Principals' Page
Anita Elliott, Lou Corso & Marcus Leonard
Term 3 Highlights!
What an incredibly busy and entertaining Term 3 it has been at HEPS! Our students have enjoyed a fantastic range of learning experiences, activities and events throughout the term. Some of the highlights included our Level 3–6 Athletics Day, Book Week Parade, Foundation’s 100 Days of School celebrations, Hoop Time Basketball, Father’s Day celebrations, Trivia Night, Science Week activities, the Level 1 excursion to Melbourne Zoo, Level 2’s Puffing Billy excursion, Working Bee, Three-Way Conferences and our Foundation–Level 5 swimming program. We were also incredibly proud of our girls’ netball team, who progressed all the way to the State level, and our students who participated in the District Athletics. Our High-Ability Program continued to flourish, with students taking part in masterclasses with other schools across our network. A huge amount of time, organisation and effort goes into making these experiences possible. A big thank you to all our teachers, support staff and Parents Association for going above and beyond to create such rich, engaging and memorable experiences for our students.
What a fantastic Term 3!
Tomorrow- Wear Your Favourite Sports Clothes
Don’t forget to wear your favourite sports or footy clothes tomorrow — the last day of Term 3! We look forward to seeing everyone getting into the sporting spirit!
The parade will take place between 9.00–9.45am, and all families are welcome to attend.
We can’t wait to see everyone in their favourite sporting gear!
Team Kids to Continue as our OSHC Provider
School Council is pleased to announce that Team Kids has been successful in the recent Expression of Interest process for our Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) program, and will be offered a new contract to continue providing before school, after school and holiday care at Heathmont East Primary School.
The Expression of Interest process was a thorough one, and Council considered a number of quality submissions from established providers. Team Kids presented the strongest submission overall. However, the single most compelling factor in Council's decision was not on paper at all — it was the overwhelming response from the families who use the service every day.
What our families told us
As part of the review, we surveyed our OSHC community. We received 52 responses, almost all from families currently using the service. The results were remarkable.
| What we asked | Result |
|---|---|
| Feel their child is safe while in care | 100% |
| Feel staff are warm, attentive and genuinely engaged with the children | 98% |
| Rated staff communication about concerns or incidents highly (4–5 out of 5) | 98% |
| Satisfied with the service overall (4–5 out of 5) | 96% |
| Likely to continue using the service next year (4–5 out of 5) | 94% |
| Satisfied with provider communication — updates, notices, incident reports | 94% |
| Say the operating hours meet their family's needs | 92% |
Overall satisfaction averaged 4.8 out of 5, with 83% of families awarding the service full marks. Every single respondent — without exception — told us they feel their child is safe in Team Kids' care.
In our families' words
The written comments were just as clear as the numbers. Families consistently pointed to the same things: the warmth of the educators, the quality of the activities and food, and the genuine relationships staff build with the children.
A particular highlight was the number of families who went out of their way to name individual educators, especially Crystal and Bailey, whose care and consistency were mentioned again and again. On behalf of School Council and the school community, thank you both.
Many families also took the opportunity to tell us plainly that they hoped the service would continue — comments to that effect appeared repeatedly, and unprompted, throughout the survey.
New Fence and Welcome Path
Work has now commenced on replacing the old fence along Armstrong Road and constructing a new welcome path from the Gym to the Admin building. The project is expected to be completed by the end of October.
Old Admin Area update & New playground update
We had originally planned to hydroseed approximately one-third of the area where the old Admin building was located. However, these plans have now changed.
We recently met with the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA), who advised that they are looking to bring forward the playground works, with the possibility of starting during the January school holidays. As a result, they have recommended that we do not spend money on hydroseeding the area at this stage. The hydroseeding has therefore been put on hold until we have more information about the timing and plans for the playground works.
Over the summer holidays, the VSBA is also planning to relocate three modular classrooms — Foundation, FTM and all Level 1s — to the area where the old Admin building was located. This will free up additional space around the Gym and allow us to return to having a full-size oval. We will provide further updates to the school community as we receive more information about the playground works.
Fathers' Day Stall
A big thank you to our wonderful Parents Association for organising the Father’s Day Stall for our students! There were some fantastic gifts for the students to choose from, and it was wonderful to see their excitement as they selected something special for their dads and special people.
District Athletics
Congratulations to all 55 students who represented HEPS at the District Athletics Day a few weeks ago. Despite the patchy rain making conditions a little tricky, it was a very successful day, with HEPS finishing 5th overall. We are also very proud to have a number of students who have progressed through to the Divisional Athletics level in Week 1 of Term 4. Well done to all our students who participated and represented our school so proudly. Fantastic effort, everyone!
School Uniform Supplier – Spartan- Contract renewal
Following feedback from our parent community, School Council has agreed to renew our uniform supply contract with Spartan for a further three years, with an option to extend for an additional two years. We received 75 responses to our parent survey, with 69% of parents satisfied or very satisfied with Spartan’s service. Customer service, staff support, stock availability and sizing were all rated highly.
We have also listened to the feedback regarding pricing and durability. As part of the new agreement, uniform prices will be frozen for 2027, with any future price increases on school-specific items capped at 5% per year and subject to School Council approval.
We thank families who took the time to provide feedback and look forward to continuing our partnership with Spartan.
Term 3 Working Bee
A huge thank you to all the parents and families who came along to our Term 3 Working Bee. It was fantastic to see so many people volunteering their time to help improve our school grounds. From moving crushed rock and washing windows to weeding, cleaning the Art Room tables and giving the grounds a general tidy-up, so much was achieved in just a few hours. We really appreciate your time, energy and ongoing support of HEPS.
R U OK? Day
Last week we celebrated R U OK? Day, which provided an opportunity to shine a spotlight on mental health, check in with our mates and encourage anyone who may have been struggling to reach out for help. Students and staff wore a touch of yellow, symbolising hope, joy and friendship, and sending a visible message of care and support to those who may have been experiencing challenges with their mental health.
Hats are Back!
Just a reminder that Spring has arrived, and students need to start wearing their hats. In line with the HEPS SunSmart Policy, children are required to wear their hats when playing outside. Please make sure hats are clearly named.
Free Children's Dental Care in Lilydale
The Smile Squad team from Each is running a free school holiday pop-up clinic for children enrolled in government schools — offering dental check-ups, preventive care, and any necessary treatment.
- When: 21 September – 2 October
- Where: Smile Squad Hub, 18–22 Lakeview Drive, Lilydale
- Cost: Free
Call 9757 6200 or scan the QR code on the flyer to book your child's appointment.
End of Term – 2:30 pm Finish!
Our term will conclude with a whole-school assembly outside the front office at 2:20 pm. Students will be dismissed for the holiday break at 2:30 pm. Term 4 resumes on Monday, October 5. I hope everyone has a safe and relaxing break and I look forward to seeing rested, happy faces around the school for a big last Term. Enjoy the beautiful spring weather!