Principals' Message 

Hello Parents and Friends,

We are now only one week away from the completion of Term 2 and it has been an extremely successful semester of learning at TPPS. We are so proud of the efforts of our students and school community.  We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday break at the end of next week. 

As you will read below, we are very excited to celebrate NAIDOC Week at TPPS next week.  At Templestowe Park, we are proud to celebrate our country’s history and celebrate the oldest, continuous living culture on earth. The origins of NAIDOC Week can be traced back to the Aboriginal rights movement. On Australia Day 1938, protestors marched through the streets of Sydney about the status and treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. This protest was one of the first major civil rights gatherings in the world and it became known as the “Day of Mourning”. Between 1940 and 1955 the Day of Mourning was held annually on the Sunday before Australia Day and was commonly known as “Aborigines Day”. In 1955 it was decided that Aborigines Day should include a celebration of Aboriginal culture, heritage and achievement. This is now celebrated as NAIDOC Week, which highlights the achievements of Indigenous people all over Australia.  Please take a look below for our planned activities for next week and we hope that you can join us for our Smoking Ceremony and Assembly.

Have a fantastic school holiday break! 

Celebrating NAIDOC Week at Templestowe Park – Monday 24th – Friday 28th June 

National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year. At TPPS we are excited to celebrate NAIDOC Week in the final week of Term 2 (Monday 24th - Friday 28th June).

Over the last week, our Prep – 2 students have had the opportunity to enter a NAIDOC Week colouring competition and Grade 3-6 students, a poetry writing competition.  We have had many truly amazing entries!  Student entries will be displayed in the main building next week and then entered into the statewide competitions. 

We will celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout the week. Please see a rundown of NAIDOC Week events at TPPS below.

• Monday 24th June at 9:10am on the front oval – We invite the entire community to join us for a Smoking Ceremony hosted by Mark Lumley (Yorta Yorta).  We are very excited to be a part of this ancient custom as the smoke will cleanse our school and ward off bad spirits from the people and the land.
• Monday to Friday – All students from Prep – Gr 6 will be studying Aboriginal stories during their Literacy lessons, learning Aboriginal games in PE, producing Aboriginal inspired art in Visual Arts and undertaking lessons about NAIDOC Week in the classroom. 
• Friday 28th June – 11:30am – 12:00pm Prep – Gr 2 Assembly & 12:10pm – 12:40pm Gr 3-6 Assembly – The entire community is encouraged to join us for our NAIDOC Week Assemblies. Our students will be singing an Aboriginal song they have learnt in Performing Arts and reading NAIDOC Week poetry they have written entitled ‘My Voice – My Culture’. We will be celebrating everything about NAIDOC Week at these assemblies. 

Grade Prep Playground Upgrade!

Substantial improvements will be made to the Prep playground over the school holidays. Repairs will be made to the play equipment, new landscaping and garden beds will be established, a new synthetic surface and stage will be constructed and maintenance will take place on the entire playground. This work is set to commence on the Term 2 school holidays and will be completed early in Term 3. 

The upgrade to the Prep playground follows the construction of the new Grade 1/2 playground in 2023, installation of two Gaga Ball pits in 2022 and the addition of a new Grade 5/6 in 2021. This means that every playground at Templestowe Park PS has been rebuilt or replaced in the last three years. With our new playgrounds, numerous basketball courts and two ovals, our students have the very best facilities for recess and lunchtime. 

Facilities News! 

We are excited to inform the community that we are currently in the midst of a building approval for a large structure over one of many basketball courts at the school.  This will provide an outstanding undercover sport and play area for our students that can be used all year round. 

This is a major project and there are many steps we need to undertake before being given permission to commence a tender process.  We are hoping to receive approval from the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) in Term 3 and commence building in late 2024 or early 2025. 

The School Council feels this project is the final piece of the puzzle for facilities at TPPS.  We have exceptional classroom and specialist facilities, brand new playgrounds, an award-winning Outdoor Eco Education Centre and an outstanding school hall.  Having a large undercover space for PE lessons, assemblies and school events will provide our community with some of the best facilities of any school in Victoria. 

Semester 1 Student Reports 

The 2024 Semester 1 Student Reports will be available for viewing and downloading from Compass on Friday afternoon.  While the Term 1 Interim Reports at the end of term one primarily provided information regarding how students settled in to the new school year, the Semester Two reports provide information to parents about student progress.  In June and December, schools are required to provide written reports providing information about student progress and achievement against the Victorian Curriculum.

