Principal Team Report

Hello BRPS Community,

It's hard to believe we're already six weeks into Term One. It has been a vibrant start to the year with students engaging in learning across the curriculum, as well as the extra-curricular activities that enhance community and add richness to school life.  

Morning Supervision Reminder

We kindly remind all parents and carers that school supervision begins at 8:45am, when staff are rostered on yard duty.

Students should not arrive at school before 8:45am, as there is no staff supervision available prior to this time.

If your child needs to arrive earlier, they must be booked into our Outside School Hours Care provider, Camp Australia, who offer a fully supervised and engaging Before School Care program.

Ensuring students arrive at the correct time helps us maintain a safe and well-supervised environment for everyone.

Thank you for your support and cooperation.

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2026

On 8 March 2026, we proudly celebrate International Women’s Day — a special opportunity to recognise and appreciate the incredible contributions of women and girls within our very own primary school community.

While this day is celebrated around the world, it is also a moment for us to reflect on the positive impact we see right here in our classrooms, playgrounds, and offices every single day.

The Women Who Help Our School Thrive

Our school is enriched by the dedication, care, and expertise of the many women who support our students’ learning and wellbeing:

• Our teachers and teaching assistants inspire curiosity, creativity, and confidence in every lesson.
• Our office staff and support teams keep our school organised, welcoming, and running smoothly.
• Our leadership team works tirelessly to guide our school forward with vision and compassion.
• Our school councillors who contribute to the ongoing governance and improvement of our school programs and facilities.

Their commitment, patience, and encouragement shape the experiences and successes of every child in our school.

Celebrating the Girls in Our School

International Women’s Day is also about celebrating our amazing girls. Each day, they demonstrate:

• Leadership as school councillors, house captains, and team representatives.
• Determination in sport, music, art, STEM, and academic learning.
• Kindness and friendship that build strong, supportive communities.
• Courage to share ideas, ask questions, and try new challenges.

Our girls are scientists, authors, mathematicians, athletes, performers, problem-solvers, and future leaders. We are proud of the confidence and resilience they show as they grow and learn.

Working Together for Equality

At our primary school, we believe in respect, opportunity, and inclusion for everyone. International Women’s Day reminds us that when we value the voices and talents of women and girls, our whole community becomes stronger.

The 2026 theme for IWD is Balance the Scales is a promise that every woman and girl – regardless of background or identity – should be safe, heard, and free to shape their own lives. 

We thank the wonderful women who work in and support our school, and we celebrate the bright futures of all the girls who learn here.

Happy International Women’s Day 2026! 🌷

Student Leaders Day at Beaumaris Secondary College

Congratulations to two of our School Captains, Frankie and Jasper (James and Teagan were at District Swimming) and the Student Action Team - Misha, Ingrid, Cora, Harper, Abi and Allie who represented our school at the Student Leaders Day at BSC on Tuesday. 

The students met other student leaders from other local schools and BSC, working together to practice their communication skills and planning for school improvement in their schools. 

Thank you to BSC Leadership Team and teachers for facilitating a fantastic day of learning and leadership development. 

NAPLAN 2026

NAPLAN assessments for Year 3 and Year 5 students will take place at our school between Wednesday 11 March and Tuesday 17th March. These tests provide a snapshot of how students are progressing in literacy and numeracy and help inform future teaching and learning. We encourage families to support their children by ensuring they get a good night’s sleep, arrive at school on time, and approach the assessments with confidence.

We wish all of our Year 3 and Year 5 students the very best of luck as they do their best. A sincere thank you also goes to our teachers for the time, care, and effort they have put into preparing and supporting students throughout the term.

Colour Run and Community Picnic

The Community Picnic and Colour Run was a hugely successful event and opportunity for  families new and established to gather on the school oval and celebrate the start of the school year. We loved catching up with many of our new families and look forward to continued strong partnerships to support learning and wellbeing throughout this year. 

Fundraising

Congratulations to the school community for their magnificent efforts in raising over $16,000 profit to go towards playground equipment and resources upgrades.

We can't wait to start planning out the upgrades!

Curriculum Days - Student Free

Each year, School Council approves the dates of our student-free days: four curriculum days and a Professional Practice Day. Student-free days support a mix of whole-school focus on professional learning days and, assessment & reporting

2026 Student-Free Days:

• Tuesday 27th January (statewide - all government schools)
• Friday 1st May - combined schools curriculum day
• Friday 5th June
• Friday 20th November
• Friday 18th December (final day for students will be Thursday 17th December)

CEET (Community Events and Engagement Team)

The next CEET meeting of 2026 will be held on Thursday 12th March at 7:00pm in the staffroom (main building). 

