Principal's Report

By Frank Catalano

Dear Members of the Glen Waverley Primary School Community,

I trust all is well with you and your family and welcome to another edition of our school newsletter where so much is shared about our wonderful school.

As per usual, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to see me at school or contact me on 9802 9938 or via email at frank.catalano@education.vic.gov.au

Colour Fun Run

After the disappointment of having to postpone our Fun Run, it was fabulous that we were able to hold it on Monday with ‘perfect’ Melbourne weather! Congratulations to everyone for their fantastic efforts in making the Fun Run such a memorable event, particularly Ms. Singh, Mrs. Kaur and the House Captains for their fabulous organisation! It was truly heart warming to see everyone come together, cheering each other on, and creating a wonderful atmosphere of support and camaraderie. Please refer to CIS Captains piece for further information.

Chess Team Update

Our school chess teams continue to make us all incredibly proud as they achieve remarkable results as follows:

The Chess Victoria Girls State Championships were held on Tuesday 15th October and I am extremely proud to report that the children placed 3rd. Naturally to qualify for the state finals is an amazing achievement and to place in the top 3 is simply amazing! Congratulations and thank you to the following children who represented our school:

Year 2: Reyashi

Year 3: Jhanavi

Year 4: Amaya, Lesara, Saheli and Swara

Year 5: Yehara

Year 6: Thenugi

Northern Star Girls State Finals – this event was held on Monday, and I am thrilled to report that the children placed 1st and have been crowned the Northern Star Victorian Champions for the second year in a row! Below is an overview of the children who represented our school, their score in brackets and the respective medals they also received:

Amaya (5.5) - Gold (Champion team) & Year 3-4 Silver
Yehara (5) - Gold (Champion team)
Saheli (4.5) - Gold (Champion team)
Shayana (4.5)- Gold (Champion team)
Jhanavi (4)
Lesara (4)
Reyashi (3) – Prep - Y2 Bronze
Swara (3)
Senoli (3)

The children played exceptionally well and performed amazingly with every team member winning at least 3 games out of 7 against the state’s best girl’s chess players. Well done, congratulations and thank you to all of the children listed above as we are all so, so, so proud of you!

Northern Star Primary Open (boys and girls) State Semi-finals – this event was held last Thursday, and I am thrilled to report that the children placed 2nd (with only 0.5 of a point separating 1st and 2nd place) which means they have qualified for the Northern Star Primary Open Grand Final which is being held on the 4th of November. Congratulations, well done and thank you to:
Year 3: Naveen, Jahnavi, Samuel, Thehan, Agastya, Manish, Jamie, Ethan, Lucas, Senon, Sandaru
Year 4: Aadyah, Saheli, Jaden, Amaya, Shayana, Lesara
Year 5: Yehara, Sarvang, Sohan, Reyan, Swara, Daiwik
Year 6: Akshobhya, Mihin

Once again, congratulations to everyone involved in our school chess teams as we are incredibly proud of you and thank you to their respective parents for your support. I look forward to providing you with further information in our next school newsletter.

Music Achievement Update - Congratulations to Aadyah and Susanna

Aadyah (Year 4) is an avid drummer and has been learning how to play them for the past 3 years. On October 19th he represented our school at the Victorian Schools Instrumental Championship (VSIC) and, I am very excited and proud to announce that he placed 3rd in Victoria – which is outstanding! Below is a copy of an email sent by his family outlining what occurred:

Dear Mr. Catalano,

I wanted to inform you that Aadyah represented GWPS on October 19th at the Victorian Schools Instrumental Championship (VSIC) for drums at Collart and placed 3rd across Victoria.

This year, VSIC introduced this event to celebrate and encourage the musical talents of school-age students across Australia. Aadyah was given this opportunity by Ms. Cecconello, and he worked very hard on his piece, “Chop Suey.” He has been learning drums for the past three years.

To elaborate, the finalists across Victoria (20 best students selected either by teachers or through auditions) competed for the state championship title in drums on October 19th at Collart. All the kids who performed there were amazing. However, the winning criteria were based on various factors like timing & rhythm, dynamics, technique, creativity, and stage presence. Aadyah scored 88 out of 100 across these criteria, and the judge, Campbell Philip (a distinguished drummer), commended him for his energy and confidence.

This has been a significant achievement for Aadyah and us. We wanted to share this with you and thank the school for providing this opportunity. We hope he gets similar exposure in the future to motivate him to pursue drums.

Congratulations and well done Aadyah, we are so proud of you and I cannot wait to see you perform at a school assembly soon!

Susanna (Year 5) is a very accomplished tuba player and below is an excerpt from a recent email she sent me, I’m sure you will be impressed just as I am!

Dear Mr. Catalano,

My name is Susanna, I am a proud student at our school and a very humble Tuba Soloist and participate actively in a band. My mentor and amazing teacher/conductor is Ms. Lauren Innes from Box Hill Academy Brass. We are under the Box Hill City Band Inc which will be celebrating our 135-year-old anniversary in December 2024. That right! We are old. In fact, brass instruments are the oldest instrument apart from the Great Indigenous Digeridoo. I was fortunate to learn this instrument, my successful past as a soloist includes…

2023 Under 10 Any Brass State Solos- 1st place

2023 Juvillene Tuba State Solos- 3rd place

2024 Solo Under 12 Any Brass Traralgon- 2nd place

2024 Under 12 Any Brass State Solos- 1st place

2024 Juvillene Tuba State Solos- 2nd place

I started played in the band since 2021 and our achievements include:

2024 Australia National Band Championship Adelaide- 1st place junior C grade

2024 Latrobe Vally Eisteddfod Band 1- 1st place

2024 Latrobe Vally Eisteddfod Band 2- 1st place

2024 State Band Championship Melbourne 2nd place

Currently, we are preparing ourselves to attend the 2025 Australia National Band Championships around April in Victoria, then the New Zealand National Band Championships in July of 2025. I look forward to sharing more news next year!

Wow Susanna, what an impressive list of achievements. I can’t wait to hear you play the tuba at a school assembly!

Congratulations to Shennelle on Her Outstanding Gymnastics Achievements!

Congratulations and well done to Shennelle (Year 2) who recently participated in the Victorian Junior Gymnastics championships which were held in Geelong. Shennelle competed in rhythmic gymnastics (Level 2) and I am extremely proud to report that she placed:

1st in the in the Freehand and Rope routines and
3rd in the Ball routine

Wow, this is a fantastic achievement Shennelle! I can’t wait to see how your skills continue to improve and perhaps one day you could perform a routine at assembly.

Year 4 Camp

It was certainly fabulous to hear the many highlights the Year 4 children shared after returning from their camp. Congratulations to everyone involved and a sincere thank you to the Year 4 Team for their exemplary organisation and to all of the staff who attended as your efforts are appreciated immensely. Below are some of the children’s reflective pieces written in the form of a poem – I trust you enjoy them just as much as I have!

Camp – The Adventure of a Lifetime - by Javis.

A new experience, a new you,

A series of challenges, we had to get through.

We fell seven times, but we stood up eight,

Made new companions, made new mates.

Unlocked our true self, to not be afraid, we vowed,

Fear is only as deep as the mind allows,

We all fell once, we all assumed we were a victim,

But instead we turned our wounds into wisdom.

Now as I conclude a wonderful jaunt,

This is an experience I will always want!

Trip to Venus Baths - by Kevon.

My legs burn, it feels like ninety-five degrees,

But I still go on.

I’m about to kick the bucket, it feels like the hours go past gradually.

I’m out of water, my throat is dry. I am sweating puddles.

It’s crystal clear that I can’t pull it through.

The eagle eyed teachers are watching if someone’s slacking off. Mirages of water popping here and there.

It feels like many miles still to go. Every step I take, I get weaker and weaker.

I feel like I’ll drop on the spot, but I go on.

I hear water running, I feel like the sun’s bullying me, but I made it to the Venus Baths!

I splashed water on myself and finally there is no weight on my shoulders!

World Teacher’s Day

On Friday 25th October, we celebrated World Teacher’s Day with a special morning tea for all staff. The School Captain’s also provided the staff with a gratitude card and then shared the following speech at the morning tea, I trust you enjoy and appreciate the children’s kind and empathetic words just as much as we, the staff, did:

Good morning teachers, and welcome to our Worlds Teachers Day.

Today we celebrate the importance of teachers and their contributions to our society. This is an opportunity to honour and say thank you to the teachers who make a positive impact on our lives. The message shared in world teachers’ day is that you should take a moment to reflect on the importance of education and the value that teachers instil in their students.

