Out and about at Surfside

The term is travelling fast and we are now on the back end of term 1. It has been an action packed term with so much happening in and out of the classroom and with swimming, cross country, NAPLAN and so much more the next 3 weeks also have plenty in store. We now have our Foundation students attending full time following their individual assessments and this week saw the start of the NAPLAN testing period for our year 3's and 5's. Our swimming program has started for year 4's and year 6's this week and our year 3's and 5's will be in the last 2 weeks of school. To assist you over the next couple of weeks below are some important dates that will assist you all with planning and organisation:

March

Tues 11th - Fri 21st - School Based Swimming Program Year 4 & Year 6 (BASC)

Wed 12th-21st - NAPLAN Testing Period - Check confirmed timetable

Thu 13th - Breakfast Club in the kitchen - 7.45am-8.30am

Tues 18th - School Council AGM 5.30pm 2025 School Council (Finance @ 5.00pm)

Thu 20th - Breakfast Club in the kitchen - 7.45am-8.30am

Fri 21st - Assembly @ 2.30pm in the courtyard 

Mon 24th -  Fri 4th - School Based Swimming Program Year 3 & Year 5 (BASC)

Wed 26th-Fri 28th - Year 4 Camp 

Wed 26th - Foundation MOPA Excursion

Thu 27th - Breakfast Club in the kitchen - 7.45am-8.30am

April

Wed 2nd - Surfside PS Colour Run (check info on fundraising page)

Thu 3rd -    No Breakfast Club

Fri 4th -      Last Day of Term 1 - End of Term Assembly @ 1.45pm (Easter Raffle)

                      2.30pm Finish - Casual Dress (Gold coin donation)

2026 Sibling Enrolments 

It has been great to see our Prep students start full time and we are already planning our 2026 Prep enrolment tours and information sessions. Our official enrolment period for 2026 opens on day 1 of term 2. Under Department of Education guidance Surfside Primary School currentlay has in place an Enrolment Management Plan as we are currently at capacity. We are only able to currently fulfil the following within the DET placement policy:

'In circumstances where schools do not have sufficient accommodation to accept all students who apply from outside their school zone, schools must manage enrolment applications in accordance with the following priority order of placement:

1. students with a sibling at the same permanent address who are attending the school at the same time
2. all other students in order of closeness of their home to the school (only within the designated Find my School zone)

If you have a younger child that is ready for school in 2026 we would appreciate you letting us know  so we can ensure a place for you in 2026.  Please refer to the Prep enrolment timeline and guidelines below and this information will be in our newsletters throughout term 2:

The timeline will apply for children starting Foundation (Prep) in 2026.

You can find information and resources about the timeline, including factsheets, at: Enrolling in Foundation (Prep). You can also download the ‘Foundation (Prep) Enrolment Information Pack for Parents/Carers for the 2025 school year’ from the Starting School webpage. (available from Tuesday 24th April)

You will be able to apply to enrol your child in Foundation (Prep) 2026 at Surfside Primary School from Tuesday 24th April 2025.

What you need to do:

1. Contact the school on 5256 1411, pop into the office or book a school tour when tours are made available 
2. Submit an enrolment application for Foundation (Prep) by Friday 25 July 2025
3. You will be notified of the outcome of your application between Monday 28th July and Friday 8th August, 2025. If you receive an offer of placement, you should contact our school to accept the offer by Friday 22nd August 2025.
4. Take part in enrolment information and transition sessions during Term 4, 2024
5. Your child will start Foundation (Prep) from the week starting Wednesday 28th January 2026.

Enrolment applications submitted after Friday 25th July, 2025 will be processed by our school as they are received, in accordance with the department’s Placement Policy.

Out and About

There has been plenty happening out of the classroom over the past couple of weeks. These opportunities have enabled our students to continue developing a variety of skills, building connection to other students, their class and wider community and be supported by our school values of Respect, Honesty, Teamwork and Achievement.

Parent Teacher Meetings

A big thank you to our staff, students and Surfside families for participating in our recent parent/teacher conferences. It is a great opportunity to discuss students strengths, goals and meet families. A big thank you to families for completing our feedback form which allowed us to learn and know some more about your child. We look forward to fostering the student - teacher - family connection to allow our students to achieve their best possible outcome.

NAPLAN

It has been a highlight of the week to see our year 3 and year 5 students begin their NAPLAN testing this week. This week our students have completed their writing and reading tests. A big thank you to all of our year 3 and 5 teachers and support staff for providing a comfortable environment for the students to have the best opportunity to be the best they can be. NAPLAN is a test in time to compliment many other forms of data that we currently have to guide student learning at their point of need. Teachers and schools collect valuable data on a daily basis and respond to student need and achievement on a daily basis. NAPLAN allows a school to set goals and focus areas in specific skills on an ongoing basis so it is a valuable tool to guide the direction of the school. With NAPLAN now making the move to an online delivery platform there is a lot of work that happens in the background to allow the testing period to run smoothly. A big thank you to Mr Adrian Chapman (Learning Specialist), Emily Walker (Technician) and the year 3 and 5 teaching and support staff for all of their organisation. Also, a big thank you to Mrs Laura Myers who assisted students in small group focus areas before undertaking her maternity leave.

