Principal Report

Term 3— The joy of Reading

Book Week is a special time each year when we pause to celebrate the wonder of reading and the incredible worlds it opens up for our children. It’s a chance to reflect the joy that stories bring. The way they spark imagination, grow empathy, and transport us to places we’ve never been. This year’s theme, "Books an Adventure", reminds us that every story is a journey - whether it’s through time, to faraway lands, or deep into the heart of imagination. Books allow our children to become explorers, heroes, problem-solvers, and dreamers all from the pages of a story. We look forward to seeing some of this inspiration at next week’s Book Week Costume Parade.

Staffing Update

We would like to inform our school community of some upcoming staffing changes for the final weeks of Term 3. From the beginning of September, Mr Jimmy Stephens will be reducing his time fraction to spend more time with his family. An important time as a new dad. We are excited to announce that Mrs Sheree McGinley has accepted our invitation to backfill this position and will be working in Year 5/6A on Wednesdays, starting from the first week in September until the end of the year. Additionally, Mrs Sylvia Murray will be taking leave for the final three weeks of this term. We’re pleased to share that Mrs Rachel Huf will be stepping in as the replacement teacher on Thursdays and Fridays during this time.

Parent/Carers Opinion Survey

The Parent Opinion Survey is now open. We warmly encourage all families to take the time to complete it. Your feedback is incredibly valuable in helping us shape the future of our school.

The insights gathered from this survey guide our ongoing commitment to ensuring our school continues to operate at its best. It supports our ability to ensure we continue to provide an environment with quality learning and strong connections.

We truly appreciate your input and the role it plays in helping us make our school the best place it can be for our students and community.

Happening Next Week

Thursday August 28th – Beauty and the Beast

Our Year 5/6 students will be attending a performance of Beauty and the Beast presented by Baimbridge College next Thursday. This exciting excursion not only gives our students the chance to enjoy a fantastic live show, but also serves as a valuable transition opportunity. We thank Baimbridge College for the kind invitation.

Book Week Dress Up Parade and Assembly - Friday August 29th

Although this week is officially Book Week, due to the Year 5/6 swimming program and our Curriculum Day, we made the decision to postpone our celebrations and activities to next week. The day will start with our annual Book Week Parade. This will take place first thing Friday morning in the stadium along with a short assembly. Students are encouraged to come dressed as their favourite book character. We understand that while some students (and parents) enjoy the opportunity to dress up, for others it can be a source of stress. We encourage families to work within their child’s comfort level. Simple, creative costumes put together from home or sourced from the op shop can be just as effective and fun. For example, a white t-shirt smeared with chocolate cake and the rest of the cake on a plate makes a fantastic Bruce Bogtrotter from Matilda!

Read-a-thon – Friday August 29th

As part of our Book Week celebrations on Friday 28th August, we’re excited to be running our first-ever school “Read-A-Thon” or “Reading Relay”! The goal is to raise funds for improvements to our library and learning resources, areas identified by our Student Voice Team. Throughout the day the library will host continuous reading sessions with each class assigned a 15-minute slot to take part in the relay, keeping the reading going from start to finish. Students are reminded to also bring back their sponsorship forms on this day along with any donations collected. When not involved in the Readathon students will be involved in a variety of Book Week Activities across the school.

Trivia Night – Friday August 29th

Next week brings with it our third School Council–led fundraiser of the year, our Trivia Night!

Thanks to the support our school community has provided in supporting this event. We have many tables booked, and look forward to receiving a few more bookings before the ticket sales close on Monday.

Funds raised from our previous events have gone directly towards reducing camp costs for families. Moving forward, however monies raised from the Trivia Night (and future fundraising efforts) will be directed towards a new area of focus, which will be determined by School Council. If you have suggestions for something you feel our school community would benefit from, we encourage you to share your ideas with a School Council member.

Welcome Back Mr Max Kermeen

On Monday, August 25th, we welcome back Mr Max Kermeen for the second part of his third-year teaching placement. Earlier this year, Max completed the first part of his teaching placement with Ms Sophie Hannah in Year 3/4. This time, he will be working in the Year 5/6 team alongside Miss Georgie Paton. We’re excited to have Max rejoining our school community and look forward to supporting him in further developing his teaching skills over the three weeks he is with us.

Upcoming Events to Plan For

Aladdin Wednesday September 10th

Our Grade 2 students and school choir will be attending the matinee performance of Aladdin by Good Shepherd College at the PAC on Wednesday September 10th. As with Beauty and the Beast this is a fantastic opportunity for our students to experience a live production. It is also a great opportunity for our students to see other young people passionately involved in the performing arts. It's sure to be an inspiring and enjoyable experience that highlights the value of creativity, story telling and being brave.

Gray Streets Got Talent - Wednesday September 3rd

As we head into the last few weeks of the term another upcoming event is Gray Streets Got Talent. We look forward to our students sharing their various talents at this upcoming showcase. More information futher in the newsletter.

Father’s Day Afternoon - Friday September 5th

We’re excited to invite all Dads and Special People to join us for an afternoon of fun and connection on Friday, September 5th. Similar to our Mother’s Day afternoon our Dad’s are invited for afternoon tea before popping into their child’s classroom to participate in some special activities. It’s another wonderful way our school strives to celebrate the role our families and carers play in their learning and wellbeing.

Camp – Permission Forms Due September 5th

All information for Term 4 camps has now been sent out. These forms, along with payment are asked to be returned by September 5th. This will allow our staff to then confirm the planning and fine details for camp such as staffing, groupings and cabin allocation. We thank parents who have expressed interest in attending. Staff will begin looking through these forms and confirm the parent volunteer list the week after camp forms are returned.

Hamilton (Gray St) Primary School Newsletter

Respect, Relationships & Resilience

Issue 13 · 22 Aug 2025

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