Principal Report

Welcome to Week Two of Term One for 2026, our first newsletter for the year. We have had a wonderful week at HPS, with lots of getting to know you activities and setting up routines and expectations. The feeling around the school is that students are very settled in their new classrooms and there is a calmness, which is wonderful. 

Welcome to Highvale

This year, we have had many new families start their journey at HPS. Welcome to HPS to all of our Prep students and also the following new students: Zoe N 1P, Griva P 1P, Sharma N 1GC, Nayomie S 1GC, Thomas Y 2L, David W 2L, Vishruth M 2L, Rhys C 2L, Shawn Yu-X 2M,  Avaya A 2M, Riya P 2M, Nilin G 2M, Liya F 3C, Hedidi H 3C, Leo L 3C, Ava N 3L, Gina G 3L, Jasper L 4G, Ryan C 4G, Yuvi M 4P, Duhita J 4P, Duthika J 4C, Jasmine G 4C, Virender H 4C, Abeer V 4P, Sophie T 4P, Sophie M 4P, Abeer V 4P, Adorna L 4P, Eason Y 5S, Weien D 5S, Tiana P 5E, Xiuqi Z 5S, Hithen M 5M, Oliver G 5S, Chenxin Z 6D, Jack Z 6D, Siddh M 6S, Yuhan H 6T, Lily T 6S, Lily M 6T, Sara I 6S and Ibrahim I 6T. We are sure you will love being members of our community. If there is anything that you would like to discuss or need assistance with, please contact the School Office on 9887 8000. We are always here to help!

In 2026, we also welcome some new teachers to HPS: Windya Arambawela, Candice Pace, Melissa Liu, Rene Abrahams, Chanya Amarasinghe, Melody Li, Hari Costopoulos, Theodore Politis, Jacinta Tsantlogianis, Emily Stokes, Lucy Morris, Dylan Thompson. We also welcome Soleda Graham who has returned from maternity leave and Sophie Stokes who has changed from an ES position to a teaching position. We are very excited to have all of you with us at Highvale.

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to the following students who celebrated their special day throughout January: Alaistair L 6D, Nathan L 3L, Lisa L 5E, Ario R 6T, Talitha H 5E, Yuchen L 2M, Stanley X 1P, Ling X 6D, Seth Y 6D, E-Dayne T 6S, Shrigna S 2L, Boey N 3A, Emily M 4P, Olivia Y 6T, Henry H PFY, Marwin H 6D, Nikan v 1GC, Twisha T 2M, Oscar Z 4P, Sia J 3L, Norah G PFY, Stella G PFY, Emma S 1GC, Nilin G 2M, Salwa A 6T, Zarina P 6T, Tiya T 4G, Nikki N 6S, Krystal W 5M, Aarieya N 1P, Olivia G 4P, Flynn F 2M, Claire Y 4C, Elisha S 4P, Aradhya T 6S, Kayden W 4P, Peter LM 2L, Siddh M 6S, Jack Z 6D, Minul P 6D, Jasper S 3L, Chloe L 6T, Raniah S 5S and Caspian R 4C. We hope you all had a terrific birthday.

Happy Birthday to the following students who will celebrate their special day throughout February: Dylan L PFY, Harris L 5E, Arjan B 1P, Bonnie W 4G, Mirreeha A 1P, Jade L PFY, Ace H 1P, Hunter Y 5E, Rakith G PA, Anna W PFY, Yuvan M 4P, Aaron L 6S, Oscar S 3C, Senaya W PA, Mishkaat A 6S, Hua L 3L, Evelyn W 6T, Nthan Y 3L, Lily M 5E, Claire C 6S, Aiden W 1GC, Alice H 1GC, Andrew C 3L, Sheldon X 4P, Shawn F 5S, Julia T 6D, Sam T 6D, Isabella M 5M, Aadhithya S 6T, Lucas L PA, Eddy L PA, Kenneth L 3L, Duthi J 4C and Duhi J 4P. We hope you all have a terrific birthday.

Attendance

At Highvale Primary School we firmly believe that attending school every day plays a crucial role in shaping a child's educational journey. Regular attendance allows students to fully engage in classroom activities, discussions, and hands-on learning experiences. It provides them with the opportunity to grasp new concepts, ask questions and collaborate with their peers. Consistent attendance helps build a strong foundation of knowledge and skills, enabling children to excel academically. This term, we will be reinforcing the importance of attending school every day. 

Congratulations to the 328 students who have achieved 100% attendance so far in 2026. Some of these students include: Astera Z PA, Mason X PA, Anna W PFY, Nathan W PFY, Markus Y 1P, Cindy W 1P, Joy P 1GC, Noah L 1GC, Vishruth M 2L, Freya H 2L, Amber K 2M, Danny H 2M, Claire H 3A, Aaron Q 3A, Sander H 3L, Heidi H 3C, Marwin H 3C, Sia J 3L, Duthi J 4C, Virender H 4C, Vivaan D 4G, Anekha D 4G, Luke D 4P, Dante D 4P, Harris L 5E, Jasson L 5E, Sara Li 5M, Vitaliah T 5M, Mikayla L 5S, Frederick P 5S, Michelle P 6D, San T 6D, E-Dayne T 6S, Aradhya T 6S, James V 6T and Olivia Y 6T.

Remember: It is not ok to be away!