Surfside PS Cross Country

Students in years 3-6 faced challenging conditions with warm weather (the opposite of what students might face in the next levels throughout term 2). Kingston Park provides a mix of environmental conditions with grass, dirt, hills, tracks and many obstacles. The students navigated these challenges while representing their house colours and many attempting to qualify for the next level. There were many individual achievements and personal bests but the highlight was definitely the high level support of each other. There was plenty of cheering, encouragement and even helping others throughout the course. A big thank you to our organisation team, the year 3-6 teaching and education support staff, our leadership team and the many parent/carer and family supporters who either assisted on the day or were enthusiasticaly cheering the students on. Compass notes will be released next week to invite the students who have qualified for the next round at Eastern Gardens.

SSV Summer Lightning Premiership

Our year 6's and selected year 5 students participated in a variety of sports against our local school district last week. Another glorious day with sunshine and great conditions greeted the students. The students showed a variety of skills and displayed our school values in the following sports - tennis, soccer, T-Ball and cricket. Our girls T-Ball and Tennis teams were successful on the day and will now qualify for the next round. A big thank you to Mrs Shereen Wolfe, the year 6 and year team and our supporters for their support and preparation for our year 6 sport program.

SSV Division Swimming Championships

Well done to the 23 amazing students who participated in the recent SSV Division Swimming Championships on Tuesday at Kardinia Aquatic Centre. The students performed to their best across a range of events and age groups and displayed such amazing support of each other and their opposition. On a challenging hot day the students displayed the school values at such a high level and were well supported by family and a big thank you to Mr Chapman for providing staff support on the day. 

Community Events and Support - Ocean Grove PS Apple Fair

We always love to support local and community events so if you are looking for something to do over the weekend head down to Ocean Grove Primary School for their annual Apple Fair. It is sure to be a fun day with rides, food and entertainment.

International Day of Mathematics

Friday, the 14th of March, is the International Day of Mathematics and the 2025 theme is Mathematics, Art and Creativity. This theme celebrates the creativity found in mathematical discovery and art. This helps in supplementing the work that we do in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics)

There are over 338 events organised worldwide to explore this theme and the International Mathematical Union invites everyone to “celebrate mathematics, art, and creativity, showcasing the harmony of logic and imagination, where numbers dance with colours, equations sculpt beauty, and ideas transcend boundaries to inspire and innovate. Creativity unites mathematics and art, fields that may seem separate, but were originally intertwined, both seeking to reveal the beauty of the universe.”

If you would like to learn more about the International Day of Mathematics, their official website is:

Some creative maths activities families could do together to celebrate the day are:

• finding patterns and symmetry in our natural environment
• tanagram puzzles https://www.mathplayground.com/tangram_puzzles.html
• origami creations
• exploring tessellations around the house in tiles or wallpapers
• designing or colouring your own patterns and tessellations

Celebrating Neurodiversity

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is from Monday 17 March to Sunday 23 March, and Autism Acceptance Month is in April. These are great opportunities to celebrate the strengths of our diverse learners, recognise challenges they may face and learn more about how we can support them.

We hope that all schools and communities are committed to understanding, including and celebrating our diverse learners and value the contribution they and their families make to our community.

About Neurodiversity Celebration Week

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is a worldwide initiative that celebrates the strengths and talents of people who think and learn differently. It also reminds us of the importance of being kind, accepting and inclusive of everyone. 

About one in 5 children has variations in their brain development. These variations include those seen in autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyslexia and dyscalculia. These children can be described as  ‘diverse’ learners. 

Autism Acceptance Month 

Autism Acceptance Month in April is a chance to celebrate, support and include autistic students. It is an offshoot of the United Nation’s sanctioned World Autism Awareness Day on Wednesday 2 April 2025.

To mark Neurodiversity Celebration Week and Autism Acceptance Month, we would like to share some resources that support inclusion and build understanding that have been developed for the Department of Education by autistic-led organisations and lead researchers in autism and neurodiversity:

• I CAN Education has tips for becoming a champion for neurodivergent students and a graphic novel to help students navigate high school 
• Yellow Ladybugs’ All Brains are Different program introduces the concept of neurodiversity in an affirming way
• AllPlay Learn’s Inclusive School Communities: Monash University’s AllPlay Learn team has developed resources on how to create inclusive school communities where everyone feels welcome and supported
• Amaze has produced videos and fact sheets for parents on how to include families of autistic children
• Positive Partnerships runs webinars and has practical tools and information sheets to support autistic students.

More support for diverse learners

The department has established the Diverse Learners Hub to meet the needs of diverse learners. The hub provides evidence-based advice and resources on best-practice inclusive teaching practices for supporting autistic students and other diverse learners.

School Council 2025 - Annual General Meeting

Next week we welcome our new school council for 2025. We welcome back our returning members and look forward to welcoming our new members. Our upcoming Annual General Meeting will see the nomination of office bearers, the presentation of the Surfside Annual Implementation Plan and 2024 Annual Report as well as governance and child safe standards induction. We wish our 2025 school council all the best for a productive year ahead.