Principal's Report

Welcome back for Term 3!

We have enjoyed such a positive and re-energised start to Term 3, including a sunny start on day 1. This week I have enjoyed visiting classes and seeing students engaged in quality learning tasks, positive interactions and teamwork, leadership roles and a very calm and orderly learning environment in every classroom. 

Term 3 is traditionally a term of consolidation, building on knowledge and embedding good/new practices to enhance learning for all. Early this term, students and staff will be focussed on rehearsals and preparation for our whole school musical in week 3. An enormous amount of work has gone into this event and I am sure parents and carers will be impressed with the performance.

This term we also have THREE camps- Year 5&6, Year 3&4 and the Year 2 sleepover. These wonderful learning and social skills development opportunities for our students which I know they will enjoy and reminder for a long time. We also have the Victorian State School Spectacular performances in September, during the last weeks of this short 9-week term.

During the recent holiday break, facilities were enhanced by the installation of two new split system air conditioners in the Hall, along with the whole school term cleaning process (including steam cleaning of carpets). It was certainly busy onsite whilst the students enjoyed their break.

Term 3 promises to be another great term filled with challenging and enjoyable learning opportunities, stimulating excursions, camps, incursions and many opportunities to join in extra-curricular activities.

NAPLAN Results distributed this week

NAPLAN is a national literacy and numeracy assessment undertaken by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It is the only national assessment that all Australian children undertake. Literacy and numeracy skills are the critical foundation for all learning and for the ability to participate effectively in society. NAPLAN questions assess content linked to the Australian Curriculum in English and Mathematics. 

In March this year, students in Year 3 and 5 undertook NAPLAN assessments. Individual student results were made available to parents/carers in printed copies this week. An information brochure was included with the individual student reports.

Further Information about NAPLAN

Information about the proficiency standards, including the full proficiency level descriptions for each NAPLAN assessment area, can be found here: https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/results-and-reports/proficiency-level-descriptions.

Parents, and carers may find the following video on reading the Individual Student Report useful to understand student-level reporting and the proficiency standards for NAPLAN.

I trust that you will find the data contained in these reports to be of benefit to you and your children.

Musical Tickets

Tickets for our Whole school (F-6) Musical production ‘The Real Story of Alice in Wonderland’ are now on sale via Trybooking: https://www.trybooking.com/DDHII

Dates for our Musical

Wednesday 6 August 2025 - Thursday 7 August 2025 from 6.30pm

Location

WELLINGTON SECONDARY COLLEGE

91 Police Road, MULGRAVE VICTORIA 3170

Ticket purchase revenue helps to cover the cost of creating and purchasing costumes, art consumables for creating props, the commission for the rights to the purchased script, lighting and sound technician costs, video recording and more.

Whole school rehearsals commenced today (24th July), which involved all students F-6 at different times during the day. The next rehearsal (dress rehearsal) will occur on Thursday 31st July, with all students walking to Wellington Secondary College to take part. Wednesday night cast rehearsals occur from 9.10am- around 12pm, then Thursday night cast rehearsals occur from 12pm until around 3.20pm. 

Musical Promotion Badges are selling fast! These on sale again this term. There are 8 wonderful designs for students to choose from. Badge prices are:

1 badge = $2

3 badges = $5

8 badges = $10 (this is a full set)

Costume notices were sent out to families last term. Foundation to Year 2 costumes were tried on this week. Some students are yet to bring items from home. We will need these at school before next Thursday 31st July.

Props and Stage sets created in Art sessions are looking amazing!

NAIDOC WEEK at ARPS

National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. 

The NAIDOC Week theme for 2025 'The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy' invites us to reflect on the legacy of those who came before, to champion the strength of emerging young leaders, and to look to the future with active hope.

This week at ARPS, our students have been learning about stories, culture and history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through books, videos, online learning, art and research.

Ticket Information for VSSS

We encourage you to let your family, friends and the wider school community know so they can purchase tickets and enjoy our students' hard work.

When is the 2025 Victorian State Schools Spectacular? 

The 2025 Victorian State Schools Spectacular will be held on Saturday 13 September. The performance times are 1:00pm and 6:30pm. 

Where is it held? John Cain Arena, Melbourne Park 

How long is the performance? 

The show is approximately 2hrs 45min (including a 30-minute interval). 

Do I need a ticket? 

You need a ticket to attend. The performance is fully reserved, allocated seating. We recommend purchasing tickets as soon as possible to choose your seats. 

When do tickets go on sale? 

Tickets are on sale from 11am on Thursday 31 July. 

How much are tickets? Adult: $40 Concession: $30 Child (U15): $20 (an additional service fee per transaction applies on all purchases)

There is no ‘pre-sale’, and there is no codeword or special link required. Ticket prices have not increased in the past 10 years

Where can I buy tickets?

Tickets are available through Ticketek: www.ticketek.com.au/spectacular  or 132 849.

Ticketek is the ONLY genuine sales outlet.

Mass Choir Seating Recommendations

 It is suggested that the most suitable view of the respective sections will be from the following seating sections. These sections should be visible on the Ticketek seating map when patrons are making an online purchase. 

Our ARPS students are performing in Part Two Section 17, 18, 44, 45, 46, 66, 67, 68

Child Safety

Recent media coverage of incidents in the childcare sector serves as a timely reminder of the importance of robust child safety practices. At Albany Rise Primary School, the safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority. We uphold a strong commitment to the Child Safety Standards, with rigorous recruitment processes in place. All staff must be registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching, and we require current Working with Children Checks (WWCC) for anyone working or volunteering in our school. We also remind families that all volunteers must complete our Volunteer Induction process, which is available from the office. In line with our Child Safety Policy, all other visitors to the school are also required to hold a valid WWCC. Thank you to those who consistently support these measures by signing in at the Compass Kiosk at the office when volunteering or remaining on school grounds for longer than pick up and drop off times. These steps are vital in helping us maintain a safe and secure environment for all children.

A message from our Local Member regarding Free Public Transport for children:

Judith Drew

Principal