Community Information

Essex Heights Primary School

22-30 Essex Road, Mount Waverley VIC 3149

Phone:  9807 4944

Email:  essex.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Website: https://www.essexheightsps.vic.edu.au

Principal:  Mr George Perini

School No. 4903

Office Hours:  8:30am to 4:30pm Monday to Friday during school terms. 

Acknowledgement of Country

Womin Jeka.

We stand here today on Wurundjeri Woiwurrung land and acknowledge elders past, present and aspiring. We also recognise that the beautiful grounds of Essex Heights Primary School were once the grassy woodlands cared for by the Wurundjeri people. We show gratitude for every culture and the values that we all share.

This Acknowledgement of Country is recited at each School Assembly.

Our Acknowledgement of Country was developed in 2024 in association with Mark Lumley, our Koorie Education Support Officer at that time, and a number of Year 6 leaders and Year 5 JSC representatives. 

School Values

• Kindness
• Respect 
• Resilience 
• Curiosity 
• Inclusiveness

School Council endorsed these new school values in 2024, and came into effect in the 2025 school year.

Parent Portal on Compass

Compass is the primary method of communication with our school community. Each family has a unique login to access Compass. If you cannot access Compass or you've forgotten your password, please contact Jo in our School Office who will reset your password. 

Contact Newsletter

Published on Friday each fortnight during school terms. 

Previous issues are accessible in School Documentation in Compass, or on our school website. 

Term Dates

2026

Term 1:   Tuesday 27 January* to Thursday 2 April

Term 2:   Monday 20 April to Friday 26 June

Term 3:   Monday 13 July to Friday 18 September

Term 4:   Monday 5 October to Friday 18 December

* Statewide student-free day in all Victorian government schools.

Students are dismissed at 2:30pm at the end of Terms 1, 2 and 3, and at 1:30pm at the end of Term 4. 

Student Free Days

2026 School Year:

• Tuesday 27 January 
• Wednesday 28 January
• Wednesday 29 April 
• Friday 30 October 
• Monday 2 November (Professional Practice Day for teaching staff)

Care provided from 7am to 6pm for students enrolled in the OSHC 

program. Booking essential.

Public Holidays during school terms 

Students do not attend school on the following public holidays that occur during school terms in 2026:

Monday 9 March  -  Labour Day 

Monday 8 June  -  King's Birthday 

Tuesday 3 November  -  Melbourne Cup Day

School Hours

Communication

Good communication between home and school is very important so that we all know what is happening in our school community. It also ensures that students benefit the most from all opportunities offered at Essex Heights. 

All EHPS families are reminded that we communicate with you regularly using:

• Compass; 
• Contact, our online school newsletter; and
• Year level and Classroom posts

Compass is the main avenue for communication between home and school. All important messages for parents and carers will be sent as a Compass News Feed. It is essential that you check Compass regularly for information from school. 

All families have been provided with their own unique login to access Compass. If your Compass access is no longer working, please contact Jo in our School Office to reset your password. 

When you receive a notification requiring your response, please ensure that you action this no later than the specified due date. If you access Compass on a smart device, ensure that you have turned your notifications on so that you receive an alert when information is published.

At Essex Heights we value the communication between parents and the school, however a few things must be kept in mind so that we have a common understanding of the procedures and expectations.

• Staff are in class and teaching throughout the school day, as well as attending meetings after school. Therefore, sending an email or Compass post during the day is not the most effective way to communicate with a classroom teacher if the matter is urgent or relates to the current school day. 
• For matters requiring a rapid response, families should ring the School Office on 9807 4944 and a message will be passed to the teacher.
• We encourage our staff to have a healthy work life balance and we have agreed that their workday should be between 8:30am and 5pm. I have therefore asked staff to only reply to written correspondence during those hours. It would therefore be fair to expect a reply to a written communication within two business days.
• All too often, staff receive texts or messages late into the evening. Staff will not reply to such correspondence until they are able. Please refrain from messaging at these times and please be assured that staff will respond to your message in due course. 