So thank you from the bottom of our hearts for being a strong inspiration for many to work hard and be ourselves.

Words cannot describe how grateful we are for leading us, teaching us and moulding us into the people we are today. Honestly, there shouldn’t be only one day to show appreciation to our teachers. Teachers should have appreciation every single day. The way you teachers take care and teach the students is remarkable, something that we shouldn’t take for granted.

Your words inspire us and give us the confidence to keep moving forward and chase our dreams. Each day you dedicate yourselves to being here for us and we are very appreciative that your unwavering support helps us be the best version of ourselves. It is teachers like you who make the biggest impact and longest memories.

We would like to express deep gratitude towards all the teachers at our school for your inspiration, dedication and support. Let us carry this appreciation into our daily lives, recognising that the impact of your work extends far beyond the classroom. Thank you for being our teachers.

Principal Awards

Congratulations to the following students for receiving a Principal’s Award recently:

Prep A

Sohana and Sajunthan for learning how to say body parts in Mandarin
Aadit, Abhiram and Abir for creating the most amazing shin Godzilla using paper and tape

Prep C

Bavitran, Jaynmae, Aura, Anastasia and Johanna for using a five senses graphic organiser to organise and plan their thoughts about special cultural celebrations
Deena, Aura, Aansh and Milaan for amazing handwriting
Bavitran, Gavindu and Charlotte for learning all about the importance of the Learning Pit

Jaynmae for writing a fabulous narrative about Boo Boo the dog that has to go home and our extra clothes on because it was cold at the park

Milaan for learning how to gather data about his friends, he asked if they like chocolate or ice cream. 7 of his friends like chocolate more than ice cream and 3 like ice cream more than chocolate

Tehan, Aura, Charlotte and Austin for making fabulous progress with their writing

Henry for learning how to write couplet poems that are really engaging. His poem is featured in the Kids Corner section of our newsletter

Mahi, Max, Onalee and Eric for learning about capacity by estimating how much an object holds and then measuring it
Amasha and Jithu for creating their very own word search using Word
Owen, Fatima, Ray, Max, Kivein, Onalee and Reyanshi for working very hard to learn about area and volume

Samiksha, Zoe and Jessica for being buddy scientists that love to learn about scientific things such as what makes up a petal, pollen and coal
Diyana, Jacob, Zoe, Shivane, Tyler, Ryleigh, Vihaan, Fabiana, Vedanshi and Laksh for learning how to calculate the volume of composite shapes

Zaiden for brainstorming lots of words with double letters
Annora for being a very supportive and caring friend
Prayag and Zaiden for learning and implementing how to change words that in in o, to plural

Arnav, Riddota and Parvika for writing excellent procedural texts about how to make a paper aeroplane, how to fall asleep and how to plant a seed
Nivan for creating a replica of what happens in an earthquake

Reyansh for being a fantastic friend and for completing an amazing project about natural disasters

Sai and Riaan for developing a very thorough list of words that they can use when writing a procedural text
Gowri, Ashley and Vidhi for working hard on their writing skills
Devanshi for being a wonderful friend

Riaan and Sai for working exceptionally well on a very detailed projects about tornadoes which is now very proudly displayed in my office

Priyanka and Karan for making excellent progress with their writing, Karan wrote about the components of a toy car and Priyanka wrote a draft email to a friend, Charlotte, explaining what she did to have a great day!

Bhoomin, Aneel, Gowri, Devanshi, and Evelyn for writing exceptional procedural texts

Javis and Sam for writing a very innovative piece that resembles both a narrative and a poem. I have included it in the kids Corner section of this newsletter for your enjoyment
Rachel for working very hard on writing on a procedural text about how to make the must yummiest smoothie in the world – a mango smoothie!

Kevon and Erin for writing fabulous reflective pieces about the Year 4 camp as featured in the Kids Corner section of this newsletter

Suditi for working exceptionally hard on her ballet skills and has subsequently completed the Grade 1, Royal Academy of Dance Ballet examination and also received the Class Award for the scoring high in all parameters - well done Suditi!

Sihath for building the most elaborate Lego Audi Etron which took 3 hours to complete. The car is controlled via his iPad and is all wheel drive

Wishing everyone a safe fortnight.

Frank Catalano

Principal