Community Information

Essex Heights Primary School

22-30 Essex Road, Mount Waverley VIC 3149

Phone:  9807 4944

Email:  essex.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Website: https://www.essexheightsps.vic.edu.au

Principal:  Mr George Perini 

School No. 4903

Office Hours:  8.30am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday during school terms. 

School Values

• Friendliness
• Honesty
• Inclusiveness
• Respect
• Persistence

Parent Portal on Compass

https://essexheightsps-vic.compass.education 

Compass is the primary method of communication with our school community. Each family has a unique login to access Compass. If you cannot access Compass or you've forgotten your password, please contact Jo in our School Office who will reset your password. 

Contact Newsletter

Published on Friday each fortnight during school terms. 

Previous issues from 2023 are accessible in School Documentation in Compass, or on our school website. 

Term Dates

2023

Term 1:   Friday 27 January* to Thursday 6 April 

Term 2:   Monday 24 April to Friday 23 June

Term 3:   Monday 10 July to Friday 15 September

Term 4:   Monday 2 October to Wednesday 20 December

2024

Term 1:   Monday 29 January* to Thursday 28 March

Term 2:   Monday 15 April to Friday 28 June

Term 3:   Monday 15 July to Friday 20 September

Term 4:   Monday 7 October to Friday 20 December

* Statewide student-free day in all Victorian government schools.

Students are dismissed at 2.30pm at the end of Terms 1, 2 and 3, and at 1.30pm at the end of Term 4. 

For dates of future school terms - click here.

Student Free Days

2023 Student-Free Days:

• Friday 27 January 
• Monday 30 January 
• Monday 27 February
• Monday 24 April (Professional Practice Day for staff)
• Friday 3 November (Professional Practice Day for staff)
• Monday 6 November

2024 Student-Free Days:

• Monday 29 January 
• Tuesday 30 January
• two additional dates to be confirmed

Care provided by OSHC program from 7am to 6pm for students enrolled in the OSHC 

program.

Public Holidays during school terms 

Students do not attend school on the following public holidays that occur during school terms in 2023:

Monday 13 March - Labour Day

Tuesday 25 April - ANZAC Day

Monday 12 June - King's Birthday

Tuesday 7 November - Melbourne Cup

Click here for dates of all public holidays in Victoria. 

School Hours

Communication

Good communication between home and school is very important so that we all know what is happening in our school community. It also ensures that students benefit the most from all opportunities offered at Essex Heights. 

All EHPS families are reminded that we communicate with you regularly using:

• Compass; 
• Contact, our online school newsletter; and
• Year level and Classroom posts

Compass is the main avenue for communication between home and school. All important messages for parents and carers will be sent through our Compass Newsfeeds. It is essential that you check Compass regularly for information from school. 

All families have been provided with their own unique login to access Compass. If your Compass access is no longer working, please contact Jo in our School Office to reset your password. 

When you receive a notification requiring your response, please ensure that you action this no later than the specified due date. If you access Compass on a smart device, ensure that you have turned your notifications on so that you receive an alert when information is published.

At Essex Heights we value the communication between parents and the school, however a few things must be kept in mind so that we have a common understanding of the procedures and expectations.

• Staff are in class and teaching throughout the school day, as well as attending meetings after school. Therefore, sending an email or Compass post during the day is not the most effective way to communicate with a classroom teacher if the matter is urgent. 
• For matters requiring a rapid response, families should ring the School Office on 9807 4944 and a message will be passed to the teacher.
• We encourage our staff to have a healthy work life balance and we have agreed that their workday should be between 8.30am and 5pm. I have therefore asked staff to only reply to written correspondence during those hours. It would therefore be fair to expect a reply to a written communication within two business days.
• All too often, staff receive texts or messages late into the evening. Staff will not reply to such correspondence until they are able. Please refrain from messaging at these times and please be assured that staff will respond to your message in due course. 

School Council

School Employee Representatives:  George Perini, Ina Kuehlich, Paul Davis, Kristi Lloyd.

Parent Representatives:  Jennifer Bittner, Oudom Chhit, Carolyn Mott, Graham Hawtin, Kim Huynh, Kaye Nolan, Susan Phu.

School Council Election is held annually in Term 1.

Annual Reporting Meeting is held mid year.

School Policies

Our school policies are accessible on our school website - click here.

Uniform

Our uniform supplier is Spartan School World. 

New uniform can be purchased from their Mount Waverley retail outlet at 66 Essex Road (corner Essex & Surrey Roads), Mount Waverley, or online. 

Secondhand uniform is managed by our Parents & Friends Club. Contact the Office if required.

Donations of good quality, clean items with the current EHPS logo are welcomed as a fundraiser for our school. Please cross out or remove names before donating.

Lost property - there are four boxes for lost items that are located outside the Eucalyptus, Violet and Banksia buildings and in the foyer of the Stadium. Ensure all items brought to school are clearly named so they can be returned if lost. Students may check the boxes during school hours; parents/guardians are permitted to attend after school hours to check the boxes. 

