Principal's Report
Book Week
There was a real buzz of excitement last Friday as students arrived at school dressed as their favourite book characters for the Book Parade. The creativity and enthusiasm on display were fantastic – well done to everyone who took part! A big thank you to our staff, who fully embraced the spirit of the day by coming dressed as their own favourite book characters. It was also wonderful to see so many parents attending the assembly to help celebrate this special event. Special thanks to Cara Willis and Tom Pitts for their excellent organisation, and to our Literacy Captains, Ruby and Ariella, for doing an outstanding job hosting the Book Parade.
Hats! Hats! Hats!
We ask all children to find their hats, make sure they are clearly named and have them at school to wear when they are at play or outdoors. Our school is a SunSmart school, and we have a policy that aims to protect the students and staff from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation. As from the beginning of September hats are now to be worn when students are outside through until the end of April next year.
Safety Reminder for Our School Community
Once again, we kindly ask all parents and carers to prioritise the safety of our entire school community and local neighbours. Please be respectful and considerate when dropping off or collecting your children from school. In line with our HERRRby Values, we strongly request that you do not park over our neighbours’ driveways. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and respectful environment for everyone.
Father’s Day Breakfast
We are looking forward to seeing all our dads, grandads and special friends this Friday morning with their children for our Annual Father’s Day ‘Dads and Donuts Breakfast’, organised by our hard-working Parents Association. The breakfast is being held on the Senior Campus, under the COLA from 7.45am.
District Athletics
A total of 76 students proudly represented Gardenvale Primary School at the District Athletics on Wednesday, 27th August. Our students performed exceptionally well, with several advancing to the Division Competition on 10th October. Once again, our teachers reported how beautifully behaved and respectful our students were throughout the day - a true credit to our school community! A heartfelt thank you to Kirsten Travis for her outstanding work in organising and facilitating our students’ involvement in the event.
We also extend our sincere thanks to Kirsten, Meng Tan, Tyler Trevaskis, and Josh Hewett for braving the elements and representing Gardenvale PS as staff volunteers on the day. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Victorian Interschools Skiing Competition
Recently, six of our students - Darby and Zoe (Year 6), Gus (Year 5), Liam (Year 4), Noah (Year 3), and Lleyton (Year 1) - had the wonderful opportunity to compete in the Victorian Interschools Skiing Championships at Mount Buller. They joined thousands of other students from across the State in this exciting event.
It was terrific to hear about the memorable experiences they had while proudly representing Gardenvale Primary School in a variety of skiing events. Their enthusiasm and determination truly shone throughout the competition!
Sick students
I am sure you are aware that currently we have many members of our community unwell with influenza and colds. It is so important that any children, staff or parents who are unwell or displaying flu like symptoms do not attend school.
Footy Day
Footy Day will be held on the last day of Term 3, Friday 19th September students are asked to dress up in their footy gear or sports team colours. Students will participate in activities involving AFL football skills at the beginning of the school day. If there are any parents that are available and able to help out with the footy skills rotations, for approximately 1 hour, could they please email the school on gardenvale.ps@education.vic.gov.au and indicate which campus they would like to volunteer at. Please ensure you have a valid WWCC as well as completed the Parent Volunteer agreement form. After recess the whole school will assemble and sing all of the clubs’ songs. Our Assembly will be held at the Senior Campus from 11.15am, parents are most welcome to attend!
Choir Concerts
On Tuesday, 19th August, our Year 2 and Year 3 Choirs truly sang their hearts out at their concerts. The joyful energy and enthusiasm of the children lifted the spirits of everyone in attendance as they happily sang and danced their way through the performance. We are extremely grateful to the extraordinary Tom Pitts for his dedication and passion in running our choirs. Tom provides our students with a wonderful opportunity to explore their love of singing and performing – and they absolutely adore it!
Parent Opinion Survey
Last week a Compass message was sent regarding the Education Department’s Parent Opinion Survey. Thank you so much to those who have already completed the survey. If you have the time, we would really appreciate it being completed by as many parents as possible. The survey will be conducted online and should take 20 minutes to complete. You will find the survey link and pin code in the ‘Parent Opinion Survey’ Compass message.
2026 School Year
With our Prep enrolments complete for 2026. We are now asking parents to inform the Office in writing if their child/children will be leaving Gardenvale PS at the end of this year (not current Year 6 students). This will greatly assist planning and ensure we have accurate projections for class structures, planning and room allocations.
Have an enjoyable week,
Janine