Principal's Report
Dear EPS Community,
With four weeks remaining before our last school day for the year, we remain committed to maintaining academic rigour and ensuring high levels of learning for all students.
In Loving Memory of Kalliopi Tsavaris (Mrs T), last week marked one year since the passing of our dear colleague, Kalliopi Tsavaris (Mrs T). Kalliopi is deeply missed and remembered for her dedication to our school, her care for every student, and the genuine warmth she brought to those around her. Her loyalty and commitment to Elsternwick Primary School continue to be appreciated by all who had the privilege of working alongside her.
Multi-Age Classes (or Composite Classes) Multi-age or composite classes combine students from different year levels into one class. The most common groupings are Year 5 and 6 and Year 3 and 4, and many children experience learning in these types of classes during their time at school.
The main reason for implementing multi-age classes is to address uneven enrolment patterns. For example, if a school has 60 students in Year 5 and 60 students in Year 6, this would require four classes with 30 students in each. Alternatively, the school could create six smaller classes of 20 students each, but this would be financially unsustainable. A more cost-effective solution is to integrate some multi-age classes, resulting in five classes of approximately 24 students. This approach allows for better use of teaching resources.
In every class, whether it is a single-grade or multi-age class, students have diverse learning needs and abilities. When planning lessons, teachers consider each student’s strengths, prior knowledge and individual needs. They use this as a starting point to tailor learning experiences and support each child in their learning journey. Teaching happens in various formats, including whole-class instruction, small groups and one-to-one support.
Research shows that the key to a successful learning environment is the quality of teaching, not the class structure.
In a standard Year 5 or 6 class, some students may be working at a Year 7 or 8 curriculum level in certain subjects, while others may be developing skills at a Year 3 curriculum level. Our teachers are skilled in differentiating the curriculum to meet the needs of all students with a clear understanding of the expectations for each year level. Regular assessments help us identify students' strengths, needs and next steps in their learning.
In 2026, the class structure has changed from what was communicated in my previous Principal’s Report due to more concrete student numbers and will be as follows:
• Prep: 4 classes
• Year 1: 3 classes
• Year 2: 3 classes
• Year 3: 2 classes
• Year 3 and 4: 1 class
• Year 4: 4 classes
• Year 5: 2 classes
• Year 5 and 6: 1 class
• Year 6: 2 classes
2026 Student Leadership Opportunities
I would like to extend a sincere thank you to Anusha Pillay and the Year 5 and 6 team for their hard work in coordinating and implementing a fair and robust selection process for our 2026 student leaders at EPS. Their efforts ensure that every candidate can showcase their potential and commitment to leadership. I wish all applicants the very best of luck as we move through this important process, and I also thank the 2025 captains for supporting the selection of next year’s captains and leaders.
Year 6 and 7 Transition
Our Year 6 students are preparing for their move to secondary school and will soon begin visiting their new settings to explore how secondary timetables work, as well as how to stay organised when changing classes throughout the day. We will continue to support our Year 6 students and celebrate their primary school journey as the school year draws to a close. We look forward to their graduation ceremony in the coming weeks.T he Department of Education has resources available to support the transition from primary to secondary school:https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/primary-secondary-school-transition/resources
2026 Prep Students
We are now more than halfway through the orientation mornings for our 2026 Prep students and their families. It has been wonderful to see our future Preps growing in confidence and becoming familiar with their new school environment. Of course, some siblings are already old hands at coming to school after many years of tagging along at drop-off and pick-up while waiting for their turn.
It has also been pleasing to see parents/carers attending our information sessions. Understanding how the school operates and building connections with other families are important parts of becoming engaged in the school community.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Michael Portaro
Principal