Dear Parents/Carers,

CAMPING PROGRAM 2026

We have a very full and exciting camping program this year. When it is time to complete consent and medical forms please do so as soon as possible.

It is also vital that you make the payments as required and in a timely manner. Please note if this is a problem for you please contact me directly and we will discuss options.

All conversations will be strictly confidential.

Year Level	Location	Dates
Year 1	Night Walk Gardens	TBC
Year 2	Warra Gnan Camp	24th-25th March
Year 3	Kangaroobie	10th-12th June
Year 4	Roses Gap	19th-21th October
Year 5	Sovereign Hall	3rd-5th August
Year 6	Melbourne-CYC	15th-17th June
Somers	Somers	24th Feb-4th March COMPLETED
Cottage by the Sea Select Year 5/6 students	Queenscliff	19th Oct-23rd Oct

PUPIL FREE DAYS 2026

School Council identified and approved the following dates as Pupil Free Days for 2026.

Monday 16th March 2026 – English as an Additional Language Support
Friday 5th June 2026 - Assessment and Reporting
Friday 24th July 2026 - Framework for Understanding Poverty
Monday 23rd November 2026 - Assessment and Reporting
Thursday 17th and Friday 18th December 2026 – End of Year planning/professional learning

‘Their Care’ operates on Pupil Free days and School holidays for those families seeking the service. Please note they do not operate on Public Holidays.

DIVISION SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

On Friday, 27th February, six of our talented swimmers proudly represented our school at the South West Divisional Swimming Championships, held at Aquazone.

Melea Valeroso, Wenze Xie, Chloe Campling, Vinudi Sepala, Freya Cleverley and Kimmy Wallace all competed in individual events, demonstrating outstanding determination, skill and sportsmanship against strong competition from across the division. Each swimmer performed admirably, challenging themselves and striving for personal bests in a highly competitive environment.

In addition to their individual races, we were thrilled to field a team in the 12/13 Girls Freestyle Relay. The team delivered a fantastic performance, working seamlessly together and placing 4th in their heat. Their teamwork, encouragement of one another and commitment to representing the school with pride were highlights of the day.

It was also fantastic to see such strong parent and family support for all competitors throughout the event. The encouragement from the stands created a wonderful atmosphere and was greatly appreciated by the swimmers.

We are incredibly proud of all six swimmers for their dedication and effort both in training and in competition. Congratulations on a wonderful achievement at divisional level!

Well done, girls!

SCHOOL PHOTOS AND UNIFORM

This year’s School Photos will be held on Friday 20th March 2026. All students’ photos will be taken on the day.

As per our school uniform policy all students are expected to be in full school uniform. Students will need to either be in the navy/white check dress or the school logo polo top.

There are options available to families to assist with the cost of uniforms including the School Saving Bonus and State School Relief.

INDIGENOUS GARDEN PROJECT

During the month of May Anthea Rafferty and Dominique Debono, from Warrnambool College, will be visiting our schol as part of a program to invigorate our Indigenous garden area. They will be bringing selected students from their Stars and Clontarf parograms to assist our Koorie students with gardening and artmaking sessions, including activities such as painting emy eggs for a large nest installation that will be created on site. There will be opportunities for some of our students to help plant native species throughout the garden. The program is designed to create opportunities for students leadership and mentoring, allowing students to share skills and support one another throughout the activities. We are looking forward to this fantastic opportunity, and we can't wait to see the finished product.

NAPLAN - YEARS 3 AND 5 STUDENTS

Next week Years 3 and 5 students will be sitting the NAPLAN tests across three days, Wednesday 11th to Friday 13th March 2026.

The schedule is:

DATE	YEAR 3	YEAR 5
Wednesday 11th March 2026	Writing (Paper) 9:30am-10:30am	Writing 9:30am-10:30am
Wednesday 11th March 2026	Reading 11:45am-12:45pm	Reading 11:45am-12:45pm
Thursday 12th March 2026	Conventions of Lang. 11:45am-12:45pm	Conventions of Lang. 11:45am-12:45pm
Friday 13th March 2026	Numeracy 9:30am-10:30am	Numeracy 9:30am-10:30am
Tuesday 17th March 2026	CATCH UP all tests	CATCH UP all tests
Monday 23rd March 2026	Closed	Closed

Please ensure your child is in attendance on these days where possible.

Absence: If your child is absent through illness or other unavoidable circumstances they will be able to sit the tests missed in the following week.

Exempt: Some students are exempt. Parents/Carers of those students have been contacted this week.

Withdrawal: As a Parent/Carer you may choose to withdraw your child from these tests.

If you wish to withdraw your child please email me at peter.lee@education.vic.gov.au - with the signed attached document.

You do not need to explain why you wish to withdraw your child.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP CONGRESS

On Friday 6th March 2026, six of our School Leaders and staff members Tim Bourke and Leona Billington will attend the Student Leaders Congress at Deakin University.

'The Student Leaders Congress is held each year in March. A day of leadership inspiration brings together student leaders in years 5 to 8 and teachers from local schools to hear from local community leaders, youth shire groups and inspiring leaders who share their stories of leadership.'

The attending students will find the information very relevant and inspiring. A school improvement project will be identified by this leadership group and we look forward to hearing all about it.

AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNION (VIC BRANCH) ACTION

Industrial Action – Tuesday 24th March 2026

Parents and carers are advised that members of the Australian Education Union VIC Branch (AEU) have called statewide industrial action for staff in Victorian Government Schools on Tuesday 24th March 2026.

The impasse between the AEU VIC Branch claims and the Victorian Government has resulted in this proposed action. One key point in negotiations is the wide disparity between government school funding across states.

See below

State and Commonwealth Schools Funding- School funding as a percentage of Schooling Resource Standard for 2026
	State Contribution %	Commonwealth Contribution %	Total %
Western Australia	77.5	22.5	100
Tasmania	77.5	22.5	100
ACT	77.5	22.5	100
South Australia	75	20.4	95.4
New South Wales	75	20.2	95.2
Queensland	72	20.4	92.4
Victoria	70.4	20	90.4
Source: Federal Department of Education

Another key point is that Victorian School staff have much lower salaries than other Australian States and Territories. Teachers, principals and education support staff play a vital role in shaping the learning, wellbeing and future opportunities of young people. Competitive wages and fair working conditions help attract and retain skilled professionals who are essential to maintaining high-quality public education. When educators are properly supported and valued, schools are better able to provide consistent, high-quality learning environments for students. Investing in the people who work in schools is ultimately an investment in stronger communities and better outcomes for all students.

Teachers base pay per annum by state/territory – entry level and highest increment
	VIC	ACT	NSW	NT	QLD	SA	TAS	WA
Entry Level
2025	$79,589	$91,396	$90,177	$92,215	$84,078	$82,496	$82,828	$88,178
2026			$92,882	$96,180		$84,971
Highest Increment
2025	$118,063	$129,106	$129,536	$131,349	$123,102	$119,647	$118,328	$132,557
2026			$133,422	$136,997		$123,236
Source: AUSTRALIAN EDUCATION UNION FEDERAL BRANCH

As a result, AEU VIC members at our school may participate in this stop-work action. This may affect the normal operation of the school on this day.

We ask families to please make alternative arrangements for your child if possible.

The school will provide supervision for students who cannot be kept at home, however normal classes may not run.

NB: The Y2 Camp will proceed as normal.

Further information will be provided as it becomes available.

Thank you for your understanding.

Have a great weekend.

Peter Lee

Principal

Student Birthdays