Student News

PE/Sport Update

On Track for Success: Trafalgar Students Shine at District Athletics 

A huge congratulations to the students who represented Trafalgar Primary School with such pride and determination at the Warragul District Athletics Carnival, held at Geoff Watt Track on Wednesday 22 April.

Following their success at our own school carnival in Term 1, it was fantastic to see 58 Trafalgar athletes step up to the challenge, competing against the very best from across the district with grit, focus, and outstanding effort. Every student gave their absolute best across a huge range of track and field events, showcasing not only their athletic ability, but also exceptional sportsmanship, resilience, and school pride. 

We were thrilled to celebrate a fantastic collection of ribbon-winning performances, including multiple first-place finishes across the day. Congratulations to our placegetters:

🏆 District Champions - 1st Place

• Peyton H – 100m 
• Addison B – 200m 
• Layla R – Hurdles 
• Connor M – High Jump 
• Zane C – Shot Put 
• 11 Girls Relay Team (Addison B, Layla R, Veronica V, Havana B) 

🔴 2nd Place

• Peyton H – 800m, 1500m 
• Mack P – Shot Put 
• Addison B – 100m 
• Layla R – 200m 
• Havana B – 800m, 1500m 
• Libby B – 1500m 
• Ted C – Discus, Shot Put 
• Jack W – High Jump 
• Knox S – High Jump 
• Isla C – High Jump 
• Jett J – Hurdles 

🟢 3rd Place

• Peyton H – 200m 
• Mack P – 100m 
• Layla R – 100m 
• Havana B – High Jump 
• Georgina F – Discus 
• Darcy R – Shot Put 
• Phoebe B – Shot Put 
• Ellie O – Hurdles 
• Layla W – Triple Jump 

• 10 Boys Relay Team (Ted C, Grayson F, Jett J, Carter M)

   

Students who finished 1st or 2nd in their events have now qualified for the West Gippsland Divisional Athletics Carnival on Monday 4 May. We congratulate those students on progressing to the next level and look forward to sharing an update on their performances in a future edition of the newsletter.

Going the Distance: Cross Country Trials Showcase Grit and Determination

On Thursday 23 April, Trafalgar Primary School students laced up their runners and took on our annual School Cross Country Trials, with students demonstrating tremendous effort, resilience, and determination across the course.

Students in the 9–10 age group tackled a challenging 2km course, while our 11, 12 and 13-year-olds pushed themselves over a demanding 3km distance. It was fantastic to see such a high participation rate this year — a credit to the many students who stepped outside their comfort zone, challenged themselves physically, and pursued personal best performances.

Cross country asks a lot of young athletes — pacing, perseverance, and mental toughness — and our students rose to that challenge superbly. Whether they were racing for qualification, chasing a personal goal, or simply determined to finish strong, every participant should be proud of their effort.

A special congratulations goes to the students who qualified to represent Trafalgar Primary School at the next stage of competition:

12–13 Boys      Brodii T • Archie D • Knox S • Reagan F

12–13 Girls      Libby B • Zali E • Tiffany C • Ivy L

11 Boys             Connor M • Hudson S • Noah C • Oliver O

11 Girls             Layla R • Havana B • Eliza J • Dakoda M

9–10 Boys        Ted C • Ryder A • Rowan B • Aveer M

9–10 Girls         Peyton H • Darcy R • Emma S • Eloise G

These students will now progress to the West Gippsland Divisional Cross Country Championships on Tuesday 19 May, where they will compete against the division’s best runners for a place at the Gippsland Cross Country Championships.

Ready to Respond: First Aid in Schools at TPS  

On 30 April and 1 May, all students in Foundation to Grade 6 took part in the First Aid in Schools Program, participating in engaging, age-appropriate sessions designed to build confidence and awareness around emergency situations.

Across the two days, students explored important first aid concepts through interactive games, storytelling, quizzes, and hands-on activities that made learning both meaningful and memorable. Most importantly, students developed a stronger understanding of what to do in an emergency — including how to identify danger, respond calmly, and seek help by calling 000 when needed.

Programs like this play an important role in helping young people build practical life skills from an early age. By introducing first aid concepts in a fun, supportive, and accessible way, our students are beginning to develop the confidence and knowledge that could one day help them respond in a real emergency.

We are proud of the enthusiasm and maturity shown by our students throughout the program, and we thank the First Aid in Schools team for delivering such a valuable learning experience for our school community.

Music Update

Term 2 in music sees the students exploring the music elements of Pitch (High to Low), Volume (Loud to Soft), Duration (Long to Short), and Tempo (Fast to Slow). By the end of the term, F-2 students will be rewriting nursery rhymes, while 3-6 students will be writing original songs.

Instrumental lessons

Our 4 instrumental teachers all have vacancies. So, it’s not too late to sign up for the Instrumental program and get your form in to begin extra-curricular, individual lessons on a music instrument with a professional musician.

You can find a full description of the instruments we offer, price, photos and bios of all the teachers, and a digital instrumental music form here - TPS Music site/Instrumental. You can also get a form from the front office, or just outside the music room at the Instrumental form box. Return it to the front office or into the box and we can start one on one lessons as soon as possible.

I have included photos and bios of all the TPS instrumental teachers below.

TPS Instrumental Music Teachers

Casey (Drums/Guitar)

I'm Casey Kurrle, a drum and guitar teacher who has been playing music for 20 years. Since the age of 5 I have dedicated my life to playing and learning musical instruments. For the last 5 years I have taught my passion for music to others working at ‘Jak’s Music’ and Trafalgar Primary School. 

Ruby (Piano/Vocal/Guitar/Ukulele)

I'm Ruby, I've been playing music for as long as I can remember and performing for almost a decade. I'm always trying to learn something new - from saxophone to banjo, and I love writing all types of songs and sharing my passion for music with others. I currently also teach instrumental at Jak's Music Warragul.

Georgia (Vocal/Piano)

Hi! I’m Georgia, I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember and playing piano for 5+ years. I have plenty of experience with playing live and recording with some great bands. I’ve worked with the ABC and Triple J. I enjoy every aspect of music and hope to pass my passion on to the instrumental students I teach at Trafalgar Primary School!

Triki (Drums/Guitar).

With over 20 years of experience in the music industry, Triki is a passionate and versatile musician. From playing guitar, drums, and bass in various garage bands to providing extensive music tuition throughout the Gippsland region, Triki’s dedication to music is unmatched.

Choir

The choir meets every Thursday, second half of lunch (2PM).

During the year we will work on songs that will be performed at assemblies, instrumental concerts and finally, the Trafalgar Christmas Carols.

You don't need any singing experience. It costs nothing. You don't need to sign up. Just attend regularly if you love to sing.

The Arts Are Alive!

Hi,

It’s your Art Captains Isla and Alexa back again, and we are going to tell you about what’s been happening so far this term. 

This week in art we have been working out of the ALC due to ongoing issues with water getting into the art room.  Classes have been making the most of the beautiful weather with the F-2 classes doing some nature walks out in the yard to help inspire them when creating their Autumn themed art. 

Grade 3 have been learning about landscapes and looking at Background, Middle and foreground. They are continuing work on their silhouettes and have begun work on some mixed media cactus pot plants. 

Grade 4 are looking at line and working on Neuro-graphic images of insects. They are learning about this drawing style and how it combines art and phycology to create calm and focus. As well as analogous colours (three colours next to each other on the colour wheel) and how when used these colours can create works of harmony. 

Grade 5 have been finishing off their grey lead pencil drawings, and these are looking really good, and we can’t wait to see them finished. Some are already done and we think you’ll agree they are amazing. 

Grade 6 have moved on from their ink paintings and are now finishing off some mixed media pieces using laminated sheets, oil pastel patterns, paint pens and markers. They are looking very bright and colourful. Next grade 5 and 6 are working on oil pastel dragons. Some have already started and they are going to look so good!

The Tanjil Valley Art show is coming up very soon and Mrs. Brown is starting to gather up entries for our school display. Everyone from kids to adults are welcome to enter and you could win some prizes for your art. 

This week has been fun and exciting, and we can’t wait to share more news with you in two weeks!

Alexa and Isla

STEM Spotlight

This term our focus is Earth and Environmental Science and Space Science.  

Grades P-2 are starting with space and so far investigated the phases of the moon and the planets in our solar system.  

We are still in need of a few more shoe boxes, if you have any at home please send them in on Monday or Tuesday.  

Grades 3-4 have begun learning about composting and will be implementing a school wide composting system. We are also revamping the school garden beds and veggie patches, and welcome any donations from the community from seedling trays, greenhouses, seeds/seedlings, to gardening tools or gloves.  

These will be very much appreciated as we also continue to clear the area between TPS and the kindergarten to create our outdoor classroom.  

