Assistant Principal's Message
Time to Celebrate!
Last week the 2024 school level data was made available via the ‘My Schools’ website. ACARA's My School provides information that helps parents/carers and the community understand the performance of schools over time.
Take a look at a snap shot of our results:
Across all the areas assessed in NAPLAN, our results indicate more growth than schools with similar student backgrounds to ours.
As many of you know, Toorak Primary School has been on a journey of pedagogical change, implementing evidence-based practices over the past three years. This transformation has reshaped our teaching and learning methodologies to align with the Science of Learning and embed best practices in every classroom.
This year’s results are a testament to the dedication, hard work, and whole-school commitment to using best practices. I am incredibly proud of our outstanding staff at TPS, who work tirelessly to drive academic success while also supporting the wellbeing of all students.
Our results clearly demonstrate that despite not having state-of-the-art facilities or charging high fees like some neighboring private schools, we provide high-quality teaching, learning, and programs that ensure every child receives the best possible education. When comparing our outcomes, TPS consistently outperforms local government and neighbouring private schools.
Of course, it’s not only the teachers who make a difference—it’s also our students, who come to school every day ready to learn and engage at a high level. And we can’t overlook the vital role of our parent community. Your unwavering support—whether through classroom help, assisting on excursions, participating in fundraising, or contributing financially through parent payments—is deeply appreciated. Without this support, we wouldn’t be able to achieve our goals. Thank you!
At TPS, our teachers are deeply invested in delivering the best possible education to every student. The school has heavily invested in teacher professional development during this period, which our staff greatly value. We will continue to prioritize this, ensuring ongoing growth and success for our students year after year.
Your parent payment contributions have played a pivotal role in making this possible. These funds are directly allocated to enriching the education of our students. They allow us to engage high-quality consultants who act as advisors and critical partners to the school. These consultants have already reached out to congratulate us and have recommended that other schools connect with us to learn from our approach.
Prep Breakfast
On Tuesday 26 November I was invited to a very special breakfast, our annual ‘Prep Breakfast’. The students were so excited to come to school in their PJs, share breakfast with their friends and teachers, and then change into their school uniform, brush their teeth and get ready for the school day. Throughout the morning there were so many smiling faces and comments of ‘this is the best day ever’. I also heard a number of parents commenting, this is great, I can go and grab a coffee now!
Year 3 Camp - Camp Portsea
Last week, I had the privilege of attending the Grade 3 camp. What a wonderful experience it was to connect with the students in a different environment and context! As both a teacher and a school leader, I always cherish these opportunities. I come away from them with a deeper understanding of our students, witnessing their resilience grow, and marvelling at the way they overcome challenges in unfamiliar settings.
We were fortunate to enjoy good weather on Days 2 and 3, following the deluge on the first day. Despite the heavy rain, the students embraced the activities with minimal disappointment. Let’s just say showers weren’t necessary after Group 3’s beach walk on Wednesday afternoon!
On the first night, I had the pleasure of being part of the Toorak’s Got Talent auditions. Wow! The courage and confidence shown by the students who performed were truly inspiring. They were much braver than I would have been at their age!
Throughout the camp, all students consistently demonstrated our TPS school values. A big thank you to the Grade 3 teaching team for their hard work behind the scenes in organizing such a successful event. I’d also like to extend my gratitude to everyone who attended—Ms. Morrison, Mr. Pepi, Ms. Stimar, Lauren, Will, and Keeva—for giving up part of their week and time with their families to support the camp.
Suada Dzaferovic
Assistant Principal