Principal Update

I hope you have been able to enjoy the warmer spring weather conditions. 

Another jam-packed week at APS with Year 3 and Year 4 students back from their 1 and 2 night camps.  I was lucky enough to head up to Camp Jungai with Year 4’s on Thursday, and although there was a bit of rain around, the overall feel was one of excitement and adventure. 

Our Year 6 interschool sports teams competed in Ivanhoe interschool sports finals for Touch Rugby and Tennis. The Prep/1 students performed with confidence and enthusiasm at their concert last Wednesday evening and the excitement is building as we prepare for the Year 2-6 Concert next week. On Friday I am at the Banyule Division Athletics with a team of 11 APS students. It is certainly a busy end of term. 

STOMP Dance

Year 2-6 students are working on their concert dances on Monday and Tuesday with Izzy from STOMP Dance. The effort, enthusiasm and engagement have been excellent, and all classes have gotten through the choreography for a whole dance. A spectacular effort. Students in Year 6 are finalising their script sessions and putting the finishing touches on the dramatic performance. This Friday students will have their first full run through in the gymnasium and there will be a whole school rehearsal on Monday 14 September at the Ivanhoe Girls Grammar Performing Arts Centre (PAC). There is a Compass event to consent to this rehearsal. 

The performance will be held at the PAC from 7:00pm on Monday 14 and Tuesday 15 September. Tickets for the performance are on sale now through TryBooking and will be on sale until Monday 14 September unless sold out. Tickets are $25 each for adults and $20 for concessions, or $40 and $30 for two-night packages. 

https://www.trybooking.com/DONVU

The second release for additional tickets of unsold seats is now on sale with ticket limits increased. Please secure your tickets now as we expect them to sell out.

Prep , Year 1 and Year 2 Swimming Program 

Swimming will once again form an important part of our Term 4 program for students in the junior years. This year, we are introducing a new introductory swimming experience for our Prep students, consisting of two shorter sessions in December designed to build confidence and provide a positive introduction to school swimming. Our Year 1 and 2 students will participate in a more comprehensive swimming program across several sessions from late November into December, with a focus on swimming skills, water confidence and safety. Further information about the program, including arrangements and what students will need to bring, will be sent to families closer to the commencement date.

Playground Safety 

Families and community members are reminded to be mindful when accessing the school grounds outside of normal school hours, including before and after school and during school holidays. At various times, areas of the school may be in use by our Outside School Hours Care (TheirCare) program, contractors or maintenance staff, and works or activities taking place may present safety risks to members of the public. For the safety of everyone, please follow any signage or temporary restrictions, avoid areas where works or supervised programs are taking place, and ensure children are appropriately supervised when on school grounds. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in helping us maintain a safe environment for our students, families, staff and community.

Any children accessing the school site outside of school hours must be supervised by a responsible parent/carer. We have seen an increase in the number of students using the ground unsupervised before 8:30am and after 3:45pm. Thank you for your consideration.

Term 4 Planning

Year level teams are currently developing the Term 4-unit plans for English, mathematics, STEAM, and wellbeing. Our term 4 STEAM units will focus on the design and digital technologies curriculum. However, we are also focusing on integrating several curriculum subjects with our technology units to create real -life, authentic learning experiences. In addition, Term 4 will yet again see us present the APS Writers Festival and Art Show. Always an amazing evening with lots of families and students celebrating the writing and artistic talents of our students.

Shade Sail Installation

Thanks to the ongoing support of our community through the various fundraising activities, we have been able to purchase a combination shade sail for the Prep/1 playground which will be installed over the September holiday period - just in time for the upcoming summer. The school has spent the past months sourcing quotes and working through the procurement process. We have appointed Peninsula Shades who will undertake the installation works from 21 September. 

It is a timely reminder that schools are not public spaces and to be aware during the holidays that parts of the school will not be accessible for the community due to licence agreements and contractor works. 

Parent & Carer Opinion Survey

Our school is conducting the annual Parent / Carer 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 behavior, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage and appreciate your participation.

The Parent / Carer Opinion Survey will be open online from Monday 17 August to Friday 18 September 2026. All families are invited to participate in the survey via the Compass notification that was sent on Monday 17 August containing the login details. 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. 

Wellbeing at APS – Circle Time

Circle Time is a teaching strategy which provides a structured mechanism for solving problems, in which all participants have an equal footing. Circle Time affords the opportunity for the teacher and class to communicate with each other about issues which promote self-esteem and positive behaviour. 

Circle Time should not be regarded as a sanction, and as children begin to understand the mechanism, they will ask the teacher for a Circle Time session when they think it is necessary.

Where Circle Time is developed across levels in a planned, developmental way, many teachers report that it makes significant impact, in developing children’s skills and attitudes. 

There are the rules by which Circle Time will proceed most effectively.  Ideally students make up their own rules as part of their classroom agreements although there are some which are well-considered examples. Such as:  

• You can only talk when you are holding the ‘talking stick’ 

• Everybody listens when someone else is speaking  

• Everybody has the chance to speak  

• Always keep the circle shape  

• Everyone has the right to pass  

• Listen respectfully to what a person says  

• Children may disagree with a statement but no one should be put down  

• No statement or answer is wrong  

• Nobody should be mentioned by name

 • Children can only talk about their own issues, not someone else’s.

Have a great week everyone

Shane Wilkie

Principal

A message from Melissa

Dear APS community

The old idiom “Time flies when you’re having fun” applies to me as it nears the end of term 3 and it just seems like yesterday that I was farewelling everyone and stepping into a new norm. I have done some travelling, had lazy days, renewed interest in gardening and plenty of gym and walking. I’ve visited a few times and was touched with the response of the students remembering who I was and asking how I was doing. The APS students are truly the greatest asset and continue to make me feel proud. 

I wanted to share with you the gift I was able to purchase from the community. I really wanted a piece of art that would remind me of the students and all the curiosity and wonderment they bring to learning. I was introduced to a children’s book illustrator, Ann James, together we created this illustration of the process to becoming published from the first ideas that are worked, redone and tweaked until everyone involved (author, illustrator, editor and publisher) is happy. 

Ann very kindly opened up her portfolio of sketches for this book that she had done over 12 months and allowed me to select the ones that resonated with me. I really appreciated seeing the process that she goes through and selected the pictures that showed the idea, refinement and final product. I am absolutely thrilled with the end result which I have just collected from the framers. I hope you also enjoy looking closely for the slight changes made in the pursuit of perfection, through the medium of charcoal. Ann has been able to capture all the characteristics of joy and marvel that children display as they discover their world. The book is called Sadie and Ratz and is a story about Hannah, her stick insect Pin and her little brother. They have many ‘moments’ together and they navigate life as siblings. 

I miss the interactions with students, staff, parents and the community but have been pleased to be kept up to date by Shane, Lauren and Liliana. I have also met a few students and parents in my travels around the area and have loved hearing about the school events and all that happens. 

I hope you are all enjoying the year and looking forward to the term break. 

My greatest thanks again for your generosity which has enabled me to create a very special artwork to remind me of APS. 

Kind Regards

Melissa Mackenzie - Ex Principal