Principal's Report
Welcome back to Term 2! It has been wonderful to see our students return so positively, demonstrating our school values of persistence, kindness, respect and responsibility from the very first day. The calm and focused start to learning has set a fantastic tone for the term ahead.
We are looking forward to another busy and exciting term filled with rich learning opportunities and community events. Already, we have celebrated some fantastic achievements, with students representing our school at the State Swimming Competition—an outstanding accomplishment after returning to school with a silver and bronze medal. Today, we also came together for our ANZAC Day Assembly, which was a special and respectful occasion for our community as we honoured and reflected on the service and sacrifice of others.
Next week, our Year 5 students are eagerly anticipating their Summit Camp experience. We know this will be a highlight of the term, providing opportunities for challenge, teamwork and personal growth.
We look forward to sharing many more moments with you throughout the term.
ANZAC Day
Saturday 25 April 2026 is ANZAC Day. This National Day of Remembrance honours the service and sacrifice of Australians and New Zealanders in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.
ANZAC Day as we know it was first observed on 25 April 1916, as people came together to commemorate the landing of Australian and New Zealand forces at Gallipoli, Türkiye, on 25 April 1915.
This important tradition has now become an opportunity to stop and reflect on the sacrifice and dedication of all our veteran and service community, and the families who support them.
It is a significant day for the department, and we proudly recognise our many staff who have served over the years.
We recognise First Nations people who served in conflicts. We acknowledge their service, sacrifice and ongoing impacts on their families.
The annual Victorian Aboriginal Remembrance Service is held during Reconciliation Week and is on Sunday 31 May 2026 at the Shrine of Remembrance. For more details and to register to attend, refer to Victorian Aboriginal Remembrance Service.
ANZAC Day is a public holiday but falls on a Saturday this year. School staff and students who wish to observe the day can join in commemorative activities at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne.
These activities include the:
- dawn service
- commemoration march
- laying of wreaths
- commemoration service.
For more details, including about the dawn service and where to watch it online, refer to the RSL Victoria website.
RSL Victoria sub-branches also host ANZAC Day commemorative services for everyone in their local area to attend. For a local ANZAC Day service near you, refer to RSL Victoria’s Find an ANZAC Day service near you webpage.
As ANZAC Day is a public holiday, schools are not required to fly the Australian national flag at the masthead.
Our school captains and Cathie will be in attendance at the Watsonia 10:00am service and we often see many community faces around as we commemorate the service of our veterans.
Staff News – Welcomes and Returns
It has been a wonderful start to Term 2, and we are delighted to share some very positive staffing news with our community.
We are thrilled to welcome Abbey Fletcher back to Golf Links in the Year 1 area. Abbey brings with her a vibrant, bubbly personality that students naturally connect with, along with strong, evidence-based teaching practices that support high-quality learning in every classroom. It is fantastic to have her energy and expertise back on site.
We are also very pleased to share that Meg McLaren will be returning from parental leave on Monday the 27th of April. Meg will be working in a Year 1 classroom on Mondays and Tuesdays, and we know many of our students and families will be excited to see her back. Meg is a highly valued member of our team, and her calm, thoughtful approach and deep understanding of student learning make a significant difference to the classroom environment.
In addition, we are excited to welcome William Graf to our school community. William will commence on Monday the 18th of May as the classroom teacher in Year 5. He brings a wealth of life experience and a strong background in science, and we look forward to the positive contribution he will make to our students’ learning.
We feel incredibly fortunate to have such experienced and dedicated teachers returning to and joining Golf Links, and we know their presence will further strengthen the positive start we have already seen this term.
Take care,
Kirrily Lamers
Principal