Student News

PE/Sport Update

From School Trials to State: Peyton's Outstanding Cross Country Season

Congratulations to Peyton H on an outstanding performance at the School Sport Victoria State Cross Country Championships, held at Yarra Valley Racing Club on Thursday 16 July.

After progressing through the school, divisional, and Gippsland regional stages of competition, Peyton earned the opportunity to compete against the very best young distance runners from across Victoria in the 9–10 Girls 2km event.

Peyton produced her best run of the season, recording a personal best time of 8 minutes 45 seconds to finish 81st in Victoria. Competing at state level is a remarkable achievement in itself, and to finish the season with a personal best is a testament to Peyton's dedication, perseverance, and commitment to continually improving her performance.

Congratulations, Peyton, on an exceptional cross country season. We are incredibly proud of everything you have achieved and look forward to seeing what you accomplish in the years ahead.

Raising the Bar: Students Elevate Their Athletics to the Next Level 

Our new Elevate Athletics Program has been off to a fantastic start, with students taking part in several weeks of specialised coaching designed to further develop their athletics skills.

The program brings together a group of enthusiastic and talented athletes from Grades 3–6 who have demonstrated outstanding performances throughout the School Sport Victoria pathway. Under the expert guidance of elite athletics coach Taneille Crase, students have been refining their running, jumping, and throwing techniques through a series of targeted coaching sessions.

Each week, students rotate through a variety of technical athletics disciplines, receiving personalised feedback to improve their movement efficiency, technique, and overall performance. The specialised nature of the program provides students with opportunities to develop skills that will support them as they strive towards Divisional, Regional, and State-level competition.

The enthusiasm and commitment shown by participants has been outstanding, with students embracing every opportunity to challenge themselves, learn new techniques, and continually improve. It has been wonderful to see the confidence and technical ability of our athletes grow from week to week.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Taneille Crase for sharing her extensive knowledge and experience with our students. Her expertise has made this exciting new initiative a tremendous success, and we look forward to watching our athletes continue to develop throughout the remainder of the year.

Time to Make a Splash! Junior School Swimming Lesson to Return This Term

Our Foundation to Grade 2 students are looking forward to making a splash when our 2026 Junior Swimming Program begins on Friday 14 August at the Latrobe Leisure Moe Newborough Indoor Pool.

Over four weekly sessions, students will participate in swimming lessons delivered by qualified AustSwim instructors. During the first lesson, students will be assessed and grouped according to their current swimming ability, ensuring that every child receives instruction appropriate to their stage of development. Whether students are building confidence in the water or refining their swimming technique, the program provides a fun, supportive environment in which to develop these essential life skills.

Families should note that permission forms have now been issued via Compass. We also ask all Foundation to Grade 2 families to complete and return the Swimming Pre-Program Survey by Monday 27 July, as this information assists instructors to appropriately group students for the program.

We look forward to another fantastic Junior Swimming Program and can't wait to see our students developing their confidence, skills, and water safety knowledge over the coming weeks.

Get Ready to Ride: Grade 3-6 Students set to undertake Bike Education This Term

As part of our Term 3 Sport and Physical Education program, Grade 3-6 students will soon be taking part in our Senior Bike Education Program, delivered through AusBike in partnership with Cycling Australia.

This engaging program is designed to help students develop their cycling skills, confidence, and understanding of bike safety. Across four sessions, students will participate in practical activities focused on bike control, safe riding techniques, road safety awareness, and the benefits of riding as an active and healthy form of transport.

Sessions will take place during school hours on:

• Thursday 20 August 
• Thursday 27 August 
• Thursday 3 September 

• Thursday 10 September 

   

Students are asked to bring a suitable bike and helmet to each session. A small number of bikes and helmets will be available for students who do not have access to their own equipment.

Families are encouraged to check that bikes are ready for use by ensuring tyres are correctly inflated, brakes are working effectively, and all parts are secure before students bring them to school.

We look forward to seeing our students develop their riding skills and confidence throughout this exciting program!

Staff vs Students Soccer Showdown Photos!

Drama Performance Evening

On the 23rd of June, our drama students took to the stage and treated their families and friends to a wonderful evening of drama performances. 6 plays were performed, including one that the Grade 6 students helped to create from scratch.

Over the term, I have enjoyed working with the students from Grade 2/3, Grade 4, three Grade 5 groups and Grade 6 as they learnt their lines, developed their characters and built their confidence as performers. It is an intense and fun term with the performance as an end focus.

I would like to thank all the parents who helped make the evening such a success. Thank you to Michelle for organising the afterparty, Fiona, Sian and Alison for creating the excellent props, and to all the parents who helped source costumes.

Most of all I would like to congratulate the students on their performances. It is not easy to stand up in front of a crowd and perform. I am proud of their efforts, teamwork and enthusiasm both on and off the stage.

Drama is a wonderful opportunity for students to build confidence, develop communication skills and have fun while being creative.

If your child is interested in giving drama a try, there are limited places available for next term. Enrolment forms are available from the school office.

Raewyn McMahon

The Arts Are Alive!

Hello and welcome to a new term in the art room!

This term we are starting to get into the 3D construction phase of the year with lots of cutting, pasting and creativity. 

This term sees a mix of printing, collage, 3D papier mache, cardboard construction and threads and textile work.  

The foundations this week have started their discovery of the artist Vincent Van Gogh and are looking at his sunflowers, starry nights and self-portraits. His thick use of paint and bright colours with a focus on yellows and blues. 

