Principal's Report

Dear HPS Community, 

Not sure if I have been working them too hard but on Wednesday this week, our Foundation teachers and students suddenly seemed to have aged rapidly over night!

We had a fabulous time celebrating 100 days of school for our Foundation students; a fun, engaging event roughly marking the halfway point of the academic year. This event allows students, families and staff to reflect on learning that has occurred and celebrate achievements and successes. There were some amazing costumes including the cutest 100 year olds ever seen, $100 notes from head to toe and t-shirts decorated in all things one hundred! Well done everyone, and thank you all for getting involved and supporting your child and our school as we celebrate our youngest learners.  

Today, Helen, Monique and I were inundated with lovely words of thanks and gratitude to mark National Principals' Day. We appreciate the effort everyone went to in singing us songs, creating beautiful cards, designing fabulous posters, providing a delicious morning tea and showering us with kindness that makes us feel so valued and motivated. I truly value the opportunity to work with such a dedicated and committed staff and leadership team.

Leading this school is an absolute privilege—and it’s made all the more meaningful because of the strength, warmth, and spirit of this community.

Staffing

Nicola Colgate-Jones has been seconded to a regional Education Improvement Leader position beginning the end of August until January 2026.

This is a wonderful opportunity for Nicola to advance and build upon her leadership skills and knowledge. 

I am proud to have staff at Heidelberg with the capacity and commitment to improving system wide high-quality teaching and learning. We wish Nicola all the very best in this role and look forward to her bringing back new skills and knowledge to HPS in 2026.

I am very pleased to advise that Adam Salemme will replace Nicola as the teacher in Year 6, Room 1. We welcome Adam, who has been doing Casual Relief Teaching (CRT) at HPS this year, and look forward to his connections and contributions. 

Upcoming Building Works

• Tomorrow, Saturday 2nd September, works will be occurring at school to install temporary student toilets

• Next week, Thursday (7th) and Friday (8th) August, the portable and SAC buildings will be moved to their new positions on the top oval next to the swimming pool.

  -crane will lift buildings onto trucks and drive them around to the swimming pool car park where they will then be craned into place

  -all works, including crane movements, will take place within the fenced building zones

  -these works will occur outside of drop of and pick up times to minimise traffic disruption at these peak times 

  -traffic management will be in place on both days so please be aware, be patient and allow additional time if travelling near the school on these days

  -Swim School clients will be accessing the pool via school grounds on these days

  -the Swim School car park will not be available to swim or school staff on these days

3 Way Conferences

Three-way conferences involve teachers, students, and parents discussing student's progress and goals. These conferences focus on student reflection, goal setting, and collaborative problem-solving, shifting the traditional parent-teacher meeting to one where the student is actively involved and taking ownership of their learning. 

Key aspects of 3-way conferences:

• Student-centred:

  The student is at the centre of the conversation, sharing their work, reflecting on their learning and past goals, and setting new goals.

• Collaborative:

  Teachers, students, and parents work together to assess progress, identify areas for improvement, discuss strategies and plan future steps.

• Strengthening partnerships:

  These conferences promote communication and collaboration between parents, teachers, and students, fostering a supportive learning environment.

• Enhanced learning:

  By actively participating in the conference, students take ownership of their learning and are more likely to be motivated to achieve their goals.

Families will be able to book a 10 minute 3 way conference time on either Tuesday 19th August from 3.40-7.00pm OR Thursday 21st August from 3.40-5.30pm.

Bookings will open on Compass Tuesday 5th August from 4.00pm.

Please note: 3 Way conferences for students in Year 1, Room 5 with Sarah Santaera will instead be held Monday 4th August 3.40-4.40pm and Tuesday 5th August 2.00-5.00pm.

Upcoming Pupil Free Day - Wednesday 20th August

Looking for a way to warm up your winter blues? Why not book in to the 

Full Day SAC program on Wednesday 20th August!

It is going to be a fun filled day with a theme for the day that will keep you cosy and comfortable.... Pyjama Day! 

Bookings have opened. Refer to newsfeed for further information.

Children's Book Week turns 80 in 2025

Children’s Book Week is The Children's Book Council of Australia’s (CBCA) key highlight national event of the year. This year’s celebration will run from Saturday 16 to Saturday 23 August. The 2025 theme is Book an Adventure!

At HPS we will hold a Book Week dress up day and parade for the whole school on Monday 25th August. Start planning and preparing your creative ideas to bring your book adventures to life.

TK Tuckshop Canteen Service

We enjoyed our first week with our new provider. Please note that lunch orders cannot be ordered through Beavers Tail any longer.

We encourage HPS families and staff to download the app for TK Tuckshop service delivering Tuesdays and Thursdays during term time, commenced this week! 

To help with this, please see the communication flyer below.

2025 Camp Dates:

Year 4 - Wednesday 27th - Friday 29th August

School Council Meeting Dates: Start time 6pm, Conclude by 8pm 

Term 3

Tuesday 12 August 

Tuesday 9 September

Term 4

Tuesday 28 October 

Tuesday 2 December

Wishing everyone a wonderful weekend and a great week ahead!

Naomi Ivers

Principal

Heidelberg Primary School