Dear parents, carers and friends of EEPS,

Welcome to week 2. I am absolutely thrilled with the way everyone has settled into a new school year, including all our new Preps and new students across the school. It was wonderful to hold our first assembly on Monday and to present the badges for our 2026 student leaders.

School is an important place of learning but also an important place for forming connections and for belonging. Starting off the journey together is always filled with hope and encouragement. Whilst there are always ups and downs, we will all work together to harness the starting energy of this last week and look forward to a great year.

Welcome to our new staff and update

A very warm welcome to our new staff who have joined EEPS this year-Noah Lawton, Daniel O’Dwyer, Alicia Buszard, Amy Simula. We would also like to welcome three Education Support Staff, Jane McCarthy, Janelle Georgiadis, Kate Tucker, Ann Creek and Stefanie Stevens to the EEPS staff.

Over in OSHC, we welcome Marissa Beck who replaces Kathryn as our new part-time OSHC Manager in conjunction to Jess.

I hope that your time at EEPS is both professionally and personally rewarding.

Our School Goals for 2026

Every year we have clear goals that connect to our Annual Implementation Plan. This year we have two goals, broadly around maximising student learning growth in literacy and numeracy, and around enhancing wellbeing. The three main areas of focus are on: building school pride, strengthening connections and embedded explicit teaching. You will see our goal posters around the school, please take a moment to look at them as you are moving around. Continual school improvement is of critical importance to EEPS and we work closely with Regional staff in this endeavour.

Open Afternoon - Tuesday 10th February 2025 2:40-4:50 pm

Next Tuesday we are once again holding an ‘Open afternoon’ from 2:40-4:50 pm where families are very welcome to pop in to say hello. For those families not able to make it, please remember that teachers are always very happy to be contacted for you to impart important information.

Emergency Management Plan

Existing EEPS families will know that I write regularly of the importance of safety in our school. Please be confident that we regularly monitor weather conditions and make adjustments when, and if needed. We have a comprehensive Emergency Management Plan that is submitted to the Department in September of every year.

Staff wanted at OSHC

We are on the lookout again for additional staff for our school run Outside School Hours Care service. To work at OSHC you need to be at least 18 years old and either hold or be working towards some sort of certificate or qualification in childcare. If you know of anyone who would be interested, then please contact Jess or Marrisa at OSHC on 9431 2228 or email at oshc.eltham.east.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Start of the year reminders

Several reminders for the start of the year:

Hats - please remember that school hats are essential for outside play and learning
Phones and devices - a reminder for students with mobile phones. Phones must be securely in bags or stored in the safes during the school day and on school grounds. Smart watches must also be set in ‘school mode’ during the day.
Nude food - we actively and strongly encourage students to have ‘nude’ food in their lunch boxes as much as possible. This means to minimise the wrappers and plastics that they bring to school.
Walking to and from school - please help us to remind the students to have respectful interactions with the school neighbours, and other community members, when walking to and from school – this makes for a positive and pleasant experience for everyone. Riding, skating or scootering also requires a helmet at all times
Arrival to school in the morning - please remember that we do not have staff on Yard Duty in the mornings until 8:45 am. No child should be arriving at school, at the absolute earliest before 8:30. Please ensure that you have arrangements in place in the mornings. Children who regularly arrive early may be sent to OSHC.
Interacting with the school staff - as we start the school year, please continue to maintain polite and respectful interactions with all members of staff. It is certainly reassuring to know that school enjoys a proud history of the overwhelming majority of parents who do this and are strong advocates for all that we do. It can’t be underestimated how much we appreciate and value this.
Voluntary parent payment contributions - the voluntary parent contributions for curriculum contributions are on Compass for those families who are able to support us. The estimated costs for the 2026 Extra Curricular contributions will be available later in the term. To arrange any payments please contact the office.
Updating details with the school office - if you have moved, have a different phone number, emergency contacts or changed family circumstance then please let the school know.
Parking - please follow all parking signs around the school, and a reminder that the back Luck Street carpark is for staff only.

Parent social media groups

We know that feeling part of a community matters. We also know that the best way to foster this is to have face-to-face contact. However, we know that in the modern busy world this isn’t always possible. Another way that EEPS parents and carers have connected in the past has been through social media chat groups and messaging apps. Due to necessary privacy concerns the school does not circulate class lists or any parent contact details without the express permission from parents and carers. With the new year, a number of parents have contacted the school asking about the possibility of connecting into existing social media groups. Below is an outline of the process that we are able to facilitate:

1.If you are currently the convenor of a year level group then please let the office know. This way we can send out the relevant details to new families in the year levels. For Prep parents please make contact with the office, if a year group chat has not already been created. 2. The office will send this message out to all parents in the year level through Compass and parents are absolutely free to elect to participate or not. After the initial Newsfeed from the office, the school will not have any further involvement. After that point, parents can make direct contact with the parent convenor who has sent out their details. These social chat groups can be effective in helping people stay ‘connected’, however I would like to remind parents of three factors:

Firstly, the intention is for parents and carers to have another method of connection and not for direct student involvement or input. Secondly, please be aware and mindful, that whilst independent platforms are used, as they are directly related to school events and activities, the use on them also falls within the realm of the Respectful Behaviours in the School Community DET policy. Thirdly, I respectfully ask that conversations are kept positive and light-hearted or used as reminders (such as ‘remember Friday is Library day’, ‘we are playing Eltham PS for interschool sport and it’s a home game’, ‘don’t forget to send in an empty jar for Thursday’, ‘can anyone remember when the swimming trials are?). They may also be used to arrange outside of school social events or catch-ups for the children, or used as a ‘shout-out’ if a particular family in your class group is experiencing some personal challenges such as a health concern or loss of a family member. If you have a concern about your child, the appropriate avenue is always to directly address this with your child’s teacher. If, from time to time, you have a concern about a broader school-wide issue, or would like to provide feedback, then please approach a member of the School’s Leadership Team.

I know that the overwhelming majority of parents and carers do engage respectfully in the online messaging groups. Remember, from time to time, if there is a message stream that isn’t helpful then it is ok to politely remind group members of the purpose and intent of the group. Please also remember that these groups are optional for parents and carers. Not everyone may wish to join, which is perfectly ok. Those who do join please be aware of this. Also be aware of any implications for you if you join a group if there is parent separation involved. Our official channels of communication remain through Compass and the EEPS newsletter. There is a lot of negativity in the world. We have a lot to be grateful for and I think we all can play a key role in continuing to communicate in these messaging forums in positive ways that are supportive of the school and all its endeavours.

After a great first week back, I look forward to a positive and rewarding year for us all.

Kind regards

Warren Lloyd

Principal

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF)