Principal's report

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung People of the Kulin nation; past, present and those who will walk with us into the future. We acknowledge the rich and unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas, educational practices and the hopes of all First Nations Peoples. We do this in the spirit of reconciliation as we move to a place of justice and partnership - together we work, learn, play and care for one another and this land.

Welcome back to a brand new year at Kalinda Primary School!

Welcome back to our wonderful Kalinda community! I hope you all enjoyed a refreshing break and are feeling energised for the year ahead. As we open the doors to a new school year, there is a real sense of excitement across the school — new goals, new friendships, new challenges, and countless opportunities to learn and grow together.

This year at Kalinda, we are focused on nurturing curious learners, strong connections, and confident individuals who are willing to give things a go. Our classrooms will be places of discovery, creativity and fun, where students are encouraged to challenge themselves, support one another and take pride in their learning journey. Just as importantly, we will continue to prioritise wellbeing, kindness and belonging, ensuring every child feels safe, valued and inspired each day.

I look forward to working closely with our dedicated staff, supportive families and amazing students as we make 2026 a year full of learning, personal growth, laughter and memorable moments. Let’s make it a fantastic year together at Kalinda!

Save the Date - Community Afternoon (Open Classrooms)

On Thursday, 19th February, we will hold a Community Afternoon (Open Classrooms) event after school. We will send further details out on Compass in the coming days.

Appreciative Inquiry Day

“Leveraging Student Voice in the classroom to inspire engaged and active learners”

The Kalinda Primary School staff started off our year with an Appreciative Inquiry Summit. During the Summit, we worked together to discover how Kalinda students have a say in their learning, dream about a future where everyone loves coming to school, and design ways in which we can amplify Student Voice in the classroom.

When students are engaged in class, they learn more. We were very fortunate on the day to be joined by 9 students – the most important guests of the day! We are hugely grateful to the following grade 5’s and 6’s who gave up a day of their holidays to join us:

Amaya T – who showed bravery by speaking up in a room full of adults

Anjali G – who showed social intelligence by ensuring everyone was included

Charlie J – who showed zest in his ideas and participation

Emmett G – who showed perseverance when things got challenging

Lachie H – who showed his sense of humour during some role-play presentations

Nate G – who showed his creativity by designing a waterslide!

Nina P – who showed leadership in helping wrangle 40 adults

Tate M – who showed gratitude in sharing some significant moments from his schooling so far.

Will W – who showed kindness by pointing out the strengths of others

(a special shout out also to Lucy W for jumping in to help out when needed)

Following the Summit, we are busy working away to document our findings, which we will share with the school community in the coming weeks. 

Thanks again to our student volunteers – it wouldn’t have made sense to hold a summit on Student Voice without hearing what students had to say. 

Drop-off times, parking safely, dogs on school grounds

A reminder to everyone that students can not be dropped off at school prior to 8:45am and must be picked up by 3:45pm (if you are here with your children after school, you are welcome to stay and play as long as you like).

Also, for the safety of all students, we ask that you take time and be very careful when parking, and the staff car park is strictly limited to staff members and families with Accessible Parking Permits.

I also want to remind you that no dogs are allowed on the school grounds other than our three school dogs (Roxie, Journey and Melon) and service dogs. If you are bringing your dog with you to pick up your child, please ensure your child meets you outside the school fenceline (and personally, I love coming out to meet your dogs when I'm on before or after school duty).

School Tours

Bookings are able to be made for our 2027 Prep School Tours. These tours will begin next month and bookings can be made via the link below:

https://www.trybooking.com/DJFEX

We are kind. We are resilient. We are respectful.