Message from the Principal
James Penson
WELCOME TO COUNTRY & SMOKING CEREMONY
Last Friday we held an incredibly special event for our school. This was a Welcome to Country & Smoking Ceremony with Colin Jnr Jnr Wurundjeri Man.
A Welcome to Country & Smoking Ceremony is important for us at Greenhills because it acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which our school stands. It helps us create an inclusive environment, fosters understanding, and gives our students a deeper appreciation for the history and heritage of our local and broader areas. Most importantly it is also one way of modelling Respect which is one of our core values. By encouraging students to understand and value cultural differences we can all help to create a more harmonious and respectful school community.
MEET WITH THE PRINCIPAL TEAM
Keep the date free: Wednesday 4th March at 7.30pm. This will be our Term 1 Mid-Term Meet with the Principal Team. The session will be held via Webex with the link sent out shortly. Some of the topics that we will cover include:
- Key actions & activities that are part of our 2026 Annual Implementation Plan
- How we are communicating with you about your child’s progress
- Building Connections
- Suggestions and feedback
Hope to see you there!
HIGH IMPACT LEARNER AGENCY TRAITS
Growing student agency is a key part of our focus at Greenhills Primary School. At our school this means the ownership and responsibility our students have over their learning.
Our key strategy to help our students develop strong agency in their learning is our High-Impact Learner Agency Traits. We have developed twelve interconnected traits that serve as the foundation for developing confident, self-directed individuals who can navigate their learning with purpose.
We have also broken down these 12 traits into a developmental continuum. Our students need a continuum to learn because learning happens gradually, not all at once. A "continuum" means a smooth, connected progression. Students don’t jump from beginner to expert instantly — they grow step-by-step. A continuum gives them:
- Clear stages of growth (so they know where they are and where they’re going)
- Scaffolded support (so skills build naturally instead of feeling random)
- Confidence (because each step feels achievable, not overwhelming)
- Deep understanding (because they can connect earlier learning to harder ideas later)
Without a continuum, learning would feel like trying to climb a ladder with missing rungs — confusing, frustrating, and discouraging.
All of our 12 HILAT’s are built around four developmental stages as per the picture:
1 – Directed / Dilgent Learner
2 - Self-regulated Learner
3 – Extended Learner
4 – Unbound Learner.
Lookout for our newsletter next week, where Krysten O’Leary (who is one of our Learning Specialists at Greenhills) will share more about the next HILAT our school will be focusing on.
STUDENT SAFETY – MINE STREET KISS & DROP & GREENHILLS RD CORNER
We have noticed that some parents are parking in the drop off zone in Mine Street between 8am and 9.30am and walking their children up to school. This means that our “Kiss & Drop” zone cannot work as it should. The six carparks in this area have been set up to allow a flow of traffic and when everyone follows these rules, our students can get to school on time and more importantly, get there safely!
And on this note, we have heard that our local council officers will be regularly patrolling the area around our school and issuing ticket and fines to those who are not following the rules.
PARENT HELPER INDUCTIONS
Dear Families and Carers,
If you are interested in volunteering at our school, we are pleased to let you know the volunteer induction video and paperwork has been updated. The information can be found on our school website under: For Parents/ Forms and notices or follow the link: Greenhills Volunteer Information
Please watch the : OHS induction video and tick off your Volunteer OHS induction form.
Please read the following information: OHS induction handbook, information for parent helpers, volunteer policy, child safety policy.
Please read and sign the: OHS Induction checklist, Parent Helper Agreement and the Child Safe code of conduct.
Please also provide us with a colour copy of your Working with Children's Card (We can photocopy this at the office, or it can be sent to greenhills.ps@education.vic.gov.au.)
We do have copies of the paperwork that needs to be signed at the office, so feel free to watch and read everything required, then complete the paperwork afterwards.
Once we have received all the necessary paperwork, we will run a Working with Children's card check, you will then be added to our Volunteer list, which all our staff have access to.
If you have any questions, please contact the office.
WORKING BEE SATURDAY 21ST MARCH
Each term we host a school community working bee. Our focus for Term 1 is on a big garden bed tidy up.
Looking after our school grounds is always a challenge and our working bee’s help to ensure that our school looks as great as the community it serves.
Please let us know you can assist by logging into CareBooking by Thursday 19th March. This will help us to plan out what we can achieve on the day.
Booking Code: JGU9L
If you have any garden tools, wheelbarrows etc. please bring them along. All students that attend with their families will receive a $5 canteen lunch voucher.
QUESTION PROMPT OF THE WEEK
My “Question Prompt for This Week” focuses on belonging.
Who is someone at school who helped you this week, or who you enjoyed learning with?
James Penson,
Principal.