The years ones are beginning their papier mache pieces creating some fun little crayon characters in response to their classroom text ‘The Day the Crayons Quit!’

Year 2 are learning collage techniques looking at a variety of collage artists including Henri Matisse, Eric Carle and Pete Cromer. This week they have looked at Eric Carle’s paper making process and have created a series of painted papers ready for their fairy tale collage later in the term. 

Year 3 have begun their sewing unit and throughout the term will be learning some basic stitches such as running and back stitch to create a hessian placemat with a spider web theme. These placemat webs will feature text and possibly a spider and will take inspiration from their upcoming classroom text ‘Charlotte’s Web.’

Year 4 have been looking at cartography and mapping key features of illustrative maps and have begun work on creating their own fantasy island drawings. These will have an aged look and will feature all kinds of inspiration from Neverland to Narnia. 

Year 5 and 6 are finishing off their work on colour blending to create images of gems and crystals. Students have used oil pastel and inks to create their large, faceted gems or crystal clusters. After this, students will begin working on miniature dioramas. The grade 5 classes will be creating scenes inspired by their class text ‘The Grandest Bookshop in the World’ creating bookshops and miniature museum and gallery type spaces, while the grade 6 classes will be recreating fairy tale/fantasy scenes. 

Thank you to everyone who donated cardboard rolls for this term’s construction. We currently have enough for now.  This term we would like to ask the community for donations of any textiles or wool/yarn, particularly thick fluffy threads or chenilles that can be used for weaving and soft texture pieces. 

As well as this we’d be very grateful of any miniature items that can be used by our senior classes for their miniature scenes. Any old barbie toys or supermarket minis that are no longer of use would be great for this project as would any small items that could be used as miniature museum pieces, such as dinosaur skeletons, insects or shells.

 It’s set to be a great term or imagination and creativity, so watch this space for updates on what is going on in the art room. 

Calm Zone, Quiet Space & Lunchtime Clubs

Our Calm Zone, Quiet Space and Lunchtime Clubs continue to be a wonderful success, giving students more ways to connect, play and enjoy their break times.

It has been fantastic to see so much imaginative play happening each day. Whether students are building with LEGO, creating artwork, playing board games, reading, or making up games together with the outdoor kitchens, these spaces are full of creativity, laughter, and new friendships.  One of the biggest positives we've noticed is the wonderful sense of connection across our playground. It's fantastic to see students making new friends, joining in activities, and feeling like they belong. We now see very few students spending break times alone unless they choose to.  The Calm Zone and our Lunchtime Clubs provide welcoming activities where students can easily join in, connect with others and enjoy positive social experiences.

Our Quiet Space is open from the half bell at recess and lunch, providing a calm and warm environment for students who prefer a less active way to spend part of their break. Students enjoy activities such as dolls, Duplo, felt boards, farm animals and books, giving them the opportunity to relax, recharge and connect with others in a peaceful setting.

For Term 3, we're excited to introduce even more lunchtime opportunities for our students! With the colder winter weather, on Monday’s we're launching Game On Club, where students can head to the gym for active team games like Yoshi, and Mushroom Ball with friends.  Students can also join Book Club on Tuesdays in the library with Mrs Scouller, where they'll enjoy reading a book together as a group before taking part in a related colouring or activity sheet. On Wednesdays, students can join Groove Club with Ms L in the Blue Area to sing, dance and have fun together. Move It Club on Thursdays is all about moving, stretching, and having fun! Students can take part in yoga, fitness challenges, group skipping and other games that help keep their bodies active.

I’ve included a copy of our Term 3 Lunchtime Activities Timetable and activity descriptions for you to share with your child at home. You might like to pop it on the fridge or hang it in their room as a reminder of all the fun and exciting opportunities available each day. We hope it gives your child something extra to look forward to and helps make each school day even more enjoyable!

We are incredibly proud of how these programs have grown and the positive impact they are having on student wellbeing. These spaces help students build friendships, develop social skills, and feel connected to our school community. A big thank you to our staff and students who continue to make these spaces welcoming, inclusive, and fun for everyone!

Emma Semaan

Student Support Leader

Striking Gold: Our Sovereign Hill Adventure

Our Year 5/6 students recently stepped back in time to the 1850s during an exciting camp at Sovereign Hill in Ballarat. Packed with fun, adventure and hands-on learning, the camp brought our studies of the Victorian gold rush vividly to life.

Students explored the bustling streets and buildings of Sovereign Hill, discovering what daily life was like for miners, shopkeepers and families on the goldfields. They watched skilled tradespeople demonstrate traditional crafts and visited the Ballarat Times to see how newspapers were printed using original 19th-century machinery.

One of the highlights was the spectacular gold pour demonstration. Students watched in amazement as glowing molten gold was transformed into a glittering 100-ounce ingot worth approximately $500,000. It was an unforgettable sight and a wonderful opportunity to learn about the wealth that helped shape Ballarat.

No visit to Sovereign Hill would be complete without panning for gold at the Red Hill Gully Diggings. Although nobody discovered the next Welcome Stranger, there was plenty of excitement as students searched carefully through the water for tiny pieces of gold.

The confectionery demonstration was another favourite. Students watched traditional sweets being made and enjoyed the opportunity to purchase Sovereign Hill’s famous handcrafted raspberry drops.

Our Sovereign Hill camp was a valuable educational experience filled with friendship, laughter and memorable adventures. Students returned with a deeper understanding of life during the gold rush—and perhaps a touch of gold fever too!

Fiona Morrison

Classroom Teacher