From the Principal ...

Dear students, staff, parents and friends of Cheltenham Primary School, 

Last week we proudly celebrated State Education Week with the theme Celebrating Cultures—a timely reminder of the rich diversity that strengthens our school and broader community. Across classrooms, students explored stories, traditions, and experiences that reflect the many cultures that make up our shared identity. From engaging texts like The Truck Cat to hands-on activities and discussions, our students have embraced opportunities to learn about and appreciate one another’s backgrounds. It has been a joy to see our school values of kindness, respect, and responsibility brought to life in such meaningful ways.

National Simultaneous Story time was held on Wednesday 21 May. Across our school we stopped for the reading of The Truck Cat by Deborah Frenkel. This is a heartwarming story that beautifully aligned with this year's Education Week theme. Through the journey of a curious cat and her truck-driving companion, the story highlighted the richness of Australia’s diverse communities as they travel through towns and cities filled with unique sights, sounds, foods and traditions. It gently promotes inclusivity, understanding, and connection—offering young readers a window into the many cultures that shape our shared identity. It invites reflection on the ways we celebrate difference and build community across Australia’s multicultural landscape.

Ground works

Today we met on site with representatives from the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) to review the condition of our oval following recent drainage works. The VSBA has engaged a specialist contractor to address inconsistencies in lawn growth and will oversee this next stage of the project. The specialist will begin work over the Term 2 holiday break. Leading up to the break, the temporary fencing will be removed and the oval reopened for student play. As the soil is sand-based, increased use is expected to help naturally compact and level the surface.

In other exciting news, our new synthetic turf has arrived from New Zealand. Before it can be laid, however, we need to replace our current basketball towers, backboards, and rings. Due to their age, condition and incorrect placement, these need to be removed and replaced to ensure long-term safety and compliance. This work will be completed first, followed by the laying of the synthetic turf. Together, these works are expected to take approximately four weeks to complete.

Curriculum Day – Friday 6 June

A reminder that our next Curriculum Day is scheduled for Friday 6 June, just before the King’s Birthday Public Holiday on Monday 9 June. Camp Australia will offer a full-day care program on this day if there is sufficient demand. A flyer has been shared via Compass and is also available in the Community Notices section of this newsletter for your reference. 

On Curriculum Day, many of our staff will complete Level 2 First Aid and CPR training, followed by a moderation session focused on assessment across year levels in preparation for Semester 1 reports. These reports will be available on Compass on the final day of Term 2, with parent-teacher meetings scheduled for the first week of Term 3.

in conclusion, it was lovely to see families in attendance this morning at our whole school assembly as children across the school reported so beautifully on the Education Week focus in their year levels. In today's newsletter our Specialist team have also provided a snapshot for different year levels, during Education Week. Please enjoy reading. 

Our next whole school assembly,  16 June at 9.05am, will have a Reconciliation Week focus.

Kind Regards,

Bronwyn