Dear students, families and staff of Cheltenham Primary School,

As you review this edition of our newsletter, I encourage you to take a moment to enjoy the wonderful learning experiences our students have undertaken from Foundation to Year 6 in recognition of NAIDOC Week. This year’s theme, 50 Years of Deadly celebrates five decades of recognising and honouring the strength, resilience, achievements and enduring cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Throughout the school our students engaged in meaningful learning that deepened their understanding of Australia’s rich First Nations histories, cultures and contributions, while fostering respect, curiosity and appreciation for the world’s oldest continuing living cultures.

We are incredibly proud of the thoughtful way our students embraced these opportunities, and I hope you enjoy sharing in their learning through the pages that follow.

PTFA

Congratulations to our wonderful PTFA for another highly successful Trivia Night. A special thank you to Sam G for her outstanding organisation of the event, the PTFA committee and to our very own Michael Neal for once again doing a fantastic job as Trivia Master, keeping everyone entertained throughout the evening. Thank you to all the businesses and individuals that contributed and everyone who attended and supported the night - your generosity and community spirit continue to make a real difference for our school. See the PTFA page in this edition for the full list of Acknowledgements and the Calendar of Events for Term 3.

Mental Health in Primary Schools Initiative

This edition of our newsletter includes an important article from our Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader, Holly Smith, outlining our school’s involvement in the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) initiative. Holly explains how this intiative will strengthen our whole-school approach to supporting student wellbeing and it includes a short parent survey to guide our future work.

I encourage all families to take a few moments to read Holly's article.

Farewell and Best Wishes to Shaun Penny

Last week was Shaun Penny's final week at Cheltenham Primary School before taking up his transfer to Patterson Lakes Primary School as PE Specialist.

At our whole school assembly, we had the opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate Shaun's outstanding contribution to our school over the past several years. In a fitting tribute, our students formed an honour guard as Shaun left the assembly—a tradition usually reserved only for our graduating Year 6 students. It was a wonderful reflection of the respect, admiration and appreciation our students and staff have for Shaun and the positive impact he has had on our school community.

Shaun has been an exceptional PE and Sport teacher, inspiring students to participate, challenge themselves and enjoy being active. Beyond his teaching, he has led countless sporting events and opportunities for our students and has made a significant contribution as our Specialist PLC Leader and Daily Organiser. His enthusiasm, dedication and genuine care for our students will be greatly missed.

We sincerely thank Shaun for everything he has given to Cheltenham Primary School and wish him every success and happiness in his new appointment at Patterson Lakes Primary School.

As you would all appreciate, Shaun leaves very big shoes to fill. PE and Sport is foundational to the health and wellbeing of our children. We recently completed our first round of interviews and are committed to finding the right person to join our school. Until that appointment is made, we will employ a temporary PE teacher to maintain continuity of the program.

100 Days of School

Our Foundation students recently celebrated a wonderful milestone -100 days of school! It was a joyful day filled with fun activities recognising everything they have accomplished since beginning their school journey.

From their very first days at school, our Foundation students have impressed us with their confidence, warm and welcoming nature, and engaging personalities. They have embraced new experiences with enthusiasm, formed caring friendships, and approached each day with curiosity and a willingness to learn.

We are proud of all they have achieved in their first 100 days and look forward to watching their confidence, independence and love of learning continue to grow throughout the remainder of the year.

Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park

On Thursday Year 1 and 2 students enjoyed a wonderful day exploring Moonlit Sanctuary Wildlife Conservation Park alongside their teachers and a fantastic group of parent volunteers. The focus of their inquiry this term is Australian animals so they had the opportunity to get up close with our nation's unique wildlife, deepen their understanding of native animals and their habitats, and learn about the importance of conservation. It was a day filled with curiosity, discovery and plenty of smiles, as captured in this beautiful collection of photos from their adventure. A big thank you to our Year 1 and 2 teachers and parent volunteers for helping make the day such a memorable experience for our students.

2027 Foundation

2027 Foundation offers were distributed this week and once these are confirmed our transition program to Foundation 2027 will proceed. We continue to hold school tours by arrangement.

Year 1 Phonics Check

Next week, our Year 1 students will participate in the Victorian Year 1 Phonics Check, with assessments taking place on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. The Phonics Check is a short, one-on-one assessment conducted by classroom teachers to measure students' ability to decode words using their knowledge of letter-sound relationships.

Developing strong phonics skills is an essential part of learning to read. The assessment provides valuable information about each student's reading development, helping teachers identify strengths and any areas where additional support may be needed, ensuring every child continues to build the foundations for confident and successful reading.

Accessibility Grant

Earlier this week electrical and hydraulic engineers toured the school to assess the proposed areas for automatic doors (16 in total) and placement for a disabled toilet which required assessing the power source for each door throughout multiple areas of the school. Next Tuesday representatives from Assa Abloy entrance systems will also be looking at the doors being upgraded to automatic.

Specialist Curriculum Overviews for Term 3

In this issue of the newsletter are the Specialist Curriculum Overviews for the term. Please enjoy reading!

Kind Regards,

Bronwyn