Principal's Report

Dear EHPS Parents and Carers, 

It is so pleasing to see all the children return to school this term with bright and happy faces, ready to learn and explore new challenges. Term 3 is a very busy term because we have several very important whole school events, as well as targeted year level excursions and incursions. 

Swimming is well underway with Year 3 currently finishing their lessons after Years 4, 5 and 6 completed their program over the first three weeks. All year levels will complete their program during this term. 

This week our annual Book Fair has started with so many families coming to look and purchase books and reading related items. Our school Book Week celebration will occur on 4 September. 

This week over 180 students participated in the Australian Maths Competition. We look forward to hearing of the outstanding results achieved by the students. Congratulations to all who participated.

Later this month we will be celebrating Indonesian Day. This whole school event will happen on Friday 21 August (not 19 August as previously advised). There will be so many great cultural activities for the children.

Parent Teacher Discussions

Thank you to all the families who attended Parent Teacher discussions last week. I am sure that the valuable insights into your child’s progress will set them up for a successful second semester. Please remember to download your child’s report from Compass.

Following our very successful parent teacher discussions early this term, a few parents have asked about two interesting issues - handwriting and the use of digital devices.

Handwriting

A few parents inquired if we teach handwriting and followed up with what are the benefits of doing it.

Teaching handwriting in primary school is important because it supports early literacy, helps children recognise letters and sounds, and frees up working memory so they can focus on ideas rather than letter formation. It also builds confidence, fluency, and fine motor skills, which can improve both reading and writing development.

Handwriting practice strengthens fine motor skills by training the small muscles in the hand and fingers to work with greater control, precision and endurance. It also improves hand-eye coordination and finger dexterity, since children must repeatedly form letters, manage pencil pressure, and control movement smoothly across the page.

It is also worth remembering that all VCE exams still require candidates to write their answers. Computers are not used. In some of those subjects e.g. English or History students must write essays that must be clearly legible. In others, short answer questions still require neat and legible writing.

Use of Digital Devices

The second area of discussion was the focus on the amount of screen time for children. In recent weeks the Department of Education has published guidelines for schools regarding the use of electronic devices at school:

‘From 2027, schools with primary students should limit student use of digital devices and tools across levels F–6, other than where the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 requires use.

Digital device use by primary students should be minimal for F to Year 2 students and not exceed 90 minutes per day for Years 3–6.’

Dept of Education, 27 July 2026

At Essex Heights we have always been very aware of the impact of digital devices and for that reason have kept away from Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs and have instead opted to provide digital devices to be used by students as needed in the curriculum and as determined by the teacher.

There is a place for sensible and monitored use of digital devices at home too. For example, to complete homework, e-books, use an educational application to assist some learning and watching high quality learning videos with a parent.

A good rule is to choose activities that are active rather than passive, and to use the device as one tool among many, not as a replacement for play, reading, movement or family time.

Why not to expose children to too much digital media

Educational research clearly indicates that too much screen time can affect both the body and the mind. It often leads to eye strain, headaches, neck and back pain, and poorer sleep because bright screens can interfere with the body’s natural sleep cycle.

Over time, heavy screen use can also crowd out healthier habits like exercise, outdoor time, and face-to-face interaction. That makes it easier to become sedentary, which is linked with weight gain and worse overall physical health.

The mental effects can be just as important. Excessive screen time has been associated with more stress, anxiety, low mood, and difficulty concentrating, especially when it replaces sleep, study, or social connection.

For children and teenagers, the impact can be more serious because screens may interfere with learning, emotional development, and healthy routines. In younger people, high screen use has been linked with poorer academic performance

Excessive screen use can make concentration harder because it trains the brain to expect rapid changes, constant notifications, and frequent novelty, which makes slower, sustained tasks feel less engaging. It can also fragment attention. When you keep switching between apps, messages, and videos, your brain spends extra effort reorienting itself, which raises mental fatigue and reduces the ability to stay on one task for long.

Another reason is sleep disruption. Screen light and stimulating content, especially late at night, can interfere with sleep, and even mild sleep loss makes attention, memory, and reaction time worse the next day.

Over time, this combination of overstimulation, multitasking, and tiredness can weaken focus on work, reading, studying, or conversations.

At Essex Heights we will continue to provide an educationally sound balance, with respect to the use of digital devices. Teachers will set educationally appropriate tasks on such devices to be completed at home. Please work with us so that we can continue to provide the best-balanced educational outcomes for your children while at the same time being acutely mindful of the impact of digital devices on children.

Our New Basketball Courts

How fantastic do our new Basketball Courts look!!!!!! Over the vacation the resurfacing of the courts was completed. These new court now gives a safer and better playing surface for the children. This project was a joint effort between the school and the amazing fundraising due to last years very successful Carnival. Thank you to the many parents that pay their full voluntary contribution because it is this support that allows our school to have excellent facilities and resources.

