SWIMMING: Thank you to all families for your ongoing support of our Swimming Program. The 2025 program has now concluded for the year, and we greatly appreciate the time and effort parents put into ensuring students are prepared each day with towels, bathers and other essentials. Learning to swim is an important life skill for all children, building their confidence, physical development and essential water-safety knowledge. Swimming programs play a vital role in ensuring students are safe, capable and confident around water, and your support makes this possible.

YEAR 4 DOXA CAMP: Doxa Camp was a tremendous success this year. Our students were blessed with beautiful sunshine and enjoyed a wide range of exciting activities, including archery, the giant swing, bushwalking, river ecology, outdoor cooking and, of course, the much-loved night walk. For many students, this was their first experience participating in such activities, and it was wonderful to see them challenge themselves, work as a team and build resilience and independence. Camps like Doxa create memories that last a lifetime.

See our camp video on our school Facebook page!

TRANSITION DAY: Our statewide and whole-school Transition Day was also extremely positive. It was wonderful to see students spending the day with their 2026 peers and teachers. Transition experiences are essential as they reduce anxiety, support students to feel familiar and confident in their new environments and help them understand new routines before the school year begins. This preparation ensures a smoother start to 2026 and strengthens students’ readiness for learning from day one.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting our new 2026 Foundation students and their parents/carers at the family BBQ on transition day. We are excited to welcome you into the ARPS community next year. We hope that the Term 4 Transition Program has supported your child in feeling safe, connected and excited about beginning school. Establishing these early relationships is a key part of ensuring a positive start to your child’s learning journey.

Our Year 6 students who attended their secondary colleges also had a valuable experience. Spending a full day as a "Year 7 student for a day” helped them become familiar with teachers, daily schedules, and the secondary school environment. This statewide transition opportunity plays an important role in building confidence, reducing first-day nerves and preparing students for a successful start to Year 7 in 2026.

PARENT GROUP: Yesterday was the final Parent Group session for 2025. I would like to acknowledge the outstanding work of Mei Luong and Dana Chan, who work tirelessly to promote family connections, cultural celebrations and strong home–school partnerships. It has been wonderful to see parents meeting regularly, cooking, sharing food, building friendships and fostering a warm, inclusive school community.

Last Reminders:

School Concert - Tomorrow, Friday 12th December is our whole school concert BACK TO THE 80s which will be in our school hall from 6.30pm to 8.30pm. Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased via trybooking.com - please follow the BOOK NOW link here if you haven’t purchased your tickets yet or wish to purchase extra tickets. Tickets are now unlimited for all families. https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1505392

Please note: Students are required to be back at school in their learning spaces at 5.30pm.

Doors open for audience at 6pm and the show starts at 6.30pm sharp.

Student Voice Raffle - If you have not yet returned your raffle ticket stubs and money, please do so ASAP. Thank you to everyone who has purchased tickets. Our Student Voice Council appreciates your support. We look forward to drawing the raffle at tomorrow night’s concert. Will you be the lucky winner?

Next Week – Special Events:

Foundation – Year 5 Awards Assembly. The end of year 2025 Awards Assembly Thursday will be held on 18th December 2.00pm in the school hall. Families are welcome to attend as we present Academic Excellence, Most Improved and Encouragement Awards across all year levels. We will also be announcing our 2026 Student Leaders. We look forward to celebrating our students' achievements with you!

Final Day of School – Friday 19th December – 1pm finish. This is a Reward Day for students who consistently demonstrate our RICH values. Students will participate in one of the following: SuperZu, Springvale Indoor Sports Centre or Reading Cinemas. Reward Days help reinforce positive behaviours, celebrate students’ efforts and encourage positive role modelling across the school. Please note: Students will be dismissed at 1.00pm on Friday 19th December and there is no OSHC available after school.

Year 6 Students – Important Reminders:

Year 6 Graduation Dinner & Ceremony is on Tuesday 16th December

5.00pm – Graduation Dinner (students only – please arrive by 4.45pm)
6.30pm – Graduation Ceremony (Year 6 students and families – doors open at 6pm)

Year 6 Special Day at Luna Park is on Wednesday 17th December. Students must wear their school uniform for this special outing.

Please refer to Sentral for all details regarding Year 6 Graduation and the Luna Park Special day.

A special Year 6 Celebration Newsletter will be published next week to acknowledge our graduates and share the highlights of their final days at ARPS.

With only one week to go, we know many students (and staff) are starting to feel tired. Please continue supporting routines at home, such as healthy eating, consistent bedtimes and calm mornings before school, which will help students finish the school year in a positive and settled way. Thank you for your support!

Aussie of the Month

Congratulations to the December Aussie of the Month:

Oscar in Foundation. Well done Oscar!!

The Key Values of Aussie of the Month are:

Fair go: not just how we apply ourselves but also in providing opportunity for all

Mateship: a generosity of spirit and compassion for those in need

Respect: of self, of others, our community, and the environment

Inclusion: acceptance and respect of difference

I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow night at our Back to the 80s School Concert!

Carmel Nigro

Principal

Athol Road Primary School Newsletter

Create a vibrant learning community where lives are transformed and individuals inspired to achieve beyond what they ever believed possible.

Issue 20 · 11 Dec 2025

In this issue