week is a time to celebrate the power, influence, and stories of Victoria's rich multicultural communities, and all Victorians are invited to participate through a variety of in-person events and activities.

This year, Cultural Diversity Week will take place across the state from 21 - 29 March.

The 2026 theme, Culture connects us all highlights how sharing intercultural stories and experiences fosters understanding, belonging and connection.

Upcoming Dates
March
Tuesday 24	AEU Stop Work Industrial Action
June
Friday 5	Curriculum Day - No students at school
August
Wednesday 12	Curriculum Day - No students at school
October
Thursday 15	Year 6 Graduation Photo Day
November
Monday 2	Teacher Professional Practice Day - No students at school

2026 School Term Dates

Term 1: Thursday 29th Jan- Thursday 2nd April (2.30pm finish)

Term 2: Monday 20th April- Friday 26th June (2.30pm finish)

Term 3: Monday 13th July- Friday 18th September (2.30pm finish)

Term 4: Monday 5th October- Friday 18th December (1.30pm finish)

Have a great weekend everyone!

See you Monday morning for our whole school assembly.

Naomi Ivers

Principal

Heidelberg Primary School