Principal's Report

Dear EPS,

This term has been significant for Elsternwick Primary School. Alongside the daily learning and the many events that bring our community together, we have completed our four-yearly School Review. This process provided an opportunity to reflect on our strengths, celebrate our achievements, and shape the direction for the years ahead.

School Review Success

Our recent School Review has now been completed, and the results are something we can all celebrate. Elsternwick Primary School was rated ‘Excelling’ which is the highest possible rating across all areas of the FISO 2.0 continua of practice, including Learning, Wellbeing, Leadership, Teaching and Learning, Assessment, Engagement, and Support and Resources.

This outstanding result reflects the dedication, expertise and teamwork of our staff, the enthusiasm and commitment of our students, and the incredible support of our families and wider community. It is a true whole school achievement worth celebrating.

Looking ahead, our new School Strategic Plan (2025–2029) sets a clear direction for the next four years. 

School Vision

Elsternwick Primary School (EPS) is dedicated to providing a safe, supportive environment with high expectations for our students’ academic progress, active engagement in our community, and overall wellbeing. 

These priorities will guide our collective efforts to build on our strong foundation and continue delivering the very best outcomes for every child.

Together, we have much to celebrate and an exciting vision to work towards as we grow, learn and thrive as a community.

Thank You

A big thank you to all the members of our school community who helped make the Gratitude Stall such a success in recognition of Father’s Day. We are sure the gifts were warmly received at home, no doubt accompanied by some wonderful stories explaining why each particular item was chosen!

A special acknowledgement goes to Yvette Hobbs for her outstanding organisation of the event whose efforts ensured the stall ran so smoothly and brought lots of smiles to our students (and hopefully to their dads and carers too).

Staffing Update

We would like to thank Mr James McCartney for teaching Grade 5A from the beginning of Term 3. James has done a fantastic job and we greatly appreciate the energy and commitment he brought to the role. As most of our community knows, James is passionate about working as a CRT, so while we didn’t want to see him go, we wish him all the best as he continues doing what he loves.

At the same time, we warmly welcome back Ms Sophie Weber, who has returned from her overseas adventures and has taken over 5A full time. Sophie comes back refreshed, recharged, and ready to lead the class into an exciting Term 4.

Learner Showcase

This week we celebrated the impressive growth our students have made through our Learner Showcase. It was a proud occasion for the whole school community, with students confidently sharing their learning journeys and showing how they are taking greater ownership of their education. Families were introduced to their child’s learning portfolio, a purposeful collection of work that demonstrates their skills, growth, and progress over time.

The Showcase highlighted the independence and self-assurance our students are developing through this initiative, and it was wonderful to see their pride as they shared their accomplishments. Thank you to the teachers, students, and families whose support made this event such a success.

As this term wraps up, I extend my thanks to our wonderful staff and school community for the energy and commitment you’ve shown. The upcoming holidays are a valuable opportunity to recharge, connect with family, and enjoy some well-deserved rest. We look forward to reuniting for an exciting start to Term 4 on October 6th.

Michael Portaro

Principal