Ms D Principal Message

How TPS Supports Our Learners

Being part of a school community over many years offers a wonderful privilege - forming close connections with students and watching them grow. One thing that truly stands out at TPS is the way teachers and families work together to support learners who may need a little extra help or experience some bumps along the way.

As I wandered through classrooms last week, one particular student's work caught my eye. They were engaged in a writing lesson with their class, and their work demonstrated remarkable growth - in sentence structure, word choice, paragraphing, and handwriting. This progress was not the result of any one teacher, but rather the collective effort of the child themselves and the team behind them. Our approach has never been about placing labels or saying "they can't" - it's always been about "not yet," and then identifying what supports, both within school and externally, we can put in place together to make a real difference.

I acknowledge this process can be challenging and sometimes confronting for everyone involved. However, we always approach it with the same questions: What can we do? What can we try? What reasonable adjustments can we make - both in the short and long term - to enable every learner to succeed?

This week we host our Student Support Group Meetings for students identified with additional learning needs. These meetings occur each term, as outlined by the Department of Education's Inclusion Policy, and are an opportunity for teachers and families to come together to celebrate achievements and set specific academic, social, and emotional goals. For some students, we also invite their wider Allied Health teams so that everyone can align goals, cater to the learner's individual needs, and develop a shared understanding of how best to support them.

Assessment and Reporting

Over the past fortnight, teachers have been assessing student growth and outcomes. At TPS, our summative assessments each term cover the following areas:

Literacy - DIBELS (reading and comprehension)
Reading - PAT Reading
Writing - Timed write, marked and moderated against the Victorian Curriculum
Maths - Acadience (Computation, Concepts and Applications)
Essential Assessments - Mid-term (Number, Measurement, Space)
Maths - PAT Maths
Anecdotal records
Ongoing formative assessments

Results are analysed to identify student strengths and areas for growth, and are used to determine Victorian Curriculum progression points - the results you see on your child's report. Teachers consider a cross-section of results and triangulate evidence to determine a final point. As part of this process, we work collaboratively to moderate and discuss findings, ensuring consistency of marking and a high level of assessment rigour across the school.

Please note: This semester, due to ongoing Industrial EBA action, written comments have been omitted from semester reports. Your child's report will include:

Victorian Curriculum progression points for all key learning areas
Effort and behaviour scores
Content descriptors outlining the content covered in each learning area

All families will have the opportunity to meet with their child's classroom and specialist teachers on Wednesday, 24 June, between 12pm and 6pm. Bookings open this afternoon and close Friday, 19 June via Compass.

These meetings are a chance to celebrate your child's progress and discuss future goals. Meetings will be held in a hybrid format - online or in person. Please contact your child's class teacher if you would prefer an in-person meeting; otherwise, we will assume you will join online. A WebEx link will be sent to you closer to the date.

This is a Pupil Free Day. TheirCare will be operating.

2027 Prep Enrolments

Enrolments for 2027 Prep are now open via the Student Insight platform: https://students.educationapps.vic.gov.au/s/

Enrolments close 31 July. Families will be notified of their enrolment outcome from Monday, 3 August 2026.

Tax-Deductible Contributions

With the end of financial year approaching, it's a great time to consider making a voluntary contribution to one of our school funds — both of which are tax deductible:

Building Fund — Classroom furniture, school upgrades such as carpeting and painting, building maintenance, and minor repairs.
Library Fund — New and replacement books, furniture upgrades, and library technology.

Every contribution makes a difference and is greatly appreciated by our whole school community.

Over the last fortnight, I met with representatives from Stonnington Council to discuss the installation of accessible parking in the streets surrounding the school. This matter is currently under review with the Council, and I hope to be able to share a positive outcome with you shortly. This work coincides with the school's collaboration with the Department of Education to upgrade our entry doors for accessibility purposes. In 2025, the Department allocated funds to upgrade the ramps around the school; however, no consideration was given to the doors at the top of those ramps. We are committed to ensuring our school is accessible for all community members — not just our students.

I also met with the Streetscape Team to discuss the garden area at the front of the school, with a particular focus on drainage and general upkeep. This area has been subject to flooding during rainfall, posing a safety concern for our school community. As a result of this meeting, the pit drains are scheduled to be cleared and the peppercorn trees along the power lines will be trimmed back. This now allows our school-based arborist to safely prune the trees in the coming weeks.

Our School Councillors have been proactive in seeking meetings with local and state representatives to discuss the long-term future of Toorak Primary School as a community facility. We have received a positive response, and this week I will meet with Tom Humphries from Stonnington Council to discuss safe walking routes to school given nearby construction activity, parking feasibility, and related matters. In Term 3, the School Council will also meet with Amelia Hamer. We will keep you updated on the outcomes of these meetings through future newsletters.

Regards

Suada Dzaferovic

Principal