Ms D Principal Message
Family Maths Night
What a night! Last Tuesday, TPS came alive with the energy of nearly 100 budding mathematicians - and the families they enthusiastically dragged along for the ride.
Students raced from activity to activity, collecting stamps as they tackled an impressive range of challenges: shooting hoops in High Scorer Basketball, testing their strategy in card games, cracking coding challenges, piecing together Tangram shapes, and navigating the chaos of Maps Mayhem - and that was just for starters.
The buzz in the building was wonderful to see, with students showing curiosity, persistence, and plenty of competitive spirit in pursuit of those prize draw entries.
A huge thank you to Jess De Angelis for her outstanding work in organising and leading the evening - events of this scale take enormous effort behind the scenes, and it showed in every detail on the night. Thank you also to our wonderful staff who generously gave up their Tuesday evening to make the event a success. Your time and enthusiasm never goes unnoticed.
We hope everyone went home with a little more love for maths - and maybe a prize or two!
Grade 3-6 House Athletics Day
Last Wednesday, our Year 3-6 students took to the track at Lakeside Stadium for our annual Athletics Day - and what a day it was!
From sprints to field events, it was fantastic to see students throwing themselves into every challenge with energy, determination, and great sportsmanship. Whether chasing a personal best or simply giving something new a go, the effort and enthusiasm on display was something to be proud of.
A huge congratulations to all students who have earned selection to represent TPS at the next level - we can't wait to cheer you on!
A heartfelt thank you to Miss Webb for her meticulous planning and organisation - events like this don't just happen, and her dedication ensures our students have an experience to remember. Thank you also to the staff, parents, and grandparents who gave their time on the day. The support of our school community truly makes all the difference.
Prep-2 families, watch this space! Your athletes-in-waiting will have their own Athletics Day in Term 4 - so it's time to start practising those running races in the backyard!
How TPS Extends Our Learners
At TPS, we believe every student deserves to be challenged, engaged, and growing - including those who are ready to reach beyond year level expectations. Our approach to extension is layered, intentional, and built into our instructional model.
In the Classroom, Every Day
Extension begins in every lesson. Our teachers use responsive teaching techniques to gather real-time feedback on student understanding, adjusting their approach on the spot to ensure students are always working at the right level of challenge. Daily review practice helps consolidate and deepen knowledge, while carefully crafted, high-quality questions push students toward higher-order thinking - analysing, evaluating, and creating, not just recalling.
Individual Learning Plans
Where school-based assessments identify a student performing 24 months or more above standard, we develop an Individual Education Plan (IEP). These plans ensure that the student's specific strengths and learning needs are documented and actively addressed in partnership with their family.
The Victorian High Ability Program
Selected students at TPS in years 5 and 6 have the opportunity to participate in the Victorian High Ability Program, delivered through the Victorian Virtual School. This state-wide program connects high-ability learners with specialist online instruction in Literacy and Numeracy, providing enriched curriculum experiences beyond what any single school can offer independently.
Born to Soar - New This Year
We are thrilled to announce that TPS will be engaging with the Born to Soar program - an exciting new opportunity designed to further challenge and inspire our high-ability learners from prep to year 6. More details about the program and enrolment will be shared at the parent information evening on Wednesday 10 June @ 7pm. Registration for the session can be made https://forms.gle/CiZNX9S3ceCWjw3RA
At TPS, extension isn't a one-size-fits-all add-on - it's woven through everything we do.
National Reconciliation Week-27 May to 3 June
This week, Australians come together to celebrate National Reconciliation Week - a time to reflect on our shared history, honour the deep and continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to this land, and recommit to building a future founded on truth, respect, and justice.
This year's national theme is a wonderful reminder that reconciliation is not just a conversation for one week of the year - it is something we nurture every day, in our classrooms, our relationships, and our community.
At TPS, we are committed to embedding respectful and meaningful acknowledgement of First Nations histories, cultures, and perspectives into the life of our school. We encourage all families to take a moment this week to learn, reflect, and engage - whether through a conversation at home, a local event, or exploring the wealth of resources available at reconciliation.org.au.
Together, we walk toward a more just and united Australia.
Eid al-Adha Mubarak!
Wishing all of our families and community members celebrating Eid al-Adha a blessed and joyful occasion. We hope you enjoy this time with loved ones. Eid Mubarak! 🌙✨
A Reminder About School Uniform
At Toorak Primary School, we take pride in our school uniform as an important part of our school identity and community. As outlined in the Department of Education guidelines and our School Uniform Policy, all students are expected to wear school-branded tops, jumpers and jackets. For pants, shorts, skorts and leggings, navy blue is the only approved colour. Lately, we have noticed an increasing number of students arriving in black shorts and pants, which fall outside our uniform expectations. We appreciate that this may sometimes be an oversight, and we ask that families take a moment to check their child's uniform before school each day. Your support in upholding our uniform standards helps foster a sense of pride and belonging for all students - thank you for your partnership in this.
2027 Prep Enrolments
2027 Prep enrolments are now open via student insight platform: https://students.educationapps.vic.gov.au/s/
Enrolments are open until July 31. You will be notified of your enrolment outcome from Monday, 3 August 2026.
Fundraising
I would like to acknowledge and thank Michelle and Bonnie for leading the Mother’s Day Annual Lunch, Silent Auction and Raffle. The worked tirelessly behind the scenes for many weeks to ensure the event was a huge success.
It was a wonderful event and an opportunity to connect outside of school in a more relaxed atmosphere.
Our fundraising goal for 2026 aims to co-contribute to:
- The installation of a new kiln for the Art program, which aligns beautifully with our 2026 Art Show
- The purchase and installation of new tables and seating on the deck area, to support the development of passive spaces for students during lunch and recess
So far this year we have raised approx $15 000. Our goal for the year is $40 000.
Our next event will be the much anticipated Paint and Sip, looking forward to seeing the creativity and talent of our community.
Bookpack Payments
This year we introduced individual bookpacks for all students, containing all the necessary stationery and supplies for the school year. We worked hard to keep the cost as low as possible for families. If your bookpack payment is still outstanding, please complete payment as soon as possible via the Compass app or by calling the school office.
Voluntary Contributions
We are sincerely grateful to every family who has contributed to this year's voluntary school contributions. Your generosity makes a direct and meaningful difference to the experiences and outcomes of every student at our school. To date, we have received contributions from 40% of our families - thank you. Every contribution, no matter the size, has a real impact.
Why Voluntary Contributions Matter:
As a government school, our core funding covers essential operations - but it is voluntary contributions that allow us to go above and beyond for your children. These funds are used directly to:
- Provide additional literacy and numeracy support programs, including small-group intervention for students who need it most
- Fund student wellbeing initiatives, including counselling resources, social-emotional learning programs, and our Community Hardship Fund - which ensures no student misses out due to financial difficulty
- Maintain and upgrade classroom resources across ICT, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, and Physical Education, giving students access to high-quality learning materials every day
- Support school maintenance and improvement projects that create safe, welcoming, and inspiring learning environments
- Deliver first aid and health services
We understand that some families may be experiencing financial hardship. Contributions can be made in part rather than in full, and at any time through Compass or at the front office. If you have any questions about the contribution program, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Thank you once again for your ongoing support. It is your partnership that helps us deliver the highest standard of education and wellbeing for every student in our community.
Suada Dzaferovic
Principal
Toorak Primary School