Acting Principal's report

Dear Parents/Carers,

I hope everyone has had a great start to Term 2. It has been wonderful to see students return settled, engaged and ready for learning, and to reconnect with our community after the break. We are looking forward to a productive and positive term ahead, with many opportunities for students to learn, grow and thrive.

Staff news

Prep A families have been informed that Miss Karas is expecting a baby later this year. We are thrilled for her and look forward to celebrating this special time.

Miss Karas will commence maternity leave towards the end of Term 3. A replacement teacher will work alongside her prior to this to ensure a smooth transition for students.

School Council Update

I would like to sincerely thank Mitch for his outstanding contribution as School Council President. His leadership, dedication and deep commitment to our school community have been valued, and we are incredibly grateful for the time and energy he has given to EPS.

I am very pleased that Mitch will continue to be a member of School Council, and we will continue to benefit from his insight and experience.

I would also like to warmly congratulate Meg H on stepping into the role of School Council President. I know she will do a wonderful job, and Michael and I look forward to working closely with her as we continue to support and grow our school community.

Year 3 Camp update

Year 3 families have been informed that, following a review of our camping program, the Year 3 camp will be discontinued from 2026 onwards. This decision has been based on student developmental readiness, wellbeing considerations, increasing cost pressures for families, and the significant financial and staffing requirements of camps.

Students will continue to engage in meaningful learning experiences, with alternative day-based opportunities being explored for Year 3. Overnight camps will continue for students in Years 4, 5 and 6.

Industrial Action

You may have heard about the latest Australian Education Union (AEU) industrial action as part of ongoing school funding and pay negotiations.

I wanted to provide a brief update on what this may mean for EPS.

Some of the actions union members may take include:

A half-day stop work on the morning of Thursday 21 May. This may result in significant disruption to school operations, including limited supervision during the morning, with staff returning onsite in the afternoon. We will provide as much notice as possible once arrangements are confirmed so that families can plan accordingly.
A ban on report writing comments, meaning written comments will not be included in reports.

We understand that this may cause some disruption and appreciate your ongoing support and understanding during this time. As always, our priority remains providing a safe, supportive and high-quality learning environment for all students.

We will continue to keep you updated as further information becomes available.

Policies

The following policy updates were provided to the Education and Policy Sub-Committee:

Parent/Carer Disputes: Addition of an optional ‘Communication’ section, a new optional section on interpreting services, amendments to the review and approval section, and minor grammatical updates.
Sun Protection (previously SunSmart & Extreme Heat): Inclusion of optional wording for schools to enforce hat wearing and alignment with the Department’s Sun and UV Protection Policy.
Equal Opportunity (and Anti-discrimination): Updated in line with Department requirements.
Attendance: Updated to reflect the current Department name.
Bullying Prevention: Minor update to change the acronym from LGBTIQ+ to LGBTIQA+.

One more week of having the privilege of serving as Acting Principal before I hand back to the real boss, Michael :)

Have a fantastic weekend,

Leanne