Message from the Principal 

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

I hope that everyone was able to enjoy some quality time as a family during the break and that our students had the opportunity for some sleep ins, games, movies and all those activities that seem to relax us but also enable us to re-charge as well. 

During the first week of the school holidays, I had the opportunity to head across to New Zealand, spending time in Queenstown, Wānaka and Arrowtown. The scenery was spectacular, with beautiful lakes and mountains providing the perfect backdrop to slow down and unwind. A particular highlight was Milford Sound, the sheer scale and beauty of the landscape were breathtaking, and even the photos don’t quite do it justice!

I was also lucky enough to attend the AFL Grand Final. What a game! Congratulations to the Lions and all our Lions fans which of course includes Mr Ryan & Mrs O’Donnell. For some of us the countdown to the 2027 AFL season is already on and I wouldn’t put it past the Lions to win it again! 

Fourth terms are always very busy times for schools with end of year activities and lots of planning and organisation for the next year happening as well. Looking at our school calendar over the next few weeks highlights this and demonstrates that we have hit the ground running. 

To help keep track of this I have attached an updated Community Term Calendar in this newsletter. Also, keep your eyes out for our start of term newsletter that is sent out by each of our teaching teams next week. This will contain all the individual details and dates for each level across the school.

HOLIDAY WORKS UPDATE

We took the opportunity during the holiday break to get some important work done around the school as we keep working to ensure our facilities and grounds are well maintained. This included applying the annual recoat to our new gym floor. Our grounds are really looking fantastic these days so a big shout out to Darren Wills and Brad Allen for their work each week. You can also help us by attending our next working bee which is set for Saturday 14th November. More details will be sent out shortly.

MAKING SURE GREENHILLS IS A BRAVE SPACE (NOT JUST A SAFE SPACE)

At Greenhills, we want our school to be a brave space, a place where students feel supported and encouraged to learn, grow, ask questions and make mistakes. At a recent Victorian Principals Association Conference, we heard Dr Justin Coulson’s keynote about the importance of supporting students through the challenges of frustration and discomfort with learning and general daily school life. This connects with our aim to help students feel secure enough to take on challenges, even when success is not immediate. Safety, care and belonging provide the foundation for that courage.

Learning and participating in a full range of school activities requires effort, takes courage and is not always easy. Sometimes students need to practise a skill they haven’t yet mastered, consider feedback or attempt something they would not choose for themselves. It is okay to feel uncomfortable from time to time when tackling a meaningful challenge. Our role is to provide clear teaching, encouragement and the right support, helping students work through those moments and discover what they can achieve.

Possibly the worst thing we can do is to try and take away every challenge our students come up against, give them the easy option to “opt out” or even try to solve their problems for them. 

At home, you can help to reinforce this message by recognising effort, celebrating progress and encouraging children to take the next manageable step when something feels difficult. A reassuring “You haven’t mastered it yet, what could you try next?” can help children see a way forward. This brings our Greenhills values of Grit, Respect, Effort, Adventure and Teamwork to life as we help students develop the confidence to try, seek help, learn from mistakes and keep growing.

PARENT / CAREGIVER / GUARDIAN OPINION SURVEY

Our 2026 Parent Opinion Survey was completed by 55 families, which is a 16% response rate. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all those that completed it.

The survey does inform our decision making. It forms part of the data sets that are analyzed every four years as part of a School Review and we also have annual data targets as part of each Annual Implementation Plan.

Our 2023-2027 School Strategic Plan has the following Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey target:

Goal 2: To Strengthen Student Voice & Agency

By 2026, increase positive responses to the Parent Opinion Survey factor group of Student Development from 74% (2022) to 83%.

2026 RESULTS STUDENT DEVELOPMENT SECTION *Note (% +/- from 2025)

I believe the biggest impact we can have on our students in both areas of “Student Development” is the work we are doing around our High Impact Learner Agency Traits. These are specific skills and strategies that our students are being supported to develop that will enable them to make effective decisions and solve problems, develop their sense of responsibility, develop organization skills, build their confidence and persist when learning is difficult. 

This work has already started with our focus on Being Persistent, Using Feedback and Pursuing Goals and next year we are getting ready to launch our refined (new and improved) version of our HILAT’s…..yes, we are calling it HILAT’s 2.0 😊

I will share a broader range of Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Survey Data over the next few weeks. 

TRANSITION 2027

As we begin the term, I thought that I would outline more details about our Transition Program for 2027. The aim of this program is to ensure that every child feels more confident about next year by removing some of the unknowns before the end of this year!

Our Transition program includes our Year 6 High School Experience Day on Tuesday 10th November. This is a day of role play where they will experience different subjects and teaching styles, moving to different areas of the school for lessons as they start to get a feel for what next year might have in stall!   

Our 2027 Prep Transition Program also continues following on from our very successful “Experience Greenhills” sessions. These commence on Monday 9th November, continue over 4 weeks and will be run by our Prep 2027 team. 

On 21st October we have our Prep Information sessions for parents and carers. Overall, this comprehensive and staged approach enables confidence and comfort to be developed whilst ensuring that our future students develop key school readiness skills. 

On 3rd and 8th of December between 9.15am and 10.45am we will have our “Meet the Teacher” whole school transition sessions. This is where we turn the whole school into 2027. 

(*Please note that our Preps for 2027 will only attend the first “Meet the Teacher” session on 3rd December between 9.30am and 10.30am).

As you can see, there has been lots of thought and time put into developing a very comprehensive transition program across the whole school. We believe this is important, especially given the rise of anxiety levels that schools are experiencing.  The more students can experience and understand what the future looks like at our school, the more prepared and ready they will be. 

If you have any questions about our transition program, please contact me at the school.

PARENT REQUEST PROCESS FOR TRANSITION INTO 2027

Our team have begun the process of finalising our school structure for 2027. Considerations around the social, emotional, academic and physical needs of each of our students will form part of this process. Parents can make requests for consideration when placing their child into their 2027 class. These requests will only be accepted via email and must be received by Friday 16th October: james.penson@education.vic.gov.au

Please note that requests with respect to specific teachers will not be considered. 

Our staff will use this information as part of all the different considerations taken when building our grades. These factors include the social, emotional, physical and academic needs of all students. It is a complex and time-consuming task as we try to ensure that we set up the best possible structure for a successful 2027. During this entire process our decisions are always guided by one major factor and that is the best interests of our students. 

Details relating to the school organisation, classes of children and the allocation of teachers will be released to students prior to our first “Meet the Teacher” whole school transition sessions on the 3rd of December and to parents and carers that afternoon.

James Penson,

Principal.