School Hats

SunSmart compliant hat to be worn every day in Terms 1 and 4.

Whole School Assembly

Our whole school Assembly is held every Monday at 2.30pm in the gymnasium in the Stadium. All welcome. 

Outside School Hours Care (OSHC)

Before School Care - 7am to 8.45am

After School Care - 3.30pm to 6pm 

Student-free Day (four per year) & Curriculum Day - 7am to 6pm 

Vacation Care (Monday to Friday during school holidays) - 7am to 6pm

Enquiries must be directed to the OSHC Coordinator, Paul Davis.

Email:  Paul.Davis@education.vic.gov.au

Phone:  9807 2615 or 0417 941 986

Parents & Friends Club

AGM is held in March each year. 

PFC meetings held twice each term, mid week at 7.30pm at school. All welcome. 

PFC membership is free, and the whole school community is encouraged to participate.

Contact by email - pfc.ehps@gmail.com

Canteen

Order lunches on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during school terms. 

Order online on Canteen dashboard in Compass by 8.30am on the day required. Orders for multiple days can be processed in one transaction.

Cancellation of orders must be applied not later than 8.30am on the day ordered. 

Volunteering at School

We welcome and encourage assistance in the many volunteering opportunities at school. 

As a Child Safe school all parent helpers/volunteers at EHPS must have a current Working with Children Check, and must acknowledge they have read and will adhere to our policies related to Child Safety and visitors and volunteers at school by signing and lodging the Code of Conduct acknowledgement at the Office. 

Before volunteering for the first time, present your WWCC card at the School Office to be copied for our register, and lodge your signed Child Safety Code of Conduct Acknowledgement. We will provide the acknowledgement form at the School Office.

COVID-19

Advice for parents - click here.

Student Absence

Absent all day

Parents to enter an attendance note in Compass by 8.45am (this can also be done in advance) OR phone the school office on 9807 4944 by 8.45am.

Absence due to COVID-19 

If your child is unable to attend school due to COVID-19 for any reason please inform the school as soon as possible so the absence can be recorded correctly. The school is required to record these absence differently. The reasons could be that child has tested positive or they are a close contact, or the parent/carer has made the choice to keep their child home because of medical risk or concern for family. Refer to the information in the COVID-19 section above for current obligations for parents/carers. 

Arriving late

Students arriving at school at 9am or later must be signed in to school at the Office prior to going to class. This cannot be done in advance or from the parent portal; an attendance note in explanation can be entered prior to arrival at school. 

NOTE:  Automated text messages are sent daily at 11am to both parents of all students who have been marked absent without an explanation, i.e. an attendance note has not been entered by 9am by parents/guardians when the roll is marked. If your child is absent and you have not notified the school, enter the relevant attendance note in Compass. If it is your understanding that your child is at school, please phone the Office on 9807 4944 and the staff will check with your child's teacher to confirm your child's presence and why the absence was recorded on the roll. 

Leaving early 

Parent/carer to enter an attendance note in Compass prior to arrival at school. If early departure is known prior to the start of the school day, it is recommended that an email be sent to the classroom teacher so that it can be arranged for the student to be ready and waiting at the Office. If your need to leave early occurs after the school day commences, phone the Office at least 10 to 15 minutes prior to arrival so that the student can be ready and waiting at the Office. 

Parents/carers are asked not to go to classrooms during the school day. 

Parent/carer must sign the student out of school at the Office; this is required in addition to the attendance note explaining the absence. This cannot be done in advance or from the parent portal. 

NOTE:  Students must be signed in or out by a parent or legal guardian over the age of 18 years. Students are not permitted to sign themselves in/out of school. 

Leave during school term

In accordance with the Department of Education School Attendance Guidelines, the following absences during a school term require the permission from the Principal:

• Family holiday.
• Cultural observance.
• Bereavement (such as a death of a family member, attendance at a funeral and/or related mourning activities).
• Leisure or social activities.
• School refusal.
• Other – special event or participation in elite sporting event/training.

Write an email using the school email address - essex.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au - for the attention of Mr Perini with the details of your child’s absence that is explained by one of the above categories. On receipt of his reply, enter an attendance note in Compass for period of absence under the relevant category, and email the classroom teacher.

The Resilience Project

Contact Details

Have your contact details changed? Has there been a change in family circumstances? If so, please inform the school in writing so we can update our records for your child. Send an email to the school email address - essex.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au. This includes changes to emergency contacts and changes in work contact details/work hours during business hours. 

School Tours

For 2023 & 2024 entry - tours conducted Wednesday and Friday each week from March to November. Booking essential.

Enrolment Enquiries

For 2023 & 2024 entry - contact our Office between 9.30am and 2.30pm Monday to Friday during school terms. Note: Prep/Foundation 2024 enrolment was due by Friday 28 July 2023.