School Council Report
Belinda Hutchinson, Mum of Harriet 5A and Eloise 3A
Elsternwick Primary School
Hi EPS community,
The penultimate School Council meeting for 2025 was held on 27th October. An online meeting on this occasion, the agenda was still a busy one with plenty of good discussion. A thanks was given up front to everyone involved in the organisation of the recent parent/carer party with an acknowledgement of yet another successful event, with some impressive costume efforts as well!
The Council also noted congratulations to Leanne Williams (Assistant Principal) for her nomination for the Prime Minister’s Prize’s for Science – the outcome of which will be decided on 3rd November. The Finance report for this month included a review of the draft budget for 2026, which will be reviewed in detail at the next School Council meeting in December.
Approval of 2026 Curriculum Days
The Council discussed and approved the curriculum days for 2026 with recognition that advance notice is always helpful and alignment with school holidays is beneficial for planning. Mr Portaro has already shared these dates with the school community but in case you missed it, here’s a re-cap:
- 27 January 2026 (Term 1, day 1)
- 20 April 2026 (Term 2, day 1)
- 13 July 2026 (Term 3, day 1)
- 5 October 2026 (Term 4, day 1)
Classes in 2026
A marketing campaign has started with the aim of boosting Year 5 and Year 6 class sizes for 2026. EPS currently meets the required class size averages but has capacity to have higher enrolments in Year 5 and Year 6. The first Prep transition session for 2026 was held on 21st October, with a smooth start to the transition block. A high level of engagement from parents/carers was reported with timely and engaging content provided by the school.
Building and Grounds
We have been approved for a grant for resurfacing of the outdoor basketball courts. The courts will be updated with a flexi-court material and up to date painting and lines – due to be conducted during early 2026. Some maintenance works were carried out during the term 3 holidays, but the building and grounds subcommittee also already recently reviewed the school and discussed required improvements. These include safety signage at carparks, the replacement of the water tank beside the gym, and an aim to repaint the year 3/4 classrooms on the deck over summer. The oval was also discussed at length including best use of this space and how to maximise the grass – more to come on this so stay tuned!
Parents and Carers Association
Some successful coffee walks have been run during the mornings in term 3 and there is a plan to hold more. Thanks to Bec Miller for leading on these. The new EPS Breakfast Club, supported by Food Bank, has begun with students welcome to come along and enjoy a healthy breakfast to start the day on Monday and Wednesday mornings. Thanks to volunteers Kate and Wendy for supporting the program alongside the school. This year's End of Year Picnic planning is underway with parent/carer band ‘Lunchbox20’ due to make an appearance and a variety of food stalls to celebrate the end of the year. It's hard to believe we're nearly at this stage, but we look forward to seeing you all there!