As our teachers formally reflected on your child’s achievements during the first 6 months of this year within the Semester 1 reports, it is worth remembering that all students (regardless of year level) are individuals and develop physically, emotionally and academically at different rates. As educators it is our role to provide students with every opportunity to help them achieve their goals and reach their potential. This will vary from child to child, and is why we see our students as individuals, rather than students who we can compare against other students.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Bookings can now be made for next week's ‘Parent Teacher Meetings'.  To get started, click 'Book Parent Student Teacher Conference' next to the picture of your child or the green event above this message.  Bookings should be made via a web browser or your mobile device. To assist you if needed, there is a document attached to the Compass News Feed message regarding booking from a mobile device. 

New Uniform Coming in Term 3 

Next week, information about our new uniform and how to purchase it will be published to the school community.  All new school uniform items will be sold from the PSW retail store in Kew.  We will continue to sell our old school uniform onsite until sold out.  Both old and new uniforms can be worn until 2026. 

School Sport Victoria (SSV) State Team Selection! 

Last week, Grace D from 6S was informed that she has been selected for the Victorian 12 & Under Australian Football Team.  This is a truly amazing achievement as thousands of girls across Victoria trialled for this team.  Grace will now compete in the National Carnival later on in the year.  We wish Grace the very best at the carnival and for her future endeavours in football.  Well done, Grace!

Manningham Rotary Speech Competition at Templestowe Park PS 

Last Wednesday night, Templestowe Park PS hosted the Manningham Rotary Speech Competition. The speech competition provided the most talented Grade 6 public speakers in Manningham primary schools the opportunity to share a speech about something they are passionate about. Mikey C and Sebby M from Grade 6 represented our school magnificently on the night.  They both delivered outstanding speeches and Mikey C was awarded third place.  At our senior assembly next week, both Mikey and Sebby will have an opportunity to read their speeches to our community.  

We would like to thank Ms Kellie Fletcher for coordinating the speech competition at TPPS. 

Student Free Day – Monday 22nd July 

Monday 22nd of July will be a student free day as all staff will be undertaking professional learning on trauma informed practice.  TeamKids will provide a full day service for any family needing supervision. To contact and make bookings for TeamKids please click on the link below. 

 https://www.templestoweparkps.vic.edu.au/page/33/Out-of-School-Hours-Care

Enrolments for Prep 2025 Now Open!

Digital enrolments for Prep 2025 are now open.  To register for a digital enrolment account please click here. The final date for Prep 2025 enrolment applications is Sunday 28 July 2024.

For assistance in enrolling at Templestowe Park PS please email us at enrolments@templestoweparkps.vic.edu.au or call on 9846 2700. 

Principals’ Award

At last week’s Assembly, we presented Mikayla R from Grade 3 with the Principals’ Award. Mikayla arrives at school with a smile on her face every single day. She consistently shows all the school values through her interactions with teachers and classmates. This term, Mikayla has worked hard on having a growth mindset, especially during Maths lessons. She asks for help when she needs it and practises the concepts we have been learning. Mikayla is a book work super star – always making sure that she sets her work out neatly, which helps her to be an amazing problem solver. Well done, Mikayla!

Tricky Talks Family Evening

Last week we were pleased to have over 24 families join an online webinar run by Interrelate for relationship and sexuality education. Two sessions were run, one for Grade 3&4 families called ‘Where Did I Come From?’, followed by a Grade 5&6 program, ‘Preparing for Puberty’. Participating in these programs from home allowed families to have a bit of a giggle in private, then talk about things together. It was also the perfect opportunity for children to ask questions of their parents. Interrelate maintain that parents are the best adults for children to discuss things with. Keeping communication avenues open in families is very important.

Last night we hosted another information webinar for parents of Grade 5 students to explain the upcoming in-school program ‘Moving into the Teen Years’ puberty education for Grade 5. This program will run for our Grade 5 classes over 3 weeks next term. The information session explained to parents what the program will include and was an opportunity for parents to ask questions.

Interrelate presenters are always respectful, factual and informative. Thank you to our families who attended, and we hope the sessions have equipped you to be able to support your child with their upcoming journey through puberty. Grade 5 families are reminded that consent and payment for the in-school program requires action by Monday 24th June.

Mark Roberts                       Brian Cleary                                        Robyn Twyford 

PRINCIPAL                           ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL                  ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL