Assistant Principal's report

Reports

Teachers are working diligently finalising their academic judgements and progress comments and I know that you will find the reports thorough and informative if you read them in conjunction with the Curriculum Continuum to really dig into what your child understands in the curriculum and see what their next learning steps are. Reports will be published to parents in the last week of school.

Parents of students finishing their time at Kalinda (eg Grade 6) are reminded to download copies of your child's reports from Compass. Your access to Compass under the Kalinda profile will cease after school closes for the year. 

Transition to 2026

We have a multi-tiered approach to ensuring that all students feel as positive and optimistic as possible about 2026. We always aim to ensure that students are aware that whilst there are some things that change (their classroom, their teacher, some of their classmates) there are also lots of things to do stay the same! It is often the fear of the unknown which increases anxiety the most and so we have worked hard to bolster our transition program this year to remove uncertainty as much as we can. We encourage you to speak to your child in positive ways about next year, even if you are feeling a little nervous yourself! (We all feel that from time to time parents, it's ok!) 

Friday 5th December: Final Prep 2026 Transition - they will meet their teacher and classmates and get to know their environment. 

Tuesday 9th December: Whole School Transition session #1 Students in current Grades Prep-5 will learn about their class. They will spend the morning with their new teacher and classmates playing some fun low-impact games and get to know one another. Students will be supported to complete a letter to bring home that lets you know about their teacher, some friends in their class, and the things they are looking forward to. Students will also bring home a Social Story, supplies list and letter from their teacher.

On this day, many of our Grade 6s are also out of the school at their own secondary school transition sessions.

Friday 12th December (Student free day): This is when our 2026 teams complete the first of many thorough handover conversations with the 2025 teachers, and work on their planning for Term 1. 

Monday 15th December: Whole School Transition session #2: Students in current Grades Prep-5 will again spend time in their 2026 class. This time it will be in the middle block (1140am-1pm) and they will learn more about their new class and routines. They will complete a classroom activity (Literacy or Numeracy) so that they know how many routines and expectations stay the same! They will have time to share questions or concerns about next year. 

If you have any questions about these processes, please reach out to your classroom teacher or myself and Shaun. We are looking forward to these opportunities to get excited about 2026!

A message from Foodbank Victoria 

🍎 A Crunch Above the Rest: Celebrating Food Bank Victoria’s Fruity Feat!! 🍌🍊🍐

If you’ve munched on a juicy apple in class this year, you’ve been part of something massive. This year, Food Bank Victoria’s School Breakfast Club Program has delivered:

🥕 1,342,455 kilograms of fresh fruit and vegetables 🍏 4,612,800 apples (yes, really!)

That’s not just a mouthful—it’s a truckload! And apples? Oh, we’ve had apples. More than 4,612,800 of them have made their way into classrooms across the state. That’s enough to give every Victorian student a daily crunch for months!

Thanks to their amazing work, students across Victoria are starting their days with fresh, healthy snacks that fuel learning and fun. These fruity deliveries aren’t just delicious—they’re helping fuel concentration, boost energy, and brighten mornings.

So next time you reach for that shiny apple, take a moment to thank the legends at Food Bank Victoria. They’re not just feeding minds—they’re growing futures.

Now be honest… how many apples have you eaten this year? Five? Fifty? A whole orchard’s worth? We won’t judge. Just keep crunching! 🍎 🍎 🍎

Lauren Hopkins

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