Principal's Report

Principal Report   

Day for Daniel!

On Friday 30th October, we participated in a whole-school child safety lesson, run by Victoria Police. 

We were honoured to welcome Senior Constable Michael Khor, Sergeant Greg Garrisson, as well as Deputy Police Commissioner of Prevention, Community and Partnerships, Timothy Hansen.

Our special guest spoke with students about recognising when they feel unsafe, understanding rules and laws and knowing who they can turn to for help.  Students were also delighted to take a closer look at a police car! Please see more information in the Wellbeing section of this newsletter. Thank you to Dana, for organizing such an important and informative experience for our students.

Thank you!!

Thank you to our knowledgeable, skilled and very caring team of teachers at Albany Rise Primary School. You do an extraordinary job of inspiring and challenging our students academically, yet caring for the wellbeing of our students, giving them confidence and making sure their voices are heard and valued.  On World Teacher’s Day 2026, we want to recognize and thank you all.

On World Teacher’s Day 2026, we want to recognize and thank you all. 

End of Year Concert & Game stalls – we need your help!

At our Christmas Carols evening on Wednesday 2nd December, our students will be performing some Christmas Carols for your entertainment!  There will also be a sausage sizzle and drinks available for sale. 

Prior to the performance and as part of our fundraising efforts, the Parents' Association will be providing some game stalls, which students will enjoy, and we need your help! Any donations to help with these stalls is greatly appreciated! We are requesting the following items:- Chocolate blocks or bags of lollies- small toys or items that children would enjoy as a prize (different age groups/gender). Please drop off your items at the office by Tuesday 1st December. Thank you for your support! From the Parents' Association.

Market Day

On Wednesday the 25th of November, our Year 6’s are holding their annual Market Day! 

Over the next few days, we are conducting a real-life marketing experience for Year 6 students. Students will set up companies, select products, plan production sequences, and then advertise, make and sell their products to our school community. 

They aim to make a profit.  All money raised from the day will go towards the Year 6 Graduation and Year 6 Celebration Day costs.

This is an exciting day for our school community, and we would love all students to be involved! Foundation—Year 5 students will be timetabled to visit the Year 6 stalls, where they can purchase sweets, smoothies, cupcakes, cookies, chocolate-covered fruit, fidgets, origami, participate in games, and much more!

If your child would like to purchase anything from our student stalls, please ensure that they bring money with them on the day. Most prices are between $1.00 and $3.00 for each product.

We look forward to seeing all students take part!

Foundation 2027 Transition sessions

We had a wonderful transition session with some of our new 2027 Foundation students last week. 

There are transition sessions for students and parent information sessions running at the same time for parents/carers. Dates are as follows:

Working Bee

Our next Working Bee will be Friday 13th November, straight after school. The main job will be to distribute soft-fall tanbark/mulch under the playground equipment. We very much appreciate any support you can give.  There will be a free sausage sizzle with drinks at 6pm for everyone who is able to help.  Please feel welcome to bring the whole family, meet new people, have a great time and most of all, contribute to the improvement of the school environment for our students!

Monday 9th November – Student Free Day

Students will not be required at school this Monday 9th November.  Teachers will be undertaking professional development, primarily in literacy programs.  We look forward to seeing everyone back on Tuesday 11th November. 

New Report format 

The Department of Education has updated its student reporting policy to support a more consistent statewide approach to reporting student achievement and progress. The changes are intended to make reports clearer for parents and easier for teachers to prepare. Where comments are used, they provide plain English information about what a student has learned, and the progress they have made. The updated approach will also improve the consistency of information shared when students move between schools, particularly from primary to secondary school. 

• your child's achievement level in each learning area and capability for that semester. This will be rated against a 5-point scale.
• their progress since the last report 
• a brief summary comment 
• a general rating of your child’s effort and conduct 

During the semester, you’ll get updates on your child's learning when:

• we hold parent/carer conferences to talk about achievement and progress
• we reach out to you directly. We’ll use Compass or Dojo to share important achievements or concerns

If you have any questions about these changes, please contact Jane at Jane.Capon@education.vic.gov.au

Don’t forget your hat! 

As the weather heats up and the UV rating increases, schools are ensuring that when students are outside, they are wearing hats.  Students who don’t have a hat will be asked to sit in a shaded area.  We encourage all students to make sure their hat is in their bag and encourage sunscreen and sunglasses, too!

Moving away in 2027? 

We ask that you let us know if you are moving and your child will be transferring to another school in 2027. We require this information as soon as possible to establish classroom structures for the start of the new school year. If your child is currently in F-5 and will not be at ARPS in 2027, please notify the school office or email as soon as possible. Thank you. 

Taking Photos at School 

It is lovely to be able to look back at your child’s primary school journey through photos. We remind parents that while at school (assemblies, sports days, etc.) you are only able to take photos of your own child.  Taking photos of other children without permission from that parent (particularly if posting online) is not allowed. We thank you for your cooperation. 

Playgroup at Albany Rise! 

The Albany Rise Primary School Playgroup is officially in session!  After the morning drop-off, if you have children aged 0-5years (who are not already at school), you are welcome to come to the Function Room where we will have a variety of toys and activities set up for the children to play, and parents/grandparents are welcome to have a cuppa and a chat.  Families from outside our school community are also welcome. Gold coin donation if you can.  Huge thanks to Ann Dunford, who has kindly offered to facilitate our playgroup on Monday mornings 9.15 -10.30am during school terms.

 Tours

If you know of any families who would like to see our school in action, we offer group tours, which run on most Mondays at 9.30am. We can also offer individual tours at other times. Please call the office for more information. 

Toys at ARPS 

We know how important play at lunchtime and afternoon recess is for our students.  However, towards the end of last term, we noticed more and more, that students were bringing personal toys to school. These items became a distraction in class, and a cause for distress in the playground, as items were lost and broken and causing many disputes and misunderstandings.  These issues were then spilling into the classroom, with teachers spending valuable learning time on solving these issues. Therefore, with the exception of balls, we are asking parents for their support in ensuring that all other toys are left at home.  If you have any queries around this, please do not hesitate to contact Jane at Jane.Capon@education.vic.gov.au

Brain Food 

 We know how important healthy eating is for learning! For some school children, the only time of the day that they eat fresh fruit and/or vegetables is during Brain Food time at school. For this reason, Brain Food time is privileged for fruit and vegetables only (this does NOT include fruit juices or other food).   This is something that most schools practice each day, sometime between 9am and lunch time (11.30am).  We thank you for your support of this initiative. 

Outside of School: sport or other activity - Achievement of the Week 

We know how important physical activity and sport is for our students and to our school community, which is why we privilege time at school for PE and sport. We also know that we have some very talented students who participate in sports and activities outside of school.  We would love to celebrate their achievements! If your child has received an award or progressed to the next level of their activity outside of school (be it sporting or otherwise) , please let us know and we would love to celebrate their achievements in our newsletter. Please contact Mr Mottershead with information and a photo, or email through to our school office on Albany.rise.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Jane Capon

Principal