Principal's Report

Yet another great fortnight of learning has unfolded for the students of FNPS!

Our Year 6 JSC students have now independently planned and delivered two assemblies since the beginning of Term 1. They are representing themselves and our school with confidence, enthusiasm and maturity, and we are incredibly proud of their leadership and initiative.

Our Junior School students have been deeply immersed in exploring our School Values. This week, our Prep students worked closely with their Year 6 buddies to develop a shared understanding of our value of Kindness. We are so proud of our youngest community members and their buddies for the commitment they show to living the FNPS values in all that they do.

Congratulations also to all of our swimmers who proudly represented FNPS at last week’s District Swimming Carnival. The camaraderie, resilience and school pride demonstrated by every student was outstanding. A special congratulations to the thirteen swimmers who will now progress to the Divisional Carnival; we wish you every success.

Grattan Institute Research Paper into Reading

Many of you will be aware that in 2024, the Grattan Institute published a research paper outlining the most effective approaches to teaching children to read.

The paper highlights the following research-informed practices:

• Your child should be taught systematically how letters relate to sounds so they can decode unfamiliar words. These skills should be practised using decodable texts.
• Teachers should read books aloud to the whole class to ensure all students experience rich stories and vocabulary, even before they can read independently.
• Students should be taught new vocabulary explicitly throughout their schooling so they develop the background knowledge required to comprehend increasingly complex texts.
• Students who fall behind should receive targeted catch-up support, such as small-group tutoring or one-on-one assistance.
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At FNPS, we are proud that our literacy approach is underpinned by all of these evidence-based strategies. Our teachers explicitly teach phonics to build strong foundational skills and early reading success. Students engage with rich shared texts and high-quality literature, developing vocabulary through deliberate and explicit instruction at every year level. Through our tutoring program, we are also able to provide targeted support to students at their individual point of need.

The outstanding commitment of our teachers to current best practice is leading to results we can all be proud of.

Our 2025 NAPLAN results see FNPS recognised as a High Performing School in both the Learning and Wellbeing domains. Our Reading data highlights our strong commitment to evidence based pedagogy and strong performance across our network, in comparison with demographically similar schools across the state, and against the Victorian state average.

Year 3

Year 5

I’m sure you will agree that this is a celebration for our entire community. These results reflect not only the exceptional work of our teachers and students, but also the invaluable partnership of our families. The learning that continues at home makes a genuine difference, and we sincerely thank you for your ongoing support.

One aspect I am particularly proud of is that these results are a true reflection of our students’ capabilities. FNPS will never discourage participation in NAPLAN, and we are proud to be recognised as a school of influence in relation to participation rates.

You can read the full Grattan Institute article here:

How Your Child Should Be Taught to Read - Grattan Institute

School Council Elections

It is now time to call for nominations from our parent and carer community to join School Council.

The FNPS School Council is made up of active and passionate individuals committed to improving outcomes for our students and strengthening our school community.

Joining School Council — or one of its sub-committees — provides families with valuable insight into the governance structures that guide our school and offers an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to its future direction.

In 2026, we have:

• 2 Community Member vacancies

• 5 Parent Member vacancies

   

School Council members are required to attend eight School Council meetings per year, along with eight one-hour sub-committee meetings annually.

If the number of nominations exceeds the number of vacancies, an election process will occur. Further details can be found in the attached:

The timeline for this process is outlined below:

SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTION PROCESS AND TIMETABLE

Please Note: The timeline of school council elections is directed by legislation and, as a result, exceptions and late submissions cannot be accepted.

*Actions required only if the number of nominations exceeds the number of available positions

 Please note that electronic nominations are not permitted. Nomination forms are available from the front office.

Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email: tania.sorbello@education.vic.gov.au

NAPLAN 2026

Next Wednesday, 11 March 2026, our Year 3 and Year 5 students will begin their NAPLAN assessments.

Over the past fortnight, teachers have been preparing students for what to expect, including how to navigate the digital platform. Students will participate in coordinated practice tests this week to build familiarity and confidence ahead of the official testing window.

We ask that families do not withdraw their child from participating. While NAPLAN represents a snapshot in time, when triangulated with other school-based data it provides valuable insights into student growth and informs future teaching strategies across the school.

That being said, a message to our students:

We would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the very best in your upcoming NAPLAN assessments, but before you take the tests, there is something important we need you to know. 

We want to remind you that whilst NAPLAN provides information about your learning journey, there is so much more that makes you exceptional and unique. 

NAPLAN can’t tell us that some of you love to sing and dance, are amazing artists, or can teach others to use a computer. NAPLAN can’t see that you speak confidently to a large group, or that your friends count on you to brighten up their day when they are sad. The people who mark these tests do not know that you play sports, or what a kind, thoughtful and caring person you are, or that every day you do your very best. 

The scores you get from NAPLAN will tell you how you did on that one day, but they will not tell you everything. They can’t tell you that you have improved on something you once found difficult. They can’t tell you how you make your teacher’s day a little better just for being you. They can’t tell you how amazingly special you are. 

So, come ready to do your best, but remember there is no one way to ‘test’ all of the wonderful things that make you, YOU!

Assessments begin promptly at 9:30am. Please ensure students arrive on time so they can settle into their day calmly.

Further information is available in the NAPLAN Information Brochure for Parents and Carers 

Go gently,

Tania