From the Principal

Welcome to IPS

Battle of the Bands

If there is one event on the school calendar that students look forward to more than just about anything, it has to be Battle of the Bands! And this year certainly did not disappoint!

Our talented Year 5 and 6 musicians took to the stage and absolutely rocked the house, performing like seasoned professionals and belting out some of the biggest bangers from popular artists. From the moment the first note was played, the energy in the room was electric, with plenty of singing, dancing, cheering and some very enthusiastic audience participation!

The bands showed incredible confidence, musicianship and teamwork, and it was wonderful to see them supporting and celebrating one another as they performed. There were impressive vocals, fantastic guitar solos, pounding drums and enough rock-star poses to suggest we may have some future superstars in our midst!

With the audience voting for their favourite band, the competition was fierce — although, as always, the real winner was the joy of music and seeing our students absolutely loving being on stage.

A huge congratulations to all of our performers and a very big thank you to the Mr O'Brien who helped make this much-loved event possible.

Battle of the Bands 2026: loud, joyful, unforgettable… and possibly the coolest event of the school year! 

Head over to the Battle of the Bands page to see more videos and photos.

Father's Day Celebrations

PFA Father's Day Stall

Thank you the PFA and to all our parent volunteers for kindly donating your time to get the Father's Day Stall set up and ready with goods to purchase.  There was much excitement about what might be available and our students certainly appreciated your help in browsing for gifts for that special person in their lives. 

Father's Day Breakfast

As always, our annual Father's Day Breakfast was a huge hit!  Despite the early start, there was a huge turn out with dads, granddads, family members and kids enjoying the delicious food and a relaxing chat.  Huge thanks to all the PFA and mums who volunteered to make this event and the Father's Day stall such a success, raising at total of $2,269.96!

PFA Upcoming Events

Trivia Night and Bingo Nights have been organised by the PFA.  Not just any old Trivia or Bingo Night, extra special, re-invented and revamped events that are guaranteed to be fun along with a Silent Auction!  

Trivia Night: Friday 23rd October at Ivanhoe East Bowls Club.

Bingo Night: Saturday 21st November at West Ivanhoe Football Club.

Check out more of the PFA's exciting upcoming events on the PFA page.

R U OK? Day

On Thursday 10 September, Ivanhoe Primary School will be recognising R U OK? Day, Australia's national day of action that reminds us of the importance of checking in with the people around us. By simply asking, "Are you OK?", listening without judgement and encouraging support when needed, we can help others feel seen, valued and connected.

Throughout the day, students will participate in age-appropriate classroom activities and discussions that promote kindness, empathy and looking out for one another. These learning experiences help students develop positive relationships, build emotional awareness and understand that it's okay to ask for help when they need it. Together, we are continuing to foster a caring, inclusive and supportive school community where everyone feels they belong.

If you would like more information, see the Student Voice page or please visit: www.ruok.org.au 

District Athletics

Congratulations to all those students who took part in the District Athletics event at Meadowglen on Monday.  They were amazing!  Head over to the IPS Sport page to see the ribbons and find out how well they did!

Night of Music

Night of Music is this Saturday!

It is always a spectacular event.  Don't forget to get your tickets to see our Strings and Choir performers in action!

Head over to the Strings & Choir News page for more details.

Parent Opinion Survey Reminder

Please check your email to see if you were a member of the random sample of families that was sent an invitation to complete the survey. 

The survey closes on Friday 18th September 2026. 

Your opinions are important to us and will contribute to identifying areas for improvement and professional development needs in the school, to target school planning and improvement strategies. 

The survey is being conducted online and only takes 20 minutes to complete.  If you require assistance in completing the survey, please reach out to your child’s teacher, or the school if you require assistance in another language.

Spring Holiday Program at IPS

We are pleased to confirm that TheirCare will be running a spring program for students over the next holiday period (September 21st to October 2nd).  Find out more by clicking flyer below or theircare.com.au

Finally

A Feathered Surprise!

I just wanted to share a photo of the delightful visitor who caused quite a commotion in our Staff Centre on Tuesday!

What a surprise we had when we entered the room to collect some photocopying, only to be greeted by this beautiful, feathery friend perched high on the light! I’ve never seen a Kookaburra so close before, so it was certainly a wonderful treat. Our visitor was remarkably calm as we tried, unsuccessfully, to tempt it out with a little cheese.

After a lengthy wait on the phone to Wildlife Victoria, I was feeling quite pleased with our responsible wildlife rescue efforts… only to poke my head back into the room and discover that our visitor had disappeared! Clearly, no rescue was required — our Kookaburra had simply decided it was time to head off and continue its adventures elsewhere.

It seems that even our Staff Centre isn’t safe from unexpected visitors!

School life is certainly full of surprises — and occasionally, a little extra wildlife! 🪶

Have a wonderful week and thank you for your continued support.

Pam Wright

Co Principal

http://www.ivanhoeps.vic.edu.au/ 

We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Victoria and pay respect to the ongoing living cultures of First Peoples.