At Gardenvale Primary School, we believe that open, respectful, and constructive communication between families and school staff is essential to creating a supportive environment where every student can thrive. We also believe that all staff deserve to be treated in a professional and courteous manner. When families and school staff work together as partners, our children benefit in so many ways - academically, socially, and emotionally!

Thank you

I believe on Saturday night, a fabulous time was had by many of our parents at the GPS Cocktail Party - Apres Ski Edition. It was brilliantly organised by the Prep Class Reps, with the support of other Prep parents! It is great for our parent community to have the opportunity to come together in a fun and relaxed environment.

NAPLAN

Last week our Years 3 and 5 NAPLAN results were sent home to families. This information is a ‘snap-shot’ of student achievement and forms only one part of our assessment package. NAPLAN test results provide information on how students are performing in literacy and numeracy and support improvements in teaching and learning. The data from NAPLAN test results gives schools the ability to measure their students’ achievements against national minimum standards and student performance in other states and territories.

The NAPLAN 4 proficiency levels for each assessment area at each year level:

Exceeding - the student’s result exceeds expectations at the time of testing.
Strong - the student’s result meets challenging but reasonable expectations at the time of testing.
Developing - the student’s result indicates that they are working towards expectations at the time of testing.
Needs additional support - the student’s result indicates that they are not achieving the learning outcomes expected at the time of testing.

The tables below show the percentage of our students, in Year 3 and Year 5 performing in the Proficiency bands of Exceeding and Strong. Our results show a comparison to Similar and Network Schools. Similar Schools are those of a comparable socio-economic demographic. Network Schools are those in the Bayside area. State data is not available yet.

NAPLAN RESULTS 2025

Year 3	Our School	Similar	Network
Reading	83%	85%	85%
Writing	94%	91%	92%
Spelling	82%	73%	74%
Numeracy	84%	83%	83%
Grammar & Punctuation	71%	74%	74%

Year 5	Our School	Similar	Network
Reading	87%	90%	90%
Writing	87%	85%	87%
Spelling	86%	79%	79%
Numeracy	79%	85%	86%
Grammar & Punctuation	83%	81%	82%

House Athletics Carnival

Last Friday, the annual Year 4–6 House Athletics Carnival was held at Duncan MacKinnon Reserve. After a chilly start to the morning, we were fortunate to enjoy beautiful weather for the rest of the day. Our students represented their Houses with enthusiasm, great sportsmanship, and determination. Their behaviour was exemplary as they competed with spirit and cheered on their peers throughout the day.

A huge thank you goes to all the staff, organisers, and parent volunteers whose efforts made the day such a success. We also extend our best wishes to the students who will be representing us at the District Athletics on Wednesday, 27th August.

A special thank you to Kirsten Travis, who dedicated many hours to preparing the events, coordinating the teams, and organising the format of the day. Thanks to her outstanding planning, the carnival ran like clockwork.

And thank you to our generous parent who kindly treated the staff to coffee.

Congratulations to all participants, our House captains, and the supporters for making the 2025 Athletics Day such a memorable event. And a big congratulations to Hosking House, who were the overall winners of the day!

Prep and Year 4 Working Bee

We would absolutely love to see as many Prep and Year 4 families as possible at our Working Bee, on both campuses, at 9.00am next Sunday, 17th August. There is much to be done, with many hands, the long list of jobs can easily be completed.

Student Medical Conditions

To all parents who have a child with a medical condition (*Anaphylaxis, Asthma, or allergies), could you please ensure you have emailed an updated Action Plan to gardenvale.ps@education.vic.gov.au. (Recommended to be updated every 12-18 months)

Any required medication must also be provided - clearly labelled with dosages and handed to either office and a Medication Authority Form completed and signed.

*An Individual Anaphylaxis Management Plan (IAMP) must also be provided for those students with Anaphylaxis.

For students with asthma, a clearly labelled reliever and spacer and copy of their Action Plan must be kept in their school bag. Importantly, these must also be taken by students to any excursion or sporting event.

For any medication that is required to be given at school, please complete a Medication Authority Form which can be found on our school website, in the Policy section or from either campus office. Thank you for your assistance in helping us to ensure the wellbeing of your child.

Have an enjoyable week,

Janine

Our Weekly News

Issue 12 · 05 Aug 2025

In this issue