From the Principal

Welcome to IPS 

School pride truly is a vibe!  Ariana from 1L exemplified this when last weekend families from 1L organised a playdate in Ford Park.  

Ariana decided to make a lemonade stand and raised money for the school.  She raised $9 and proudly donated it the school.  With the proceeds of her fundraising, we think we will buy chalk for students to use in the playground.  Thank you Ariana!

Community Vibe

Parent teacher conferences were held yesterday and all reports back to me have been extremely positive.  Teachers and parents have enjoyed getting to know each other.  At IPS we have a strong home school partnership and what better way to build on this relationship than for parents and teachers to work together to provide the best support for the children at our school?  These initial conferences are designed to be information-sharing sessions where teachers develop a rounded picture about each student and work together with parents to design learning and wellbeing programs that meet each student's needs.

We are keen for parents to be involved in their child's learning and the wider school community. We welcome classroom helpers and value the additional support they can provide to all our learners.   If you're interested in finding out more or know you'd like to volunteer, look out for information coming soon on Compass on how to volunteer to be a classroom helper.

Being a classroom helper is just one way as a parent you can contribute to our school community.  As a member of the IPS community, you can also support your child to succeed socially and emotionally too.  Of course, as part of our Social and Emotional Learning program, we explicitly teach these skills but constant reinforcement from home and school helps consolidate the learning.  Families can do this by modelling respectful behaviour, encouraging empathy, and supporting appropriate communication skills.  

• Be a Role Model: Show respectful communication, eye contact, and empathy in your own interactions.
• Role-Playing: Act out social scenarios in a safe environment, such as meeting a new friend or resolving a conflict.
• Social Stories: Use stories to explain specific social situations and appropriate responses.
• Play-Based Learning: Organize playdates to practice cooperation and negotiation.
• Positive Reinforcement: Praise and reward good social behaviours like sharing, turn taking or using manners.

Together, we create safe schools where everyone belongs, learns and thrives.  The Department of Education Victoria has published expectations that support positive student behaviour.

Open the PDF below to read more about a positive home-school partnership supports students to demonstrate respectful, engaged and safe behaviours.

The parenting strategies website also has a wealth of useful information for parents and carers.  https://www.parentingstrategies.net/  whilst our school values underpin everything we do at IPS.

Know Our Values & Be Proud of our School

Persistence - Not giving up when things become challenging.

Persistence is not giving up, having more than one go at something, trying again when you get something wrong or just practicing to do your best.

Resilience - Being able to recover quickly from setbacks.

Resilient people often feel good about themselves. There is a difference between people who bounce back easily and those who get frustrated. If you can learn to bounce back you’ll do better at everything in life.

Confidence - Believing in yourself and what you can achieve.

Self-confidence is the belief in yourself and in your abilities. That you can do it. When you experience success, you feel good inside and you want to do better.

Independence – Being able to achieve things on your own.

Our aim is to ensure that every student is able to develop into an adult capable of looking after themselves, to thrive on the challenges that life throws at us, to experiment sensibly with risks and develop your own ways of doing things successfully.

Respect - Showing consideration for others.

Respect is thinking and acting in a way that shows others you care about their feelings and their well-being.

Bee an IPS Community Member - Join our Working Bee 28th February 3pm-5pm

Working Bee – We’d Love Your Support!

Please come along to our upcoming Working Bee. In the lead-up to the day, a job sheet will be published online outlining the tasks to be completed, with an opportunity for families to nominate an area they would like to assist with.

Students who lend a hand will earn house points for their efforts, and we’ll be firing up the BBQ with a sausage sizzle to thank everyone for their support.

We look forward to seeing you there!

PFA Events & Community Building Opportunities

Parents and Friends Association (PFA)

IPS is proud of our wonderful Parents and Friends Association (PFA), which plays an important role in bringing our school community together. Through events, fundraising and shared initiatives, the PFA helps create strong connections between families and supports great experiences for our students.

We’re currently looking for parents and carers who may like to get involved in the PFA in one of the following ways:

PFA Convenor

We are seeking a friendly and enthusiastic Convenor to help lead and support the PFA.

The role involves:

• Coordinating and running PFA meetings
• Supporting the organisation of school events and activities
• Encouraging parent involvement and participation
• Helping create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all families

This role can be shared between two people, making it flexible and manageable.

