Principals' Message 

Hello parents and friends, 

There is only 5 weeks to go until the end of the school year, but there is still so many exciting learning opportunities and events still to come.  It has been a pleasure seeing our Grade 3-6 students undertaking their novel studies and being absolutely enthralled with their books.  During recent visits to Grade 4 and 6 during their reading sessions, our students were gushing with praise about their novels 'Kensuke's Kingdom' and 'Hatchet'.  They are so excited about what will happen next in their novels, and in this age of instant gratification via electronic devices, it is so wonderful to see our students getting lost in a great book.  Our Prep students are using their outstanding knowledge of phonics to read extended texts.  The level that our Prep students are reading at is what we used to expect from our Grade 2 students in past years.  The introduction of our systematic synthetic phonics program has been the greatest catalyst for reading develop in our early years.  As you will read below, there is so much happening around the school in the coming weeks.  We can't wait to share these exciting events with the community! 

2027 Parent Contributions 

You will notice on your Newsfeed under Course Confirmation that the 2027 Parent Payments are now available to be paid on Compass. 

The process on how to pay the charges is outlined in the letter and guide on the Compass Newsfeed. 

All students at Victorian government schools receive free access to instruction to fulfil the requirements of the curriculum. How much and how often students need to access the items and activities required for curriculum delivery depends on the school’s context and their approach to delivering the curriculum. Schools are not required to provide students with items used for delivery of the curriculum to own or keep, or on a one-to-one basis. 

Parent contributions provide all students at Templestowe Park with individually owned resources, stationery, textbooks and consumables that they use in the classroom and specialist classes. This includes the following: 

• All student stationery, books, whiteboards and markers, classroom resources and pencils for students to own. 

• Individual New Wave Maths and Spelling Mastery text/workbooks for all students in Grades 1-6. 

• Individual subscriptions for online learning programs such as Decodable Readers Australia and Essential Assessment. 

• High-quality art and specialist resources for students to use and keep so these pieces can be taken home to families. 

Our School Grounds Levy, Building & Library Trust Funds (tax deductable) have assisted greatly for our 49-year-old school to be consistently maintained, improved and looking exceptional.

Thank you for your vital contribution to the parent contributions.  If you have any further queries please contact Sanober in the school office.

A huge thank you to all the families that have already made contributions.  It is greatly appreciated. 

Maths Talent Quest - Outstanding School Award! 

We have done it again!  Templestowe Park has been acknowledged as an 'Outstanding School' in the 2026 Maths Talent Quest.  To read more about this achievement please click on the 'Learning @ TPPS' section of this newsletter.  We are so proud of our students and teachers! 

Attendance Update – We are on the right track! 

We are happy to inform the school community that we are tracking to have the best attendance rate in the past 5 years.  This is very pleasing and there is no coincidence that our excellent academic outcomes in 2026 are strongly linked to students being at school more regularly.  We encourage all families to stay committed to having their child attend school every day unless they are unwell.  Let’s finish the year with strong attendance and achieve some of the best attendance for any Similar, Network and any school in the state! Please see how we are tracking in the graphs below. 

Remembrance Day

On Wednesday, we held a commemorative ceremony at TPPS to acknowledge Remembrance Day.   Remembrance Day is held on 11 November each year as this is the anniversary of the Armistice of 1918 that ended fighting in World War I.  Our Grade 6 Leaders, Elli and Lucas, led our ceremony beautifully as they explained the history of Remembrance Day and read the poem ‘In Flanders Fields’.  The poem was written by a young World War 1 soldier named John McCrae. John was on the battlefields in 1915. After our speeches, we held a minute of silence and Ms Somerville played the ‘Last Post’ on the cornet for the entire school.  Ms Somerville is a very talented musician and we thank her for her beautiful rendition. Lest we forget.  

PFA Colour Fun Run - Friday 20 November

Our PFA Colour Explosion Fun Run will take place on Friday 20 November.  The Fun Run will commence at 2:00pm and will take place on the back oval. 

The PFA have once again decided not to make this event a fundraiser.  The cost for each student will be $8 and this money will be used to purchase the colour powder and other equipment required for the day.  

Students will need to wear old clothing for the day (not their school uniform).  For full effect of colour, students should wear an old white T-shirt or purchase a cheap white T-shirt for the event. A couple of important clothing requirements are outlined below. 

• All students are required to bring a pair of sunglasses from home to wear during the event. 
• As the students will be sprayed with water, some students may wish to wear a singlet or crop top underneath their T-shirt. 

Holi Colour Powder will be used for the run.  These powders are non-toxic, non-flammable, environmentally friendly and skin safe and are made of 98% corn starch and 2% permitted colours.

Please see Compass to provide consent and payment for your child to participate in our colour explosion Fun Run and for further information.  We can’t wait for the event! Our students are going to have an amazing time. 