Grades 5-6 are learning about Earths spheres and how these are connected and important for sustaining life. We have created a model of these spheres by making a biome in a bottle.  We will be joining the 3/4 students and making worm farms in the coming weeks.  Reusing repurposing and recycling materials to help the environment.  

In line with this we also have our SCRAP METAL RECYCLING fundraiser happening now. The skip is on the school grounds for one more week.  

Please see the post on compass for more detail on how to donate your scrap metal to support the school.  

1. Drop off at school to the skip.  
2. Call Gippsland metal recyclers directly and they will pick up your scrap free of charge.  

Thank you for your support.  

Mrs B  

Easter Hat Parade

It was a sea of colour and creativity looking at all of the Easter hats at our Easter hat parade, what a wonderful way to finish off Term 1!!  We raised $268- which will be donated to the Royal Children's Hospital Appeal.

Rotary Junior Community Award Update

This year, we are proud to have 22 of our Grade 6 students participating in the Rotary Junior Community Award. The program encourages students to get involved in their community, develop a sense of service, and build valuable life skills. Our students are already off to a strong start, showing enthusiasm and commitment as they work towards completing the award. We look forward to celebrating their efforts and achievements throughout the year. 

Please read the articles below, written by the students, to learn more about their experiences.

Trafalgar Cemetery

By Jondy and Brodii

Last Saturday, we went to the Trafalgar Cemetery to help out. We did this because we are doing the Rotary Junior Community Award. We put up about 26 Australian flags, but all together there were about 177 flags and about 10 U.K. flags. 

We even saw someone who was born in 1865 and died 1960. Also, there were some new people buried at the end. 

We had morning tea. Brodii had lots of strawberries, and he also had a couple of rocky roads and Jondy had a couple of grapes and a rocky road.

My experience at Latrobe Regional Hospital

By Erin G

On the 9th and the 15th of April, I was helping out at Latrobe Regional Hospital for the volunteer part of the Rotary Junior Community Award. I met a nice lady called Celine and she worked with me at the hospital. Celine and I were working on a project to make Activity Packs for kids that were waiting in the hospital. We put some of the Activity Packs in the emergency department, some at the front desk, some in the allied health room and some in the children's ward. I got to design the front cover for the packs and assemble them. Inside the packs were colourings, word searches, crayons and a stamp. I think they ended up looking really good and that lots of kids will enjoy them. 

While I was at the hospital, I helped people find where they were supposed to go. I went to many places such as the transit lounge where people wait to be discharged or have their families pick them up. In the transit lounge, I made some cups of tea for a nice lady and her sister. Another place I went to was the fracture clinic which is where people who have broken their bones go to. I also went into Troy's Aboriginal office where I saw a didgeridoo, some boomerangs and touched a wallaby and possum skin. Troy is a man who used to work with my mum, and he gave me an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pin to put on my lanyard. 

On my second day being at the Latrobe Regional Hospital, I worked with a girl named Ash. She was the girl who helped me assemble the activity packs. 

I had a great time at Latrobe Regional Hospital, and I will definitely go back next school holidays!

Lunchtime Clubs and Calm Zone Update

Dear families, 

As we begin the term, we encourage families to take a moment to chat with their children about the lunchtime and recess opportunities available. These programs are designed to support students to feel connected, included, and engaged at school, and it can be helpful for some students to plan for the activities they would like to participate in.

I would also like to extend a sincere thank you to parents who have donated toys and resources, which help us continue to provide engaging and inclusive play opportunities for all students.

Lunchtime Clubs

We’re excited to offer a range of lunchtime clubs again this term to support connection, inclusion, and fun across the school. This term we are especially excited to introduce our new Gym Games Club (Wednesday) and Fun Club (Friday). These clubs provide opportunities for students to be active, social, and try something new in a supportive environment.

Please see below for a picture of the schedule and descriptions of all lunchtime club offerings.

Calm Zone

Our Calm Zone continues to offer students a calm and supportive space to reset during recess and lunchtime. Activities available include drawing, imaginative kitchen play, basketball shooting, skipping rope, and other calm, low-stimulation options.

Our main Calm Zone rules are: 

🚫 No chasing or tag

🚫 No rough games

🚫 No competitive ball sports

🚫 No shouting

Structured Play

We also run a structured play program at recess, facilitated by our Education Support Staff and student leaders. This includes footy handball (Wednesday recess) and yoga (Thursday), along with a variety of other engaging play options throughout the week.

Emma Semaan

Student Support Leader