From the Principal
Congratulations to the Parkdale Swim Team
On Monday this week, Mr Anderson and Miss Bickham took a team of swimmers to participate in the Mordialloc District Swim Carnival at the Noble Park Aquatic Centre.
Some incredible performances from all our swimmers saw Parkdale Primary team finish in first place, against ten other local schools. Many of our swimmers placed first in their races and will progress to the Kingston Division Swimming Carnival on Wednesday 12 March.
Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) 2025
Each year the school develops an annual implementation plan (AIP). The AIP supports the goals of the four-year School Strategic Plan. We review and track our progress of the AIP throughout the year with leadership, staff, school council and the SEIL (school educational improvement leader).
Our school vision is, to empower every student to achieve academic excellence while nurturing lifelong wellbeing.
Our Literacy and Numeracy Learning Specialists and Professional Learning Teams continue to build on the strong teaching and learning at PPS. This year, our literacy focus is on deepening our knowledge-rich curriculum across both fiction and non-fiction texts while delivering Phormes (Phonology through phonics, Orthography—correct spelling, Morphology & etymology, Semantics, and vocabulary) from Foundation to Year 6. By integrating these key elements, we aim to strengthen students' literacy skills, enhance their understanding of language structures, and support their development as confident readers and writers. Additionally, we are reinforcing our commitment to Explicit Instruction to ensure a consistent approach across the school. Our schoolwide instructional model follows the I Do, We Do, You Do framework, providing structured support so that all students can achieve success. To strengthen learning retention, we implement Daily Reviews, which help move newly learned content into students’ long-term memory through spaced and interleaved practice. This approach ensures students develop deep, lasting knowledge across all curriculum areas.
In Mathematics, we continue to build on our consistent approach to problem-solving and enhance retrieval processes. A key strategy we use is interleaved practice, where problems are arranged in a way that consecutive questions cannot be solved using the same method. For example, if one problem requires addition, the next may require subtraction, encouraging students to think critically and select the appropriate strategy. This approach strengthens students' problem-solving skills and deepens their understanding by promoting flexible thinking and long-term retention of mathematical concepts.
At PPS, student wellbeing remains a top priority. We have a dedicated wellbeing teacher, and our wellbeing team meets regularly to ensure a proactive and supportive approach. This year, our wellbeing goal is to implement a consistent approach to inclusion for all students, with a strong emphasis on building positive teacher-student relationships. Additionally, we will incorporate elements of Positive Classroom Management Strategies (PCMS) to enhance engagement and support student success.
As mentioned in our last newsletter, we are trialling four common school-wide rules, which align with our Super Six Values:
Care for and respect everyone, our property, and our school environment.
Listen to and follow all directions.
Work as well as you can and allow others to do the same.
Move and play safely—keep your hands, feet, and objects to yourself.
Our Term 1 wellbeing focus will incorporate key elements of PCMS, including:
- Developing positive relationships (continuing from 2024)
- Utilizing student engagement norms
- Consistently implementing classroom rules
- Re-establishing expectations around our Super Six Values
By embedding these practices, we aim to foster a safe, respectful, and inclusive school environment where every student can thrive.
School Council
School Council elections have closed. Welcome to our new members Cass B and Anna Mc, re-elected member David W and our current councillors Jess B, Stephen M, Fiona S, Suzanne B. We have 2 vacant positions, if you would like to know more about being involved in the school council, please give me a call or catch me in the yard.
PPA
We had the first PPA meeting and AGM on Friday 7th February. Thank you to the parents who have volunteered to take on formal roles of PPA. Shane S (President) Annabelle C-M (Treasurer), Anna Mc, (Secretary) PPA rep for school council. We also have several parents who have taken on a variety of roles to support the school. Annabelle C-M & Amanda B (Parent Rep), Christina A second hand uniform, Helen M (Mother’s Day & Father’s Day), Kerry A (Garden Club), Ange F events.
PPA will run a variety of events throughout the year, such as special lunch days, Fun day (TBD), Mother’s and Father’s Day stall and Breakfast, second hand uniform stall, Tea & Tissues.
Absences
All absences need to be entered on Compass with a reason for the absence (Medical, Holiday, Illness etc). All schools are required to contact parents/guardians as soon as practicable when student absence is unexplained. To assist with this process, we ask parents to enter the absence on Compass before 9am. If you are experiencing any difficulties with Compass, please contact the school.
Personal Goods brought to School at Owner's Risk
Personal property is often brought to school by students, staff, and visitors. This can include mobile phones, smart watches, electronic games, calculators, toys, musical instruments, sporting equipment, and cars parked on school premises. The Department does not hold insurance for personal property brought to schools and it has no capacity to pay for any loss or damage to such property.
Student Accident Insurance
This is a reminder that the Department does not provide personal accident insurance or ambulance cover for students. Parents/guardians are responsible for paying the cost of medical treatment for injured students, including any transport costs. Reasonably low-cost accident insurance policies are available from commercial insurers.
IMPORTANT: Working with Children’s Check
Parents require a Working with Children’s Check if they are attending camp, excursions, and volunteering in the school eg: classroom assistance, school events, garden club, etc. Applying for a WWC is done online and is free if you click on the volunteer category.
Please note: Parents need to have a WWC card before they can volunteer in the school. http://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au
Parent volunteers must also undertake the Volunteer Training that can be accessed on the school website. Child Safety & Volunteers
Congratulations Grade 6 Leaders
Our Grade 6 leaders have been presented with their badges. Congratulations to our School and Vice School Captains, House and Vice House Captains, Specialist Captains, and Peer Support Leaders. We look forward to working with the Grade 6 students this year.
Grandparents/Special Persons afternoon – Friday 14th March 2:45pm-3:30pm
On Friday 14th March, Grandparents and special visitors are invited to visit Parkdale Primary School from 2:45 - 3:30 pm. This is always a very special day and the children love the opportunity to show their special visitor their classroom and some of their work.
Save the Date
School Concert – Tuesday 9th September
Kind regards
Leanne Bradney