Have you started your planning for the ENPS Young Writers’ Competition?

This year’s theme is Moments That Shape Us. Students are invited to use their imagination and creativity to write a poem, tiny tale, picture story or short story inspired by the theme.

Entries are free and open to all ENPS students. Please see the attached information for competition rules, entry details and student rubrics.

Entries close on Friday 7th August.

ICAS Entries Now Open for Years Two – Six

ICAS entries are now open for interested students in Years Two to Six.

ICAS is an optional academic challenge, with assessments available in English, Mathematics, Science and Spelling Bee. Testing will occur during Weeks Five to Seven of Term Three.

Further details, including costs and payment information, can be found in the attached information.

Entries close on Monday 20th July, 2026 at 11.59pm.

STS and MTQ Projects Entering the Final Stages

As we head into the holiday break, we would also like to acknowledge our Science Talent Search and Maths Talent Quest students, who are now entering the final stages of their competitions.

Students have been working hard on their projects throughout the term and are encouraged to use the holidays to make any final adjustments before submission.

STS and MTQ projects are due on Monday 13th July via email.

We wish all participating students the very best as they complete and submit their work.

NAIDOC Week Poster Competition

Families may be interested in entering the CleverPatch NAIDOC Week Poster Competition these holidays.

Students can download a free NAIDOC Week poster template, designed by Indigenous artist Kerri-Ann Taggart, and colour it in using their own creative style.

There is also the chance to win one of three prize packs, including a $200 CleverPatch voucher and an Indigenous Designed Games Pack.

To enter:

Download the free poster template here: https://cleverpat.ch/93114L
Colour in the poster
Submit a photo of the finished poster using the competition form here: https://cleverpat.ch/26NWComp

This could be a lovely creative holiday activity and a meaningful way to recognise and celebrate NAIDOC Week.

Wild At Art: Threatened Species Art Competition

Families may be interested in the Australian Conservation Foundation’s Wild At Art competition, Australia’s biggest threatened species art competition for children aged 5 -12.

Children are invited to choose a threatened Australian animal or plant, create an original artwork, and include a short-written reflection about their chosen species. It is a wonderful opportunity for children to combine creativity, research and care for the natural world.

To enter, children:

choose a threatened Australian species
create an original artwork using drawing, painting, collage or mixed media
write 50 - 150 words about their species or artwork
submit their entry online with the help of an adult.

Submissions are open from 22 June to 10 August.

For more information, resources and entry details, visit: https://www.acf.org.au/wild-at-art.

Soil Week Australia Schools Competition

Families may be interested in the Soil Week Australia Schools Competition, which invites students to explore the fascinating world beneath our feet.

This competition encourages students to investigate the importance of healthy soil and its connection to food production, ecosystems and the environment. Students can show their learning through creative or research-based projects, such as artwork, poems, presentations, garden investigations or other responses about soil health.

Projects might explore living things in soil, what makes soil healthy or unhealthy, how soil supports food and the environment, or actions we can take to protect and improve soil health.

Entries can be completed by individual students, small groups or whole classes and are submitted digitally.

For more information, visit: https://soilweek.org.au/schools-competition/.

100 Holiday Ideas for Learning, Creativity, Fun & Local Adventures

The holidays are a great time for children to keep their minds active in playful, low-pressure ways. Learning can happen through creating, exploring, reading, building, questioning, imagining and solving real-life problems. The ideas below include a little more detail to help families get started.

100 holiday activities (Part 1)

100 holiday activities (Part 2)

Local Events, Workshops & Holiday Programs (Moonee Valley and Melbourne Area)

Many local organisations run special holiday activities for children and families during school holidays. Check these local providers regularly for updated programs:

Moonee Valley Libraries holiday programs and reading challenges: https://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/my-community/libraries/
Moonee Valley City Council events calendar: https://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/events/
Clocktower Centre family performances and school holiday shows: https://clocktowercentre.com.au/
Incinerator Gallery family workshops and exhibitions: https://incineratorgallery.com.au/
Avondale Heights Library, Ascot Vale Library, Flemington Library, Niddrie Library and Sam Merrifield Library holiday activities through Moonee Valley Libraries.
Neighbourhood houses and community centres including:
- Doutta Galla Community Health (now cohealth): https://www.cohealth.org.au/
- Wingate Avenue Community Centre: https://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/
YMCA Victoria holiday programs and recreation activities: https://victoria.ymca.org.au/
Code Camp school holiday coding and technology programs: https://www.codecamp.com.au/
Kelly Sports school holiday clinics: https://www.kellysports.com.au/
Tennis Australia holiday programs: https://play.tennis.com.au/

Places and Links for Holiday Inspiration

Local to Moonee Valley

Moonee Valley Libraries: https://www.mvcc.vic.gov.au/my-community/libraries/
Queens Park, Moonee Ponds: https://mvcc.vic.gov.au/play/my-outdoors/sports-parks-playgrounds-pools/
Maribyrnong River Trail: https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/maribyrnong-river-parklands
Brimbank Park: https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/brimbank-park
Woodlands Historic Park: https://www.parks.vic.gov.au/places-to-see/parks/woodlands-historic-park

Greater Melbourne

What’s On Melbourne – School holidays: https://whatson.melbourne.vic.gov.au/things-to-do/family-and-kids/school-holidays
Melbourne Museum – School holiday activities: https://museumsvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/whats-on/
Scienceworks: https://museumsvictoria.com.au/scienceworks/
NGV Kids – creative activities and family events: https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/kids/
ACMI Families: https://www.acmi.net.au/families/
State Library Victoria family activities: https://www.slv.vic.gov.au/
Melbourne Zoo: https://www.zoo.org.au/melbourne/
Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne: https://www.rbg.vic.gov.au/melbourne-gardens/
ArtVo Docklands: https://artvo.com.au/
SEA LIFE Melbourne Aquarium: https://www.visitsealife.com/melbourne/
CSIRO Education: https://www.csiro.au/en/education
BirdLife Australia bird identification resources: https://birdlife.org.au/

Learning and Wellbeing

Scratch coding: https://scratch.mit.edu/
Code.org: https://code.org/

A simple question families can ask after any activity is: What did you try, what changed, and what would you do differently next time?

Kind regards,

Carole Upton

Learning Enrichment Leader

Victoria Police Community Sentiment Survey