Message from the Principal 

CONGRATULATIONS JOSHUA & JESS HICK

Congratulations to Joshua & Jess Hick on the arrival of Zara Hick, born on the 31st May! We are excited to welcome another addition into our Greenhills family and look forward to meeting Zara soon. 

This photo was taken last week on a Monday morning after our groundkeeper Darren had been onsite. I love the colour of the leaves and how clean the space looks! Darren spends 5-6 hours every second weekend mowing, blower vaccing, spraying weeds and making sure our grounds are maintained and looked after. 

STATE EDUCATION CONFERENCE

Last Thursday & Friday, Janine, Brad and I attended the 2026 Victorian Government Schools Principals Conference in Melbourne. The focus for the conference was about sharpening leadership focus, improving teaching quality, and creating sustainable improvement across schools. A summary of the key messages include:

1. Focus on fewer priorities:

One of the most discussed keynote messages came from education researcher Simon Breakspear, who presented on the "Pruning Principle." The core idea was that schools often try to implement too many initiatives simultaneously, leading to overload for staff and diluted impact. Leaders were encouraged to:

• Reduce competing priorities 
• Identify the highest-leverage improvement work 
• Create clarity around what matters most 

• Protect staff from initiative fatigue

   

The message was that sustainable school improvement comes from disciplined focus rather than adding more programs. 

2. Instructional leadership remains central

There was a strong emphasis on principals being actively engaged in teaching and learning, rather than operating primarily as managers. Sessions highlighted:

• Deep understanding of evidence-based teaching 
• Strong instructional models 
• Curriculum knowledge 

• Consistent classroom practice

   

Speakers encouraged leaders to spend more time understanding what high-quality teaching looks like across their school and supporting teachers to improve practice. 

3. Building teacher expertise is the biggest lever for student growth

A recurring theme across conference sessions was that student outcomes improve most when schools invest in:

• Professional learning 
• Coaching and feedback 
• Collaborative practice 

• Clear instructional approaches 

   

Rather than relying on isolated interventions, the focus was on strengthening the collective capability of teachers. 

4. Wellbeing and workload need deliberate leadership

Many conference conversations acknowledged the growing complexity of the principal role and increasing pressures on school staff. Key messages included:

• Protecting teacher wellbeing 
• Reducing unnecessary workload 
• Creating psychologically safe workplaces 

• Prioritising sustainable leadership practices 

   

This was linked closely to retention and maintaining a positive school culture. 

6. Strong cultures drive improvement

Another consistent leadership message was that improvement depends on culture. Schools achieving sustained growth typically demonstrate:

• High trust 
• Shared purpose 
• Collective efficacy 

• Strong relationships between staff, students and families

   

The focus was on creating conditions where teachers can do their best work and students can thrive. 

At Greenhills Primary School, these themes align closely with our work around instructional models (Greenhills Responsive Teaching & Learning Model), staff wellbeing, and maintaining a clear improvement agenda.

MID-TERM TWO MEET WITH THE PRINCIPAL TEAM

Don’t forget that tonight Wednesday 3rd June we have our next Mid-Term Meet with the Principal Team. This will be via Webex from 7.30pm. The sessions are held at the mid point of each term. We introduced these last year to help keep you in the loop with things that are happening across our school. They are also another forum to ask questions, provide feedback and suggestions and continue our strong home school partnership. If you have a topic that you would like us to cover, please let us know:

james.penson@education.vic.gov.au

Here is the link:

https://eduvic.webex.com/eduvic/j.php?MTID=mea57e5b1313950b5d48e7ebd6303e49a

LOST PROPERTY PILING UP….

At this time of year, we have lots of jackets, hoodies and other items being left around the yard and ending up in our lost property collection. This is a friendly reminder to make sure that you have labelled all items of uniform that your child/ren wear. 

It does also help to have their class name on the item as well.

BIG FREEZE EVENT THIS FRIDAY

The Junior School Council is excited to announce that Greenhills Primary School will once again be taking part in Big Freeze 12 to raise awareness and funds for motor neurone disease (MND) research.

This special event at 2.30pm this Friday, gives our students the opportunity to support a worthy cause while having plenty of fun along the way. Students are encouraged to wear a splash of blue or free dress with a winter theme. We are also asking students to being in a gold coin donation with the aim of raising $25 per class.

As part of the event, some brave staff members and even some of our JSC students will take on the challenge of being drenched in icy water, providing plenty of entertainment while helping to raise awareness for the fight against MND.

We encourage all families to support this important initiative by donating and helping us make a difference. Together, we can show the power of our school community in supporting a cause that has touched the lives of many Australians.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Week 7 – Peer Feedback

Did someone give you feedback this week? How did it help you improve?

James Penson,

Principal.