Committee Members

We are also inviting parents and carers to join the PFA as committee members. Committee members help by:

• Sharing ideas and helping shape school events
• Building connections and friendships within our school community
• Supporting projects that directly benefit students and staff
• Developing skills in teamwork, communication and event planning

Being part of the PFA is a rewarding way to contribute to school life, meet other families and make a positive difference.

If you’re interested in getting involved or would like to know more, we would love to hear from you.

Warm regards,

Mark Kent and Sue Kelly

Check the PFA News page for upcoming events!

Parent Payment Contribution

While all government schools receive base funding, IPS provides a wide range of enhanced programs and resources that rely on parent voluntary contributions. At this stage, we have not yet met several of our budget targets, including those supporting digital learning technologies and key curriculum programs.

If you are still considering the level at which you are able to contribute, we ask that you reflect on the significant educational benefits these contributions provide for every child at our wonderful school. Your support directly enriches learning opportunities across classrooms and specialist areas.

Further information is available via this link. 

The contribution form can also be downloaded.

IPS School Council

Welcome to Andrew McDonald, Anthony Sekulov, Catherine Granger, Phoebe Downing, Jane Dowling and Marta Kondarios, who join Jenna Milligan, Meiliana Lukman, Naomi Ewington and Justine Convery in their second year as School Councillors.

Alongside Nick King, Pam Wright and Mark Kent, they form your duly elected 2026 School Council.

Meeting dates and further information can be found on the IPS School Council page, which will be updated regularly throughout the year.

Traffic Safety - The Kiss & Go zone

Traffic is a big issue for our school particularly at drop off and pick up.

Important Traffic & Parking Reminder

The widened area of Ailsa Grove at the bottom of the hill is designed for turning vehicles. It is not a parking space. Please be patient and wait your turn to use the turning circle, and refrain from using neighbouring driveways.

We kindly ask families to allow enough time for drop-off and pick-up so there is no need to rush. Please remember that reversing carries an inherent risk and significantly increases the likelihood of an accident.

Kiss & Go Zone Reminder

The Kiss & Go zone is a short-term stopping area. Drivers may stop for no longer than two minutes while students enter or exit the vehicle from the kerbside doors.

During peak periods, drivers must remain in their vehicle at all times and may not leave it unattended.

Did you know?

The Kiss & Go area is not a parking space. Fines and demerit points apply if a vehicle is left unattended for longer than two minutes. Bylaws officers regularly patrol the area during peak times. Thank you for your cooperation in helping us keep our students, families, and neighbours safe.

Celebrations and sharing food

For reasons relating to food allergies, student safety and the significant financial impact on some families, we respectfully request that under no circumstances are birthday cakes, cupcakes, sweets, gifts or toys to be brought onto school grounds — including within the OSHC program.

Our staff have a range of thoughtful and inclusive strategies to acknowledge and celebrate students’ special days in ways that ensure all children feel safe and included.

I apologise if this request may seem firm; however, the wellbeing and safety of every student must always remain our primary concern. We encourage families to consider celebrating birthdays and other special events at home or in a local park where you can do so freely.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Many of our students are anaphylactic and food allergens pose a very real threat.

SunSmart - BRING YOUR HAT TO SCHOOL

We are a registered SunSmart school and children must wear wide brimmed hats in Term One and Term Four.  Children without hats will be directed to the shade cloth areas at the top of the school near the Waterdale Rd building. Hats are required for Physical Education classes and Sport.   (Click this sunsmart link)

Home School Communication - COMPASS

Our official school communication channel is via COMPASS.  It is recommended that you download the mobile COMPASS app so that you get alerts and don't miss important messages.

Please contact us if you're having difficulties with using COMPASS.  We always happy to help.

Finally

Our Environmental Leaders and Specialist Leaders will be presented with their badges at the Assembly on Monday the 23rd of February.   We look forward seeing families there join us in celebrating their success! 

 Also wishing all those swimmers who made through to the Ivanhoe Distric Swimming Championships at Northcote Aquatic Centre this Monday, the very best of luck!

Thank you for your continued support.

Pam Wright

Co Principal

http://www.ivanhoeps.vic.edu.au/ 

We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Victoria and pay respect to the ongoing living cultures of First Peoples.