TPPS Christmas Concert & Art Show – Thursday 3 December 

• Art Show 4:00pm – 5:00pm

• Christmas Concert – 5:00 – 6:30pm 

Our Christmas Concert and Art Show is set to take place on Thursday 3 December. The night will kick off at 4:00pm with the Art Show in the main building corridor and the Christmas Concert will be held on the synthetic courts from 5:00pm.  All year levels will sing a Christmas carol and there may even be a special visitor from the North Pole!

All families are invited to bring a picnic dinner and enjoy the company of the school community before the concert begins at 5:00pm. 

Our Christmas Concert is an alcohol free event. 

We are looking forward to sharing a fun and festive night with you all!

Are you Leaving Templestowe Park in 2027?

We ask that you let us know if you are considering moving or have enrolled at another school in 2027.  We require this information as soon as possible in order to establish grade structures for the start of the new school year.

If your child is currently in Grades Prep to 5 and will not be at Templestowe Park in 2027, please notify the school office by emailing to:- templestowe.park.ps@education.vic.gov.au 

Prep 2027 Transition Program 

Our 2027 Preps had their third transition session on Thursday and they once again had a wonderful time.  Our new Preps have their final transition session on Thursday 26 November.  At this session they will find out their teacher and classmates for 2027.  This is such an exciting time for our new Preps. 

The final Prep Orientation session is as follows: 

• Thursday 26 November: 9.15 – 10.30am 

Class Placement for 2027

As we move towards the end of the 2026 school year, over the next few weeks, staff will commence the process of creating grades for the 2027 school year.  Whilst this sounds like a straightforward task, creating grades is a complex process. 

What factors are considered when making grades?

The objective of making classes is to ensure they are as balanced as possible.  Factors teachers and principal staff consider are learning needs, behaviour, gender, learning and social networks, social and emotional maturity, class placements in previous years, opportunity for students to broaden their friendship groups and family situations (eg. twins, cousins, siblings).

Why has my child not been placed with one of their five nominated friends?

All children are placed with one of their five nominated friends.  While this question is often asked, when the handwritten forms of the students are checked it proves that a mistake was not made.  Quite often students forget who they selected or inform their parents they have not been placed with at least one friend when in fact they have.  

Can I request a particular teacher for my child either in writing or through discussion with my child’s present teacher? 

No, this is not part of the class placement process. 

Can I provide information to support the informed placement of my child? 

Yes, parents will be able to provide information that is not known by the school in an online form. 

Why haven’t my requests been approved? 

All family requests are seriously considered and recorded. At times, family requests can be conflicting (to another family’s request, to the student’s requests, or from the professional opinion of the teacher). 

Do teachers request certain student placements into their classes? 

No, teachers are not assigned to a class by the Principal team until after the classes have been finalised. Teachers focus on class balance to ensure a successful year for all students. 

When I get my child’s class placement, can I request that it be changed? 

The class placements are considered final. Changes are not made due to the fact they cause a chain reaction and impact on the class balance. We consider the learning and wellbeing of each individual during the placement process and families must realise their child is part of a complex equation in school placements. If the school has made an obvious error, a change may be made.

How can I help my child during this process? 

Families can help by supporting the informed decisions of the staff and ensuring all conversations with their children are positive and encouraging.  Hold a conversation with your child and discuss who would be suitable to list as 5 possible classmates in 2027.

Class Placement Parent Information Form for 2027 

Where it is considered that special circumstances may have a significant impact on a student’s educational, social or personal development, parents may wish to make a request regarding their student’s placement. To do this, the electronic 2027 Class Placement Form can now be accessed at the following address.  The personal information provided is treated confidentially and will only be viewed by the principal team.

 https://forms.gle/c5yU4fJH2aP1eK4f9 

This form is not to be used to request a particular teacher or for friendship groups.  Students will have an opportunity to nominate five friends and are guaranteed to be placed with at least one of them. 

Please complete the form (by clicking on the link above) by Monday, 23rd November. Late responses cannot be accepted as the classroom placement process begins immediately after this date. 

The selection of classes is a long and considered process with many factors considered when making a decision. The submission of this form does not guarantee the request, however, the information contained will be considered.

Principals' Award

At last week's assembly Nela in Grade 6E was awarded the Principals' Award. Nela brings a positive attitude to class every day. She always says good morning, asks how your day is going and greets every teacher she passes. Nela strives to do her best, excels in spelling, produces outstanding writing and challenges herself through VHAP. She also loves netball and has earned a spot on the representative team. Nela encourages her classmates and makes everyone feel welcome and included, both in and out of the classroom. Well done, Nela!

Mark Roberts                       Brian Cleary                                       Robyn Twyford                                    

PRINCIPAL                           ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL                  ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL