Principal's report

Dear Parents/Carers

Staffing Update

Yesterday was Morgan Ili's last day at school as she begins her parental leave. We wish Morgan and her family all the very best during this exciting time and look forward to hearing about the new addition to her family. We send her our warmest wishes for a wonderful journey ahead.

A big thank you to Mr. James McCartney for stepping in and taking Prep C while Mrs. Madie Driessen is on parental leave. We greatly appreciate his dedication and support for the students. We also look forward to welcoming back Mr. Brian Norris as he returns from leave and re-joins our school community.

We are excited to share the wonderful news that Mr. James Gowans and his family are expecting their second child!

Mr. Derek Barry’s wonderful French Language program is now in full swing! Students are enthusiastically engaging with the language, and it’s fantastic to see their growing confidence in speaking French. Mr. Barry’s passion and expertise are bringing a new dimension to our curriculum, and we look forward to seeing our students continue to thrive in this exciting program.

Learner Agency Showcase

This week, we celebrated the incredible progress our students have made with their learning at the Learner Agency Showcase. It was a proud moment for our school as students confidently shared their learning journeys, demonstrating how they’ve taken ownership of their education. This aligns with our school's Agency Action Plan, which focuses on empowering students to set and track their own learning goals, provide feedback, and engage in student-led learning. The showcase truly highlighted the autonomy and confidence our students have gained through this initiative. A big thank you to all the teachers, students, and families who made this event such a success!

Choir and Rock Band Showcase

What a remarkable event the 2024 Choir & Rock Band Showcase turned out to be! It was truly a day of celebration as our talented students from Prep to Year 6 performed with such enthusiasm and passion. The efforts of our EPS Choir and Rock Bands were simply outstanding, and I am so proud of everyone involved. A special thank you to our Performing Arts Captains and Mr. Gowans for their dedication and hard work in making the day such a memorable experience for students, parents, and carers alike. The showcase not only highlighted the incredible musical talents within our school but also reinforced the strong sense of community and school spirit we all share. Well done to everyone for such a fantastic day!

Connections Day

I am incredibly proud of our entire school community after such a successful and joyful Connections Day. The Olympic-themed event brought students together from different year levels, allowing them to form new friendships and strengthen the bonds within our school. It was heartwarming to see the collaboration and teamwork as students embraced the spirit of the day, representing their countries with enthusiasm and competing in a series of fun games. The mixed-age groups worked wonderfully, promoting a real sense of unity and belonging across all year levels. Watching the students engage, support each other, and cheer each other on with school pride truly exemplified the values we cherish. I am so proud of everyone—students, staff, and families—for making this day such a memorable success. Days like today remind us of the strength of our school community and the bright future we are building together.

Parents Battle of the Bands

What an amazing success the Parents Battle of the Bands has been! I am so proud of our amazing parent community, especially Tom and the band Lunchbox20, for their outstanding performance and effort. Even though we didn’t take home the final prize I’ve been informed by multiple sources that the full house and energy during their set at the Corner Hotel was simply electric. A special thank you goes to everyone involved for their dedication and hard work in rallying support and selling tickets—raising significant funds for our school’s music program. 

This is the final newsletter of the school term and an opportunity to thank our staff and school community. I extend my best wishes to all families over the final week of the school term and over the school holiday break. I hope it is a chance to spend time together and enjoy some events, day trips or travel. We look forward to coming together once again for the beginning of Term 4 on October 7. 

Michael Portaro

Principal