At our first meeting we outlined our purpose and goals for the year and we started to plan some exciting events designed to connect and engage our community in many exciting ways. All interested parents are welcome to come along and contribute to the team.

Parent Payments and Voluntary Contributions

The Compass Portal remains live for families to log in and complete all school payments.

The BRPS School Council, staff and school community have high expectations of all     curriculum programs, resources and facilities that the school provides. Much of the operational costs including the provision of computers (including laptops), high-quality school resources, extra sports equipment, library/ICT support and equipment, quality art and science supplies and maintenance, along with the provision of new curriculum initiatives are supported solely from local fundraising, including parent payments. 

School Council Elections

Thank you to everyone who nominated for school council in the parent member category. 

We received five (5) nomination/s for the three (3) parent member position/s available and we are now required to conduct a school council election ballot to determine who will be elected to Black Rock Primary School school council. 

Please be reminded that ballots are due back by 4pm on Wednesday 11th March, 2026. 

Following the elections, our first meeting of the new School Council will be held on Thursday 19th March. 

Pedestrian, Bike, Scooter Safety

In recent days we have spoken to students about travelling to school safely and reminding them about safe behaviours on their way to and when arriving at school. We always encourage students to cross at supervised crossings where possible. We also ask students to dismount and walk bikes and scooters  through the school yard. 

BRPS Bike and Scooter Policy

In line with department guidelines and Vic Roads’ advice, it is school policy that students in Foundation to Year 4 ride to school in the company of an adult as it is well recognised that young children have underdeveloped motor skills, peripheral vision and judgment. Students in Years 5 and 6 students may ride to school without adult supervision. Duty of care for students remains with parents/carers between home and the school gate. Bicycles/scooters also remain the responsibility of parents/carers and must be roadworthy. Students must wear a properly fitted helmet and are encouraged to wear a safety vest when riding a bicycle or scooter.

Staff Carparks 

Staff car parks are always out of bounds for both children and parents/carers. NEVER enter staff carparks, either in a vehicle or by foot/bike/scooter.

Drivers

Drivers are asked to be especially careful around our local streets, exercise patience and drive slowly at all times.

Drivers are also asked to avoid using the private laneway between Ferguson Street and Munro Street as it is a busy pedestrian thoroughfare. 

District Swimming Carnival

Winners!

A fantastic achievement from the 27 swimmers who made up our District Swim Team and won the recent Beachside District Swimming Carnival! 

The whole team should be extremely proud of how well they represented themselves and Black Rock Primary throughout the carnival, showing great sportsmanship towards others and encouragement of their teammates..

A record number of BRPS swimmers (19) have advanced through to the Division Carnival next week. 

Thank you to PE teacher Adam Littlehales for organising our team - good luck at the next level!

Intensive Swimming Programs 

From 2017, the Victorian Curriculum F–10 has required swimming and water safety education to be taught as part of the Health and Physical Education learning area.

By the end of Year 6, schools are required to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skills identified in the Victorian Water Safety Certificate. 

Our school schedules an 8-day intensive swimming program for all students throughout the year. We have exclusive use of the Mentone Girls Grammar School pool, experienced instructors and small group sizes. The benefits of an intensive program are:

• Improved muscle memory of swim skills due to repetition.
• Increased swim confidence as a result of better recall and repetition.
• Improved swim strokes as a result of daily practice.
• Faster progression of swim ability as skills are built on daily.
• Boosts enjoyment in swimming
• Great introduction to swimming for all ages if they haven’t had swimming lessons previously.

The first intensive program for the year is for Year 3/4 and will take place over weeks 2 & 3 of Term Two.  Other dates are here.

2026 Foundation Enrolments

Our 2026 Foundation Information night will be held in the final week of Term 1, on Tuesday 31st March.  School tours and classroom open mornings are scheduled in the weeks after that. If you are aware of any families that are seeking a school for next year please direct them to our website for information about these events and the enrolment process. Sibling enrolments for Foundation 2026 will open on Monday 20th April. 

Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences

We know that when parents are enaged and interested in their child's school life, and schools and parents work in partnership there is a positive correlation with improved outcomes for individual students.  We have enjoyed the positive reports that came out of the P/T conferences on Thursday. Thank you to all of the teachers, parents, carers and Year 4/5/6 students who were able to meet and discuss each student’s engagement, goals and progress at school. Building those connections is really important as we support all students to experience success as members of the BRPS learning community. 

Year 6 Canberra Tour 

The Year 6 students and teachers are very much looking forward to the upcoming Canberra Tour from 18-20 March.

Thank you to Steve Muller for coordinating the 2026 tour, Year 6 teachers and support staff for attending. 

Sam Tyndall                   Emily Harvey      

PRINCIPAL                     ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL