Assistant Principal Report

Welcome back to a brand‑new school year at HPS. It has been wonderful to see all of our students return looking happy, refreshed and ready for the year ahead. They have already settled beautifully into their new classes and routines, which has created a calm and positive start across the school. A very special welcome to the 40 new students who have joined our HPS community this year. We are delighted to have you and your families with us.

We are looking forward to a fantastic year ahead, filled with learning, growth and plenty of memorable moments.

Please read the following information and reminders below about general processes at our school.

Before & After School Supervision

To help keep all students safe, we would like to remind families about our supervision times before and after school. Staff are on duty from 8:45am each morning, both around the school grounds and at the Turning Circle. For this reason, students should arrive no earlier than 8:45am. Any child who needs to be dropped off before this time must attend OSHC, as there is no supervision available prior to 8:45am.

In the afternoon, staff remain on duty until 3:45pm to support safe and smooth pick‑ups. After this time, the back gate near the junior playground and the gate near the basketball court will be locked. Any student still waiting after 3:45pm will be taken to the office. If they are still waiting at 3:50pm, they will be taken to OSHC in the MPC building and will need to be collected from there.

We appreciate your support in collecting children on time and helping us maintain a safe and orderly end to the school day.

Using the Turning Circle for Drop‑Off and Pick‑Up

To help keep our students safe and ensure traffic flows smoothly during busy times, we ask all families to follow our Turning Circle procedures when dropping off or collecting children.

Please drive slowly — the new speed limit inside the school grounds is 5km/h (signs will be changed shortly).
Cars must drive all the way down to the orange bollard before stopping. A teacher will usually be standing there.
Children should only enter or exit the car within the yellow safety strip along the curb.
Students waiting to be collected must remain near the teacher on duty by standing on the paved area or sitting on the retaining wall near the playground.
Students are not permitted to play on the oval or playground while waiting for their car. Keeping students in the waiting area helps ensure their safety and allows traffic to move quickly and efficiently.
For safety, students must use the left‑hand passenger doors when getting in or out of the car.
Parents should remain in their car at all times; staff on duty will assist students with bags and exiting the vehicle.
No overtaking is permitted in the Turning Circle.
Parking in the Turning Circle is not allowed between 8:30–9:30am and 3:00–4:00pm.
The staff car park is reserved for staff only between 7:45am–4:30pm.

Late Arrivals and Early Dismissals

To help us ensure all students arrive and leave safely, we ask families to follow our procedures for late arrivals and early pick‑ups.

Late Arrivals

Students arriving between 9:00–9:05am may go straight to their classroom.
Students arriving after 9:05am must come to the office to collect a late pass before heading to class.
Any student arriving after 9:30am must be signed in at the office by a parent or guardian.

Early Dismissals

If you need to collect your child before the end of the school day, please sign them out at the office first.
You may then collect your child from their classroom, or the office can phone the class and have your child sent to the office with their bag.
Where possible, please email your child’s classroom teacher ahead of time to let them know you will be collecting your child early.

Bell Times at HPS in 2026

We would like to remind families of our daily bell times and routines.

8:55am – Music plays for students to enter classrooms, unpack, and get ready for learning.
8:58am – Learning bell rings.
9:00 – 10:00am – Session 1
10:00 – 11:00am – Session 2
11:00 – 11:10am – Eating time in class
11:10 – 12:00pm – Long play break outside
11:58am – 12:00pm – Music plays and bell rings for students and teachers to move to line‑up areas
12:00 – 1:00pm – Session 3 (including an additional 5-10min eating time if required)
1:00 – 2:00pm – Session 4 (includes 10 minutes of eating time in class)
2:00 – 2:28pm – Short play break outside
2:28 – 2:30pm – Music plays and bell rings for students and teachers to move to line‑up areas
2:30 – 3:30pm – Session 5 (including an additional 5-10min eating time if required)
3:30pm – Bell rings for home‑time dismissal.

Eating Expectations During Play Breaks – Starting 2026

From the beginning of 2026, students will no longer take food outside to eat during play breaks. All eating will take place inside the classroom before students head out to play.

There are two key reasons for this school‑wide change:

It significantly reduces the amount of rubbish around the school, helping us care for and protect our environment.
It ensures students are focused on eating during eating time rather than being distracted by play, helping them return to learning with the energy they need. Teachers will provide gentle reminders and/or use visual timers to ensure students remain focussed on eating during the provided times.

Students are already given a minimum of 10 minutes to eat before each play break, and they also have brain food breaks during learning blocks. As part of this initiative, teachers will also provide an additional 5-10 minutes of eating time when students return to class after each play break.

Thank you for your support as we continue to build healthy habits and maintain a clean, safe school environment for all students.

2026 Clubs

We are excited to share that in 2026 we will be offering a range of clubs for students to enjoy during their breaks. These clubs provide wonderful opportunities for students to explore interests, build friendships and engage in positive activities during the school day.

Clubs and activities will begin in Week 4, once students have had time to settle into their new classes and school routines. Next week, we will visit classrooms to introduce the Term 1 clubs, explain which year levels each club is open to and outline the sign‑up process.

Term 1 Clubs:

Monday: Junior & Senior Choirs
Tuesday: Coding Club
Wednesday: Puzzle Club
Thursday: Garden Club

We look forward to offering a fun and engaging range of activities for students throughout the year and can’t wait to see them getting involved. We hope everyone has had a wonderful start to the school year and has enjoyed settling back into routines. We’re looking forward to a year filled with learning, fun and plenty of lasting memories for all our students and families.

Kind regards,

Kelly Soccio, Assistant Principal