Principal Report
Welcome to Week Three of Term Three. We have had a very busy and productive three weeks of term and look forward to more excitement across the term. I hope you have managed to watch some of the Olympic Games broadcast, I am continually impressed by all of the Olympians that are representing our country in Paris. Apparently, Australia is on track for our most successful Olympics campaign ever. Stay tuned for more excitement across the coming days!
Welcome to HPS
Throughout Term Three, we have had five new students start at HPS. Welcome Warren C in Year Five, Vicky L in Year Four, Emily M in Year Two, Vimal A in Year Two, Cici S in Year One and Rock S in Year Five. We are sure you will love being members of our HPS community and warmly welcome you to our school.
I would also like to welcome our new Business Manager Fiona Figg who has joined us this week from Upwey High School. We are very happy to have you with us at Highvale PS and look forward to building a solid partnership.
Parent/ Teacher Interviews
Last week we conducted Parent/Teacher Interviews at HPS. As I walked around I saw lots of student work samples and students seemed really proud of the work they’ve completed in Semester One. We encourage all parents to access their child’s Student Progress Report from Compass, which is available now. This is a good indication of how your child is going at school and allows you to identify their strengths and weaknesses
Attendance
As you know, 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.
2024 Parent Opinion Survey
Our school is conducting the annual Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey offered by the Department of Education and is seeking your feedback. The survey is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage and appreciate your participation. Our school will use the survey results to assist in identifying areas for improvement and professional development needs in the school, to target school planning and improvement strategies. The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey will be open online from Monday 29 July to Friday 30 August 2024. All families are invited to participate in the survey. The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones.
To complete the survey please visit:
https://www.orima.com.au/parent
Enter: Highvale Primary School
Pin: 858187
The online survey will be available in English and 10 other languages including Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Resources are also available in additional languages to assist parents / caregivers / guardians who speak a language other than English at home. Please reach out to your child’s teacher, or the school directly for survey guides in your language. Please come to the School Office if you would like more information about the Parent Opinion Survey.
School Production
Our school production - ‘Star Warts: The Umpire Strikes Back’ - rehearsals continue and we are moving in the right direction. Last week at Assembly the Level Threes performed and they were super! Erin Stoddart is pleased with the progress of students and our staff have been working hard on logistical elements involved in the production. More information will be sent out via Compass in the coming weeks, but this is an exciting time!
Statewide Principal Conference
On Monday, Mr Crozier and I attended the Statewide Principal Conference with 2750 other Principals. This year's theme was Leading together: inspire, learn, network. We had many guest speakers across the day including Ben Carroll (Minister for Education), David Howes (Deputy Secretary), Kirstin Ferguson, Jenny Donovan and Mel Neil. We had a full day of learning and have come away with some practical ideas and opportunities for HPS.
NAPLAN results
Our NAPLAN results were released and provided to families via a hard copy and a compass chronicle last week. We are proud of the results and what the students were able to achieve. At HPS, we have high levels of participation in NAPLAN. As you may know the Inner East is the highest performing network in the state consistently achieving high levels of success and outstanding individual, cohort and school results. This is widely recognised in the community.
At HPS, our Grammar and Punctuation results and our Spelling results for both Years Three and Five were above similar schools and above network schools, which is an outstanding achievement. The number of students we have in the ‘exceeding’ category in Year Five Numeracy is amongst the top results in the state. Our Year Three Reading and Numeracy results were above similar schools and above network schools too, so there is a lot to be celebrated in this space.
We are extremely proud of the results and students are to be congratulated on their achievements.
AToSS results
Our Years Four, Five and Six students completed the Attitudes to School Survey last term. We were recently provided with the results of the survey. Some highlights were:
- 92% of students answered positively in the category ‘high expectations for success’
- 90% of students answered positively in the category 'Attitudes to attendance’
- 87% of students answered positively in the category ‘Sense of Inclusion’
- 87% of students answered positively in the category ‘Differentiated Learning Challenge’
Our AToSS results indicate that students are feeling positive about their schooling experiences and are happy and motivated to be at school with their teachers and peers.
Olympics Day
On Friday, we will have a special assembly hosted by our School Captains. This assembly will be focussed on celebrating the Olympic Games that are currently taking place in Paris, France. I spoke with many students across the week who watched the Opening Ceremony and have enjoyed watching sports such as swimming, diving, equestrian and even skateboarding. In classes across this week, we have been tuned into the medal tally and researching countries and competitors. At the Assembly tomorrow a student from each class will present some facts about the country they have researched this week. We are excited to celebrate the Olympic Games with our students and look forward to this special Olympic Assembly.
Upcoming Events
Week Four
District Basketball Comp – Years 5/6
Week Five
Science Week
2025 Prep Transition starts - Storytime
Week Six
Book Week
Book Week Dress Up Day
Free groceries: Eastern Food Rescue
Eastern Food Rescue (formerly Food is Free Mitcham) is an outdoor free access pantry for everyone, where locals can either donate goods or take things that they need. The primary goal is to divert food waste from landfill and feed it back into the community.
Eastern Food Rescue collect donations from various local businesses to help keep the pantry full and also rely on community donations from neighbours. Regular donors include: Wendy’s Bakery (Mitcham), Mylk Bar (Mitcham) and Bakers Delight (Forest Hill).
There is no need to show ID, produce a concession card or be approved, ANYONE can attend and take the free food they have on offer. Remember to take your own shopping bags.
Location: 8-12 Simla Street, Mitcham,
Time: Accessible 24/7 but mini markets are 11:00am and 8:00pm Mon - Fri
Special Events: Free food market on Saturday and Sunday 11:30am at Antonio Park 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
Have a great week ahead HPS families,
Carly Epskamp
Acting Principal
carly.epskamp@education.vic.gov.au