School Council

School Employee Representatives:  George Perini, Elisha Cotterell, Paul Davis, Kristi Lloyd.

Parent Representatives:  Jennifer Bittner, Pia Ahmet, Nadeeka Arambewela-Colley, Susan Phu, Adam Buchta, Sue Chan.

School Council Election is held annually in Term 1.

Annual Report Meeting is held in Term 3.

School Policies

Our school policies are accessible on our school website.

Uniform

Our uniform supplier is Spartan School World. 

New uniform can be purchased from their Mount Waverley retail outlet at 66 Essex Road (corner Essex & Surrey Roads), Mount Waverley, or online. 

Ensure all items brought to school are clearly named so they can be returned if lost; we recommend a permanent/laundry marker or consider stick on labels e.g. Stuck On You, My Name Label, Cash's, or Officeworks. 

Secondhand uniform is managed by our Parents & Friends Club.  

Donations of good quality, clean items with the current EHPS logo are welcomed as a fundraiser for our school on the scheduled dates each term. Please cross out or remove names before donating.

Lost property - there are four boxes for lost items that are located outside the Eucalyptus, Violet and Banksia buildings and in the foyer of the Stadium. Students may check the boxes during school hours; parents/guardians are permitted to attend before (until 8:50am) or after school hours (from 3:30pm) to check the boxes. 

School Hats

SunSmart compliant hat to be worn every day in Terms 1 and 4.

Whole School Assembly

Our whole school Assembly is held every Monday at 2:30pm in the gymnasium in the Stadium. All welcome. 

Outside School Hours Care (OSHC)

Before School Care - 7am to 8:45am

After School Care - 3:30pm to 6pm 

Student-free Day (four per year) & Professional Practice Day for teaching staff  - 7am to 6pm 

Vacation Care (Monday to Friday during school holidays) - 7am to 6pm

Care booking required on Xplor Home app; app access provided on enrolment in OSHC program.

OSHC enquiries must be directed to the OSHC Coordinator, Paul Davis.

Email:  Paul.Davis@education.vic.gov.au

Phone:  9807 2615 or 0417 941 986

Parents & Friends Club

Annual General Meeting is held in March each year. 

PFC General Meetings held twice each term. All welcome. 

PFC Membership is free, annual registration required. 

Contact by email - pfc.ehps@gmail.com

Canteen

Order lunches on Monday, Wednesday and Friday during school terms. 

Order online on Canteen dashboard in Compass by 8:30am on the day required. Orders for multiple days can be processed in one transaction.

Cancellation of orders must be applied not later than 8:30am on the day ordered. 

Volunteering at School

We welcome and encourage assistance in the many volunteering opportunities at school. 

As a Child Safe school all parent helpers/volunteers at EHPS must have a current Working with Children Check, and must acknowledge they have read and will adhere to our policies related to Child Safety and visitors and volunteers at school by signing the Child Safety Code of Conduct acknowledgement at the Office. The OH&S induction for volunteers must also be completed with Gabby in our School Office.

Before volunteering for the first time, present your WWCC (card or digital) at the School Office to be recorded for our register, sign the Child Safety Code of Conduct Acknowledgement (form provided at the School Office), and complete the OH&S induction. 

Student Absence

Absent all day

Parents to enter an attendance note in Compass by 8:45am (this can also be done in advance) OR phone the school office on 9807 4944 by 8:45am.

Arriving late

Students arriving at school at 9am or later must be signed in to school at the Office prior to going to class. This cannot be done in advance or from the parent portal; an attendance note in explanation can be entered prior to arrival at school. 

NOTE:  Automated text messages are sent daily at 11am to both parents of all students who have been marked absent without an explanation, i.e. an attendance note has not been entered by 9am by parents/guardians when the roll is marked. If your child is absent and you have not notified the school, enter the relevant attendance note in Compass. If it is your understanding that your child is at school, please phone the Office on 9807 4944 and the staff will check with your child's teacher to confirm your child's presence and why the absence was recorded on the roll. 

