Welcome

Wawa, Wominjika. 

Here at Old Orchard Primary School, we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we visit each day, the Wurrunguri and Woiwurrung people of the Kulin nation.  We acknowledge and respect the elders and leaders past and present and the elders and leaders of all of the cultures and nationalities that are part of the Old Orchard Primary School community.  We express our gratitude towards the orchards that were kept in place by the peoples on this land before us.  We thank the traditional owners for sharing this beautiful land that we all love, and for keeping the land, sky, waterways and animals all in great condition for thousands of years, not only for themselves but for all the generations to come.

Building Works Update

I have written previously about the building works comprising the installation of an accessible ramp and automatic doors at the front entrance, as well as upgrading bathrooms in the foyer, gymnasium and Drayton Hall to make them accessible. These works will commence on May 4th, initially focussing on the front entrance. During this period, the main pedestrian gate on Koonung Rd (Gate 2) will be out of action and visitors will need to access the school via the door adjacent to the sandpit. Please note that all visitors must still report to the main office. 

Minimum and Child Safety Standards Assessment

I am very pleased to report that following a recent review and assessment process, Old Orchard is fully compliant with the Minimum and Child Safety Standards. The assessment is extremely comprehensive and includes the following areas:

It is a credit to all of our staff that we performed so strongly in this assessment, with particular acknowledgement to our Admin team of Fiona Kirby, Sheree Knight and Lisa Alfredini and to Assistant Principal, Jen McCann.

Fidget toys

At school, our goal is to create a calm, focussed learning environment where all students can succeed. You may have heard that fidget toys can help children concentrate. While this can be true for a small number of students with specific needs, for most children, fidget toys can actually interfere with learning. A concern with the overuse of fidgets is that they do not build independent focus skills. We aim to teach students how to regulate their attention, persist with tasks, and actively listen. Over-reliance on fidgets can limit the development of these important skills. Fidgets may be used as a support for some students when recommended by an external therapist as part of their learning or regulation strategies. In these cases, families work with the classroom teacher to develop appropriate adjustments that support the individual learner. To ensure that these tools are used effectively and as intended, fidgets are only provided where there is a documented recommendation by an allied health professional and an agreed plan in place with the classroom teacher. Students who simply request a fidget will not be provided with one. This approach helps ensure that classroom supports are purposeful, appropriate, and assist students who require them to access their learning successfully.

Smart watches & similar devices

As per the Mobile Phone - Student Use Policy, we understand that some students may bring a personal mobile phone to school, particularly if they are travelling independently to and from school.

The clear expectation is that:

• Students who bring a mobile phone to school must have them switched off and hand them in at the school office upon arrival and collect them before going home.
• Students wearing smartwatches must have the messaging or call functionality, sounds and games disabled during school hours.

It is important that our students are focussed on their learning during class time and teachers have been asked to send students to the office if they are using phones or smartwatches during class time. Smartwatches must be set to school mode if available or have all games sounds and mobile connected switched off. 

The Department of Education has advised this week that they will be introducing a formal policy later this year that classifies smart watches and similar ‘smart devices’ in the same category as mobile phones.

Teachers completing additional forms (requested by allied health professionals)

In recent times we have found our teachers are being asked to complete a number of additional forms and assessments to assist various allied health professionals. This makes up an important part of the critical home / school partnership and our teachers are more than happy to assist with this. We ask that should you be making a request such as this from the class teacher, that you also include (cc) Clare and Jen (see emails below) in your email so that we can be aware of the full extent of the administrative load on our teachers and provide additional assistance or time accordingly. We also ask that you request these additional tasks in a timely manner that respects the time of the teaching professional. A minimum of 7 days notice is ideal. 

clare.parsons2@education.vic.gov.au 

jennifer.mccann@education.vic.gov.au

Social Media

For those of you not already following our school social media accounts we encourage you to do so as it is an easy way for us to provide some timely reminders and updates about school events and activities. For people already familiar with our accounts you may have noticed that in 2026 and beyond we are no longer including student faces in our posts. With recent updates from the Government around social media use and young people we felt it was important that we do not include posts with student faces. Our posts will continue to share the learning, experiences and wonderful moments of Old Orchard but we will be sharing in new ways. Thanks for supporting us as we continue to work to keep our students safe while still celebrating school life.

Instagram @oldorchardps

Facebook – Old Orchard Primary School

School tours

Term 2 is a very important one for our school marketing and promotion, with regular school tours, Education Week and other events including a Saturday morning information session. Please assist by spreading the word amongst friends and family with children looking to commence school in 2027 or 2028.

Sunsmart

Thank-you to all school families for supporting our sunsmart policy and actions up to this point of the year. The requirement to wear hats whilst outside concludes at the end of April and will recommence in mid August. Of course, students are still welcome to adopt sunsmart practices during the non compulsory period.

End of day dismissal

Students who have not been picked up from dismissal points by 3:35 will now be sent to wait on the front steps of the school near the office for supervision. At times, teachers have been waiting for up to 15 minutes for some parents and carers to arrive. Similarly, students who have not been picked up by 3:45pm will need to be booked into Team Kids.

Industrial Action

As has been widely reported in the media, negotiations for the new Industrial Agreement for school staff are continuing, with several workplace bans in place, as well as rolling half-day stoppages across Victorian schools. I will provide further information about the details of this action as it comes to hand.

Warm regards

Duncan