Dear Families,

This is the last newsletter of Term 3, and it's amazing to think of all of the 'lasts' we are coming up to as we enter Term 4. The most obvious 'last' is the last term of primary school for our Grade 6s.

At Albanvale PS we pride ourselves on preparing our Grade 6s for the big, wide world beyond our gates. The transition to high school is a significant one and we do the small things to make it easier. In Term 4 our four Grade 5/6 classes transform into two Grade 5 and two Grade 6 classes. Our Grade 5s continue their learning adventure at Albanvale throughout the term as they finish their Young Leaders training in preparation for leading our school next year. Our Grade 6 classes, however, begin taking greater ownership of their learning, building independence as their learning program resembles a secondary school. Students receive individual timetables, with separate teachers and rooms for English, Maths and Home group, while they also get the chance to select two elective subjects that start the Year 7 curriculum, giving them a head start on next year. This year our students have the opportunity to select from Food Technology, Chemical Science, Outdoor Education and Exercise Science. Each student is also assigned a locker with their own combination lock, which is placed in the corridor, ensuring they need to be independently organised for each lesson. This is the fifth year we have run this program for our Grade 6 students, and each year we use the feedback from our graduates to expand and improve our offerings to ensure every student is ready to succeed as they transition to secondary school. This unique program and the impact it has on student success has been acknowledged and captured by the Department of Education as an example of best practice. You can read the case study produced about our school by clicking here.

Father's and Special Persons Day

On behalf of our school community, I'd like to thank our parent fundraising committee and volunteers for the organisation of the Stall. To all the fathers and father figures of our community, we hope you had a wonderful day celebrating and enjoyed being pampered by your family.

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher Conferences will be held next week on Tuesday 16 September and Wednesday 17 September for all classes except Prep C (they will be held on the first two days back in Term 4). If you have not booked an appointment our office staff will have sent you a text message with your assigned time. If you are unsure of your appointment time please check on Compass or get in touch with the office. These conferences are such an important way for our teaching staff to make sure we create a continuous learning environment between home and school.

Parent/Caregiver Opinion Survey

Thank you to all the families who have taken the time to fill out the annual Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey. This survey is offered by the Department of Education and is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of how families feel about the our school. Your opinions are important to us and contribute to identifying areas for improvement and professional development needed at the school. We encourage all families to take this opportunity to take the survey. If you haven't received an email link, please get in touch with the office and they will be able to provide you with the link.

LPN - Helping Students Succeed Through Tutoring

As I mentioned last newsletter, it is with great excitement that I share with you a brand new opportunity for our Albanvale families. Starting in Term 4, LPN Tutoring services will commence small group tutoring lessons in English and Mathematics for students in Grades 2 and up. All lessons will be held after school hours in the Enrichment Learning building and are designed for students wanting additional practice and support, as well as those looking to extend even further. The owners of LPN are Albanvale PS Alumni who are looking to give back to the community that played a big role in shaping their success. They are offering a special discounted rate for any student enrolled at our school. Families interested in enrolling their child are encouraged to contact Linh on 0411 711 824 today, as places are limited.

Staffing Update:

Next term, Mr Haythornthwaite will not be returning to Performing Arts. Mr Haythornthwaite was approved with Permission to Teach from the VIT as he completed his Teaching Degree part-time but has decided to focus on his studies full time so that he can be fully qualified more quickly. On behalf of our community, we wish him all the very best moving forward and thank Mr Haythornthwaite for his contribution to our school. We are actively looking for a Performing Arts Teacher of the same calibre and look forward to making an announcement soon.

Mrs Soabas will not be returning to 3/4A as she commences her parental leave. I'd like to thank Mrs. Soabas for her continued contributions to our school and wish her all the very best as she starts this exciting new chapter in her life. We are in the middle of the recruitment process to select the best teacher for 3/4A and look forward to announcing the successful applicant later this week.

Mr Suarez will also be on leave at the beginning of next term as his wife is expecting their first child. We wish them the very best and look forward to welcoming them back in Week 4. We have confirmed a fully qualified PE teacher to replace Mr Suarez to ensure our high quality PE program continues for all students.

2026 Planning

We are getting to the time of the year when we begin planning for 2026. We would appreciate if you could inform our office at the soonest time if your child is leaving the school at the end of this year. This will support us in ensuring we can organise a thorough transition process for your child with their new school, and also begin contacting families who have expressed interest in joining us next year.

Right now, there are limited spaces available in most year levels for students wanting to join our school in 2026. If you know of someone wanting to join us next year, please encourage them to contact us right away.

End of Term 3

We're celebrating the sporting finals season by getting dressed up in our favourite team colours for the last day of school. Look out for Mrs Storrar doing her best Dustin Martin impersonation, and I'm sure there will be some English Premier League representation. And try not to give Ms Marantelli too hard a time about her Blue Boys when you see her in her Carlton gear. As always, please remember our last day of term (Friday 19 September) is an early finish of 2:30pm. If you are unable to arrange for the early pick up, please ensure you have enrolled/booked in Our Patch out of hours school care. Our Patch are also running a fantastic School Holiday Program, which you can find details to in the newsletter.

Thank you for helping us Achieve Excellence, Together.

Mr. Uzunovski

Principal

Western Bulldogs School Holiday Programs