2026 Workforce Plan

The 2026 Highvale Primary School Leadership Team is listed below:

Principal – Carly Epskamp 

Assistant Principal – Kelly Soccio 

Learning Specialists – Steve Smith (Numeracy) & Dean Salamouras (Literacy) 

Disability Inclusion Leader – Megan Fegan

Mental Health & Wellbeing Leader - Caroline Coady

2026 Classes 

2026 Specialist Team 

PE - Sophie Stokes & Soleda Graham 

Visual Arts - Pereena Sinclair & Jo Fellows

Performing Arts - Erin Stoddart & Jo Fellows

STEAM - Caisha Williamson 

LOTE – Hannah Guo & Robin Miao 

Support Role - Jess Janky

2026 Education Support Staff

EAL – Shu Wong & Candy Luk

ES - Dot Tang, Allie McNamara, Andrea Gill, Emily Jenkins, Dania Albander, Bridie Williams & Trish Neilson 

Office Staff

Business Manager - Fiona Figg

Enrolments - Charlotte Smith

Office Admin – Kate Steele

Preps

Our Prep students have done an amazing job transitioning into Primary School and already appear very settled and comfortable in their new environment. We are so proud of you Preps! The Prep teachers Mrs Fegan, Mrs Yencken and Miss Arambawela are working hard to set the students up for success in their first year of schooling. Well done HPS Preps! 

Community Events

Feedback from our parent community last year highlighted the importance of providing opportunities for families to come together and connect with the school. Community events play a vital role in strengthening relationships, building trust and fostering a sense of belonging for students, families and staff. Therefore, we have a number of community events planned for this term. 

• Chinese Lion Dance to celebrate Lunar New Year (Monday 16th February) 
• Open Classroom and Welcome Back BBQ (Tuesday 24th February)
• HPS Sports Carnival (Wednesday 25th March)

We know that these community events will help families feel more connected to the school and provide an opportunity to share school values, build mutual understanding and engage with their child’s learning. We look forward to seeing you all at these events throughout Term One. 

Chinese Lion Dance

On Monday 16th February, the Chinese Youth Society of Melbourne will be visiting Highvale to perform a Chinese Lion Dance and celebrate the Lunar New Year. This community event will begin at 2:30pm and will be held on the basketball court. This event provides students and families with an engaging opportunity to experience and learn about Chinese culture, promoting cultural awareness, inclusion, and respect for diversity through an authentic, live performance. We warmly invite all parents to attend and are excited for this upcoming community event. 

Open Classrooms & Welcome Back BBQ

On Tuesday 24th February, we will be holding an Open Classroom Event from 3:40pm – 4:20pm followed by the Welcome Back BBQ from 4:20pm – 4:50pm. Open Classrooms is a chance for you to see inside your child’s classroom and look at what they’ve done across the first few weeks of school. You can ask the classroom teacher any specific questions you may have about the year ahead and just generally get to know them. If you have specific things to discuss about your child and their learning journey, you will need to book an alternative meeting time or perhaps send the teacher an email. Open Classroom is designed for all parents to be in the classroom together, so there will not be any private matters discussed. We look forward to seeing everyone onsite at this event. 

Start Up Program – LEAP (Learn, Explore, Achieve, Progress)

For the past two weeks, everyone at HPS has participated in the LEAP Program. The LEAP program was created by our teachers to ensure students feel safe, secure and valued at school prior to the introduction of any academic concepts. Each class has spent time getting to know each others likes, dislikes and being part of the classroom set up. This has included discussing and coming to mutual agreements about expectations, norms and guidelines together as a whole class. We hope that the successful implementation of the LEAP program will enable students to feel a sense of belonging and community, whilst assisting them to develop understanding and empathy towards others. At Highvale we foster an inclusive environment and this program has further highlighted this statement.    

School Captains for 2026

We are extremely proud of the way that the four School Captains Maya, Aradhya, Minul and Keitarou have embraced their new role and I look forward to everything they will achieve as Captains in 2026. The four School Captains will have the opportunity to attend the National Young Leaders Conference next month where they will collaborate with other leaders across Victoria. We look forward to hearing all about their exciting day once they return. 

Compass & Communication

The Compass parent portal is a key communication tool, which provides parents with access to information about their child’s academic progress, attendance, key dates, reports, upcoming events, payments, interview bookings and newsletters. Please ensure you can access this portal, as information is regularly shared through this service. If you are unable to access Compass, please phone Charlotte or Kate in the Office on 9887 8000.

Tissues 

If possible, it would be much appreciated if each student could please contribute a box of tissues to the classroom supply. These come in very handy throughout the day for small spills and for students to blow their nose if they have caught a cold. Please provide a box of tissues to your child’s classroom teacher at your earliest convenience. These will be stored in the classroom until needed. 

District Swimming Event 

Good luck to all of the swimmers that will attend the District Swimming Event on Thursday the 12th of February at Monash Aquatic Centre. We are sure you will make us proud and have a wonderful day representing Highvale Primary School.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS 

Kids Help - kidshelpline.com.au phone 1800 55 1800 

Parent Line - betterhealth.vic.gov.au phone 13 22 89 

Headspace - headspace.org.au phone 1800 650 890 

eSafety Commissioner - esafety.gov.au - Advice for parents and carers to help children have safe experiences online 

As we begin the year together, I would like to thank our students, staff and families for the positive and welcoming start to 2026. We look forward to a year filled with learning, growth and strong partnerships and appreciate your continued support as we work together to ensure the best outcomes for every child at Highvale Primary School.

Have a great week ahead HPS families,

Carly Epskamp