News from around the school 

Foundation ~ Prep News 

We believe that to investigate through play is to truly learn – and it’s a lot of fun! We place a high value on hands-on play experiences, recognising these as essential for sparking curiosity, creativity, and exploration in our students. Through investigations, children gain confidence to take risks and engage in problem-solving, foundational skills that enhance their growth in literacy, numeracy, and social-emotional learning.

We aim to nurture the qualities of good communicators, collaborators, self-managers, researchers, and thinkers. As educators, we actively look for these "learning assets" in action, celebrating and reinforcing them when we see students engaging thoughtfully with each other and their environment. By modeling and teaching these skills explicitly, we show students what being a successful learner looks and sounds like – skills that will serve them well beyond the classroom.

Recently, our Prep students dove into an exciting investigation as part of our Inquiry unit around "Jobs and Occupations in Our Community." It all started with one child’s spark of interest in setting up a homemade lemonade stand, like a small café. This single idea blossomed into a class-wide project where students collaborated to plan their business, with help from our 5/6 students currently studying financial literacy. After hearing from our local business expert – Ollie Ladd, one of our own school dads – the students developed a business plan, created shopping lists, designed signs and flyers, and organised donations of materials, including fresh lemons sourced from generous families, staff and community members.

In this project, students integrated literacy and numeracy skills in practical, engaging ways. They filled out forms, wrote menus, took orders, and compiled lists – linking learning directly to their real-world interests and experiences. The project has also strengthened connections within our school community, with families eagerly contributing lemons from their own trees. Many parents shared stories about their family trees, and our Prep students, inspired by the stories of these old lemon trees, began sharing their own family traditions and recipes.

Our journey will culminate with the first "test run" of our lemonade in the Prep rooms, followed by an official sale later this term. All proceeds will go toward supporting our local St. Vincent de Paul Society.

“Children are always throwing out sparks of knowledge, curiosity, and inquiry, and it’s our job as educators to be ready to catch those sparks. When children are investigating and researching, it’s like little sparks of discovery. You have to be ready to catch them, to fan them into flames that can grow even bigger. If you’re prepared, you’ll see those sparks – if not, you might just miss them.” Annalisa Rabotti 

We are ready to catch every spark, helping our children ignite their passion for learning. Stay tuned for when our little café pops up – and come enjoy a taste of our students’ hard work and community spirit!

Early Years ~ 1/2 News 

Middle Years ~ 3/4 News 

Uppers Years ~ 5/6 News 

We have a winner! Congratulations to Audrey Gacus our GV Water Competition Winner! 

We are thrilled to announce that Audrey Gacus, a talented Grade 3/4 student, has been named the overall winner of the Water Week: A Watery Adventure competition for the entire GV area! Audrey’s entry, a beautifully illustrated and creatively written book, stood out among many submissions, earning her this prestigious recognition.

Audrey's book has already been published in hard copy, and we’re excited to share that a digital version will be available soon for everyone to enjoy. Her work is not only engaging but also showcases her incredible artistic talents. Her book will be shared with Kindergartens in our Goulburn Valley Area.

We are so proud of Audrey for this outstanding achievement and can’t wait to see her share her book with the whole school. Join us at our upcoming assembly on Monday, 21st October, where Audrey will present her book and talk about her experience in this wonderful competition.

Please join us in congratulating Audrey for her creativity, hard work, and success!

Piano/Keyboard lessons:

Mrs Sandra Davidson has been teaching piano for over forty years.

She has a Bachelor & Diploma of music from the Victorian College of Arts. Sandra has completed all levels in the AMEB exams, achieving an A+ for her 8th grade when she was 12, and Associate & Licentiate Diplomas in the following two years.

Sandra teaches all styles and enters some students in exams.

Lessons are held every Monday at school.

Parents can contact Sandra on 0412 767 205 to make arrangements.

St Mel's Breaky Club ~

Come for breaky, second or third breakfast! All welcome!

Thank you to SPC who sponsors our St. Mel's Breakfast Club!

Lunch Orders ~ Term 4 Lunch Orders are available ONLY on Wednesdays, Thursdays & Fridays!

Current Menu as seen on PAM

Did you know? ~