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.

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

School Production

As everyone would be aware, our 2023 school production, “Enter the Multiverse” is being held at Robert Blackwood Hall (Monash University) next Thursday evening. At this stage, the children have been rehearsing their dances and the staff have been incredibly busy finalising costumes and all of the other issues associated with a school production.

Information pertaining to the dress rehearsal on Wednesday 9th August and the day of the production have also been distributed and as always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to see or contact your child’s classroom teacher.

I look forward to next Thursday where the children showcase their amazing talents!

Australian Primary Principal’s Conference

By the time this newsletter is distributed, Mr Lewis and I would have just returned from the 2023 Australian Primary Principal’s Conference. It was certainly an honour to attend, and some of our key take-aways and how they can transfer to our school is attached in this edition of the newsletter.

Congratulations to Arena

As mentioned in the previous newsletter, Arena (Year 6) is a very talented golfer and she recently returned from Vietnam after successfully participating in four tournaments.

Below is a report that Arena has written for our school community.

Recently, I had an amazing adventure in Vietnam participating in some golf tournaments, and it was an absolute blast! My main purpose for going to Vietnam was to play golf, and I had the opportunity to compete in four different tournaments, each offering a unique and enjoyable experience.

Among the tournaments, I had the privilege of participating in two major events: the Vietnam Junior Open and the Vietnam Ladies Open Amateur. I gave my best effort and was overjoyed to secure the first position in the Vietnam Junior Open. In the Vietnam Ladies Open Amateur, I did exceptionally well too, ranking 13th and even making the cut!

I feel incredibly proud of my accomplishments, and it wouldn't have been possible without your help in raising funds for me to fly to Vietnam to compete in these tournaments. Thank you so much.

It was truly an unforgettable and rewarding journey, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to have represented my golfing skills on an international stage.

Arena, congratulations on such amazing achievements, we are all incredibly proud of you and cannot wait to see what you achieve in the future!

Facilities Update

I felt that I would take the time to inform our school community of some of the facilities related tasks we are in the process of having completed during the forthcoming school holidays:

The basketball court cover – this project is something that we have all been waiting some time. I look forward to sharing photos of the finished product as soon as possible.
Replacement of the asphalt at the front of the school. As you may be aware, the asphalt has cracked and needs replacing.
Replacement of the neighbouring fence near the Year 3 and 4 adventure playground.

Re-stumping of the main building and the Year 3 building – the tasks associated with this major project are currently ‘out to tender.’ I am hoping to be in a position to advise when these works will be completed shortly.

Crazy Hair & Pyjama Day

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our incredible students and families for making our recent Crazy Hair Day and Pyjama Day such a huge success at our school!

Thanks to your amazing efforts, we are thrilled to announce that we have raised a remarkable $600! This generous amount will go towards our school sponsoring an Australian child, making a significant impact on their life and future.

Congratulations to Janhavi

Recently Janhavi (Year 4) sent me this beautiful email outlining completing something very special:

Dear Mr. Catalano,

I donated my hair to Kids with Cancer foundation Canberra on Monday.

https://kidswithcancer.org.au/what-we-do/hair-donation-australia/

I was inspired by my friend and started growing my hair for this great purpose for the past one year.

After donating my hair I am feeling very happy.

Please find the attached photo.

Best Regards,

Janhavi

Over time we have had quite a few children partake in this very special and incredibly rewarding gesture which really demonstrate our school values. Well done and congratulations Janhavi as you should be incredibly proud of yourself just like we are of you!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED A PRINCIPAL’S AWARD RECENTLY:

Amasha for writing an amazing recount about her trip to Mount Hotham
Megan for being a fantastic friend
Reyashi for competing in a chess tournament and achieving 2.5 points

Pavika and Anusha for writing lovely notes for my office as they should their appreciation

Vedanshi and Ryleigh for creating a beautiful and heartfelt card for my office

Shenelle for working so hard to improve her gymnastics skills. She recently participated in a rhythmic competition and was awarded first place in freestyle. Well done Shenelle!

Thiruni also for creating a beautiful and heartfelt card for my office

Anusha and Sayon for working so, so hard on developing their spelling skills. Both researched and learnt lots of new ‘ee’ words

Grace and Shanaya for working very hard to write very creative limerick poems

Ivan for creating his very own PlayStation out of cardboard

Veer for placing second in the Victorian International Sport Karate Association freestyle event at Box Hill

Yuvraj for writing a very detailed piece using high level of descriptive language
Senula and Lena for being very supportive friends
Yu Tong for creating a handmade teddy bear for her mums birthday

Wishing everyone a safe and happy fortnight.

Frank Catalano

Principal