Little Angler Kits

The Victorian Government is committed to increasing the number and diversity of people fishing and enjoying Victoria’s local seafood, growing healthy and sustainable fisheries sectors and contributing to Victoria’s social and economic prosperity. This is why the Victorian Government distributed 95,000 Little Angler kits to primary aged students in 2023/24, via the Victorian Fisheries Authority, as part of a $1.5M election commitment, funded via the sale of Victorian recreational fishing licences, i.e. funded by recreational fishers.

The aim of this election commitment was to continue to grow recreational fishing participation in Victoria, by actively encouraging primary school aged children to learn more about the art of fishing, marine life and the natural environment. Encouraging children to be outside and active aligns with whole of Victorian Government initiatives underway to optimise health, wellbeing, connectedness and inclusiveness in Victoria.

Following the successful implementation of the commitment, the Victorian Government will run the program again in 2026, via the Victorian Fisheries Authority, offering 82,500 Little Angler kits to primary school children in 2026.

The FREE kits provide a wonderful school holiday activity for children with their families and help ease the cost of living, providing a fun activity close to home.

Year 5 students at all Victorian schools, including ours, will be offered the opportunity to receive a FREE Little Angler Kit. Year 5 students have been selected based on the Victorian Curriculum focus, movement and motor development, and safety considerations.

The program is entirely voluntary, so parents can decide whether they want their child(ren) to receive a fishing kit.

Opt out:  Parents of Year 5 students can advise the school if they do not wish their child(ren) to participate for any reason whatsoever. We support parents in making decisions that align with their family values and beliefs.

Receiving kits:  The roll out of kits will occur in August 2026 so that all participating children will have a kit in time for the September school holidays. Exact dates of distribution will follow shortly.

The kits include a rod, reel with line, tackle tray, some tackle (including fishing hooks and lead-free sinkers) and information on how to use them to catch a fish. The tackle tray will be wrapped in cardboard and placed inside a pocket inside the fishing kit bag, which will be sealed with a cable tie to discourage students from opening their kits until they are with a parent or carer. The kits will also have a safety label attached to the outside of the kit bag, recommending that students wait to open the kits until they are under the care and supervision of an adult.

Kits will be handed out to students to take home with them as soon as the school receives them. Teachers will tell students not to open the kits until they are safely at home with a parent or carer, however parents can contact the school and request to collect their kit from the school themselves if they prefer.

More information:  For instructional videos and online resources about where and how to fish, visit the Little Angler hub.

NAPLAN 2026

Earlier this term, a Compass message was sent to all Year 3 and 5 families regarding their children’s NAPLAN results:

Dear families of Year 3 and 5,

Your child's Individual Report for NAPLAN is available via their Compass Chronicles. You can access these reports using either the Compass mobile app or the website. 

On the mobile app, tap on your child's photo and then go to Chronicles to download their report.

On the website, click on the Profile tab to get to Chronicles. and download the report.

If you have questions about your child's NAPLAN results please discuss these with your child's classroom teacher.

Once again, our children have performed very well. For example, in writing 92% of the Year 5 cohort attain high or medium growth, 89% achieved that growth in Reading and 91% achieved that same level of growth in Numeracy. These are outstanding results and are higher that statistically similar schools. I will publish more detailed results in upcoming newsletters.

Annual Report to School Community

As advised, the invitation to the Annual Report to the School Community meeting was postponed until Thursday 20 August. Please join the School Council for the Annual Report presentation at 7pm in Staff Room. 

Celebrating Our Diversity

We acknowledge the following significant days for some of our families: 

Hiroshima Day      6 August

Hiroshima Day commemorates those who lost their lives in the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan on 6 August 1945, and to pray for lasting world peace.

Nagasaki Day      9 August

Nagasaki Day commemorates the victims of the atomic bombing of the city of Nagasaki in 1945. It is held three days following the observance of Hiroshima Day.

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples      9 August

The United Nations’ International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples encourages people to protect and promote the rights of indigenous peoples.

Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary      15 August

This Christian feast day celebrates the belief that God assumed the Virgin Mary into heaven following her death. The Assumption signals the end of Mary’s earthly life and marks her return to heaven to be reunited with Jesus.

Onam      16 - 25 August

Onam is a Hindu harvest festival celebrated predominantly in Kerala, India.

Leaving EHPS 

It is essential for our planning and preparation for the current and next school years that you advise me in writing as soon as possible if your child is leaving or not returning to EHPS. Use the school email address – essex.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au – to advise the following details: 

• Child's name and 2026 class
• Date of last day at EHPS 
• Name of the school your child is enrolled at 
• Commencement date at new school 
• The reason for leaving EHPS  
• New contact details, e.g. address, phone number, email

Congratulations

Congratulations to: 

• Grace Cordell on her engagement.
• Kirtana Nambiar Sekaran on her engagement.
• Mel Boyle & David on the arrival of their second child, Thomas.

Welcome 

We welcome the following students and their families to the EHPS community:

• Dexter H (5L) 
• Jinting H (6R)

I look forward to seeing you around the school. 

Kindest regards,

George Perini

Principal