What a fun and busy two weeks it has been at ENPS! It has been wonderful to get some sense of sunny days ahead and to see how happy a bit of warmer weather makes everyone feel. Throw in an extra day off for Cup Day last week and everyone has been extra happy!

So many fabulous things have been happening over the past two weeks at ENPS as we settle into Term Four. UMatter Day last Friday was such a special day and to see our community continue to support this wonderful initiative from Mrs Upton in its sixth year, is truly remarkable.

On Monday and Tuesday we had our girls’ Hoop Time teams competing at the Regional competition. On Monday, the Year 5/6 team did a great job with several close and tough games. While on Tuesday, our Year 3/4 girls went through undefeated, then took out the grand final! This means the 3/4 team are now going through to the State Competition on December 4th! What an incredible achievement!! Congratulations to all the girls and a special shout out to the Year Six coaches, Mia and James, along with Mrs Thomas for the efforts, guidance and encouragement (not to forget the family members who all were there cheering on the girls!)

Meanwhile on Tuesday, our Year Six School Captains; Sam, Astin and Engy, also led a wonderful service for Remembrance Day. I was attending a Western Melbourne Principal’s Forum for the day and was so proud to hear of their leadership for the special service.

My highlight though this week was heading off on the Year Two excursion to the National Gallery of Victoria and the Ian Potter Gallery yesterday. We had a truly marvellous experience appreciating art and inquiring into the central idea ‘Feelings and culture can be expressed creatively’.

As always, I love our Thursday lunch celebrations with the School Wide Positive Behaviour token winners each week. Last week I had the pleasure of having lunch with Pranithi (FHM) and Owen (4CG) and their friends Isabella and Archer. Yesterday while I was on the excursion, Connor Smith enjoyed lunching with Mack (1NV), Joel (FAM), and their friends Andi and Otis. Also demonstrating our school value of kind, token recipient Mason (5AC) paid his 'Lunch with the Principal' experience forward to his friends - Reuben and Jamie!

2026 Foundation Orientation

The 2026 Foundation students had their third orientation session this week and already it is evident how their confidence and independence have grown! We have one more orientation session remaining next Wednesday and they will certainly all be ready for the start of school in 2026! Our School Council look forward to hosting our new Foundation parents and carers for a coffee and chat next Wednesday morning while the children attend their final orientation session.

Shifting Course at ENPS from 2026

In this week’s newsletter, we share an important update for ENPS for 2026. I encourage you to read that update later in the newsletter.

2026 Planning

As I mentioned in the last newsletter, planning is well underway for 2026. In the past months we have been undertaking our recruitment process for our 2026 staffing. We are currently reviewing student enrolment numbers very closely to ensure the best structure is in place for 2026. Once finalised in the coming weeks, we will confirm our staff list for next year and teaching placements.

As a reminder, today was the due date for the return of the 2026 student class peer placement forms (signed by parent/carers). Staff have now begun the process to configure the classes for next year. We value and respect student voice in this process and students are guaranteed to have at least one peer from their five nominations. Parent information submissions have now also closed for 2026 and thank you to those who have emailed me directly. We ask that families respect and appreciate that class allocation and placement each year is a very complex and thoroughly considered process. As educational professionals, our class placements are made with the best outcomes in mind for all students. Students will find out their 2026 classes on Step Up morning on Tuesday 16th December.

Marcus Rosin Scholarship

In memory of Marcus Rosin (a former student of ENPS), our school is once again offering one student an Instrumental Music Scholarship in 2026. This scholarship is an annual award and entitles one student to a year of free instrumental music tuition. Nominations are open to all ENPS students. A panel comprising of representatives from the family, the school and the instrumental music program will select the successful recipient. Nominations forms can be collected at the office, through the Compass post or as attached in this newsletter. Nominations close this Thursday 20th November and the successful recipient will be announced at the final school assembly on Friday 19th December. Completed nomination forms can be submitted to the office or emailed to essendon.north.ps@education.vic.gov.au

We appreciate that a lot of information is now starting to come out to parents with information for both the end of 2025 and for the new year ahead. Please continue to regularly check Compass.

A reminder of our upcoming curriculum days next Friday 21st November and Friday 12th December.

Take care and have a lovely weekend!

Kate Barletta

Principal

Health and Wellbeing