Leaving early 

Early departure during a school day should be kept to a minimum, however we understand that it is sometimes unavoidable. 

Our aim is to ensure that the children remain engaged in their learning up until the time they need to leave on those days when early departure is required, and have them ready to meet you and depart in a timely manner. 

To facilitate this, the recommended process when your child needs to leave early during a school day is as follows:

1. Parents enter an attendance note in Compass as soon as the early departure is known (e.g. an appointment made) and not later than 8:50am (the commencement of the school day) of the day the early departure will occur. The start time in the attendance note is the expected time of collection. Refer to the Parent Guides for instruction if required. This ensures that all staff (teaching and Office) can see in Compass that you require your children to leave early. Advise your children at the start of the school day that they are leaving early and the time you expect to arrive to collect them. 
2. Let the child’s class teacher know the child is leaving early and what time you expect to collect them – it is our preference that you send an email (use the email teachers link in Compass; refer to the Parent Guides for instruction if necessary). Using the email teachers link in Compass defaults to your child’s classroom and specialist teachers; we recommend sending an early departure advice to all these teachers in the event your child is with one of them at the time they need to leave early. Alternatively, speak to the classroom teacher in person when dropping your child at school.
3. Phone the School Office on 9807 4944 when you are about 10 minutes from arriving to collect your children. This ensures your children remain in class and engaged in their learning until you are definitely on your way to school, and allows us time to locate your children and arrange for them to come to the School Office to meet you and be signed out of school. When the children have specialist subjects elsewhere in the school, and in particular P.E. when they’re often outside or in the Stadium and phone contact with the teacher is not straightforward, or their class is undertaking learning out of doors, it takes more time for your child to be located and then return to their classroom to pack up and collect their belongings. Therefore, we can minimise your waiting time, especially if you have an appointment to get to, if you are able to call 10 minutes prior to arrival.
4. Come to the School Office on arrival (do not go to the classroom) to meet your child. Gabby, Cassy or Jo will sign them out of school into your care.

Note: 

1. Where possible, early departure should be planned for 11am (start of recess), 11:30am (end of recess/start of learning session), 1:30pm (end of learning session/start of lunch eating time), 1:40pm (end of lunch eating time/start of lunch play outside) or 2:30pm (end of lunch play outside/start of learning session). On Monday afternoon (from 2:30pm) all students are at the whole school Assembly in the Stadium; early departure on Monday should be not later than 2:30pm unless unavoidable. 
2. If an early departure becomes necessary after the school day has commenced, enter an attendance note in Compass and phone the School Office so that a message can be passed on to your child’s teacher for your child. We still recommend that you phone the School Office when you’re definitely on your way about 10 minutes from arrival so your child is located and directed to the Office to meet you. 
3. Students must be signed in or out by a parent or legal guardian over the age of 18 years. Students are not permitted to sign themselves in/out of school. 

Leave during school term

In accordance with the Department of Education School Attendance Guidelines, the following absences during a school term require approval from the Principal:

• Family holiday.
• Cultural observance.
• Bereavement (such as a death of a family member, attendance at a funeral and/or related mourning activities).
• Leisure or social activities.
• School refusal.
• Other – special event or participation in elite sporting event/training.

Write an email using the school email address - essex.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au - for the attention of Mr Perini with the details of your child’s absence that is explained by one of the above categories. On receipt of his reply, enter an attendance note in Compass for period of absence under the relevant category, and email the classroom teacher.

The Resilience Project

Contact Details

Have your contact details changed? Has there been a change in family circumstances? If so, please inform the school in writing so we can update our records for your child. Send an email to the school email address - essex.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au. This includes changes to emergency contacts and changes in work contact details/work hours during business hours. 

School Tours

Tours for 2026 & 2027 entry will be conducted weekly from March to November. Bookings essential. 

Enrolment Enquiries

For 2026 & 2027 entry - contact our Office between 9:30am and 2:30pm Monday to Friday during school terms. 

Foundation (Prep) 2027 enrolment applications open on Monday 20 April 2026 and are due by Friday 31 July 2026.