To all our Truganina P-9 families, welcome back to the 2026 school year and on behalf of the Truganina College community I extend a very warm welcome to new families who are reading this newsletter for the first time! I hope that the holiday period offered special time with friends and family, and a well-earned opportunity to rest and recharge.

Our Truganina College staff and community have already hit the ground running with Two Curriculum Days for 2025. During our first day, we identified the key learning priorities for the year ahead outlined in our Annual Implementation Plan and dedicated time focusing on our revised Instructional Model. At Truganina College, our instructional model is the shared way teachers plan and deliver lessons so students learn well in every classroom. Because all teachers follow the same approach, students know what to expect and have improved focus on their learning. Our Instructional Model is built on the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model (VTLM) 2.0, which ensures teachers use research-proven teaching practices.

In addition, our teachers have now finalised the setup of their teaching and learning spaces for 2026. They have also spent valuable time working collaboratively within their teams to develop comprehensive start-up learning programs for our students. This has included:

Unpacking Victorian Curriculum 2.0, ensuring teachers are ready to deliver updated learning expectations,
Planning together in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to support strong academic and wellbeing foundations for all students, and
Applying the Positive Classroom Management System (PCMS) and the tools within Positive Classroom Management Strategies that supports teachers to explicitly teach and model expected behaviours rather than assume students already know them.

Through this approach, students will experience classrooms that are consistent, calm, safe and respectful, where expectations are clearly taught and regularly reinforced. This supports every learner to begin the year with confidence, clarity and a strong sense of belonging within Team Trug.

We look forward to sharing our 2026 annual goals and plan once endorsed by our School Council later this term at the 2026 Annual Report to our community on Wednesday 25th March 3.00PM-4.00PM in the College Library.

2026 Student free days

Student free days assist and support our staff to improve your child’s learning - Whilst Truganina College primarily supports the learning needs of all students, we also provide a rigorous professional and academic learning environment for our staff to ensure that they are the best educators for your child.

2026 Student Free Curriculum and Professional Practice Days have been allocated for 2026 and were endorsed by the Truganina College School Council last year. Please add these dates to your diary. Our Out of Hours School Care provider-OHSC- Team Kids will be able to provide childcare on these dates:

Term 1 Tuesday 27th January -Student free day
Term 1 Wednesday 28th January -Student free day
Term 2 Friday 29th May- Student free day
Term 3 Wednesday 5th August- Student free day
Term 4 Monday 2nd November -Student free day
Term 4 Friday 18th December-Student free day

Truganina College Communications – Our Approach

At Truganina College, our communication with families is grounded in our core values of Respect, Resilience, and Responsibility, along with our shared commitment to ensuring every student is Ready to Learn.

These values set the tone for a safe, positive, and nurturing school environment, and reinforce the importance of families being informed, engaged, and connected to their child’s learning journey.

Communication Channels and Support

To support strong connection and accessibility, we provide regular updates through a range of trusted platforms:

Truganina Times Newsletter is published fortnightly. We share school news, learning highlights, and upcoming events. A printed copy is available from the office upon request.
Our College Facebook page provides frequent updates, celebrations, and event news.
Compass is our primary communication and information platform for:
- Upcoming events,
- Payments and permissions,
- Academic reporting,
- Attendance updates and notifications.

Compass is also used by teachers and staff to share positive updates about your child’s engagement, wellbeing, and attendance. Our team uses this platform to ensure families receive accurate, timely and supportive communication.

Connecting With Your Child’s Teacher

Our teachers are always keen to connect with families. Teachers regularly make time to discuss student progress, answer questions and return parent calls when they are not teaching. If you would like to connect with your child’s teacher, or request a follow-up call, please contact our College office and we will support this connection.

Our first community event for the year- “Meet & Greet” meet your child’s teacher!

The Meet & Greet is an exciting and fun way to kick off the school year at Truganina College! The afternoon provides parents/carers with the opportunity to visit our college, meet your child's teacher, meet all their subject teachers and get acquainted with their 2026 learning environments. It’s a wonderful way to build a strong connection between home and our College. So look out for upcoming information about how to make a time with your child’s teacher!

Foundation-Year 6 Monday 10th February- 3:30pm - 7:30pm
Year 7- Year 9 Tuesday 11th February- 12:00pm - 7:30pm

Opportunities for Parent and Carer Involvement

Truganina College offers a wide range of opportunities for parents and carers to actively participate in their child’s education and contribute to the continued success of our school community.

Student Assemblies In 2026, we are delighted to launch a new opportunity for families to connect even more deeply with College life. We will be inviting parents and carers to attend our student-led assemblies across the year.

These assemblies will provide families with the opportunity to:

Hear important College updates and key messages,
Celebrate student learning and achievement,
Experience first hand the pride, community and spirit that make Truganina College such a special place.

Assembly times will be regularly advertised in advance to support families in planning ahead and adding these events to their diaries.

I strongly encourage all families to attend—not only to see your own child shine, but also to lift up others, encourage our student leaders, and feel the Truganina spirit!

School Council – Governance and Strategic Direction

We are now receiving nominations for the 2026 School Council for 3 vacancies. Joining the Truganina College School Council provides an important opportunity for parents and carers who wish to contribute to the governance and strategic direction of the College.

As a school councillor, parents and carers have the opportunity to:

Contribute to the development, monitoring and refinement of the College Strategic Plan,
Support the setting and evaluation of annual priorities within the Annual Implementation Plan (AIP), and
Play a direct role in shaping the future direction of the College alongside school leaders, students and other parent representatives.

Being a member of the Truganina School Council involves a commitment to attending scheduled School Council meetings. This collaborative approach ensures that parent and carer perspectives, insights and aspirations are genuinely considered in school decision-making. To find out what is involved in being a part of our Truganina School Council come along to our School Council information session on Tuesday the 10th of February 4.00-4.30PM in the College Library.

Nominations

Nomination forms for School Council can be collected from the College office. Printed copies of College information and governance documents are also available upon request. Nomination forms are due on Wednesday 11th February 4.00PM. Please note that late nomination forms can not be accepted.

Happy Learning and Happy Lunar New Year!

Amanda Williams

College Principal

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