Dear Families,

Our last week at school has been filled with fun and a sense of excitement mixed with anticipation about what lies ahead.

GRADE 5 ASPIRATIONS DAY

Grade 5 students attended the Greater Shepparton Secondary College last Friday. They had a wonderful time exploring the school and meeting students from other schools in the area.

FUN SPORTS DAY

Despite the very warm conditions, Monday was a great success. Students thoroughly enjoyed the Toboggan Slide, Go Carts and PE activity. Grade 5 & 6 students ended the day by having a very energetic water relay.

SNAKE SAFETY

A special thank you to Bec Brisbane who along with the Grade 6 boys performed a skit, “What to do if you are bitten by a snake.” Students and staff thoroughly enjoyed their enthusiastic performance. It was a creative way to deliver a safety message.

LEADERS LUNCH

On Tuesday, 17th December, Students Leaders had lunch together to celebrate all their achievements in 2024.

The Special Lunch consisted of our 2024 School Captains, House Captains, Bus Captains and Junior School Council Representatives.

Some of the highlights for our student leaders included leading their House in Sporting events, making plans as part of Junior School Council, running assemblies and setting up for and leading our school concert.

A special thank you to teachers who have supported us on our leadership journeys this year - Mrs Kimmorley working with School Captains, Mr Argus working with Bus Captains and Mrs Kennedy and Mrs Watt working with Junior School Council.

Well done to all of our 2024 leaders, we are very proud of you!

HOW SCHOOLS IN THE GOULBURN VALLEY AND SURROUNDS PERFORMED IN NAPLAN THIS YEAR

It was wonderful to see our school recognized in an article in the Herald Sun over the weekend, highlighting that we ranked among the top five schools in the Goulburn Valley for our Year 5 NAPLAN results.

PAST STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Darcie Sibio, has been elected to the leadership position of Kennedy House Captain at Notre Dame College for 2025.

Darcie has been appointed by her peers and staff through a process that involves nomination, development seminars, interviews and, finally, voting by the College community.

STAFFING 2025

Sadly, Amee Thorn is relocating to Bendigo. Amee has been an extremely valued member of our school community; her technology skills are always being sought out by both staff and students. As a teacher she has demonstrated a great commitment to her students, and I know they have thrived in her classroom. As a colleague she will be greatly missed. Her sense of loyalty and teamwork has been highly valued. I know all the staff are going to miss the twins. Staff have become very attached to them and have enjoyed watching them develop their unique little characters.

On a brighter note, we would like to welcome two new staff members Sam Aitken and Mel Calleja. Sam comes from Mooroopna Primary School and will be teaching Grade 4 next year. Mel has been working at the Toolamba Kinder and she joins us as another member of the Education Support Staff (ESS) Team.

CLASSES FOR 2025


Foundation:	Jenny Bathman (Mon & Tue) Stacey Wilkinson, Mel Calleja (ESS)
Grade 1 / 2:	Rachel Farrar, Stacey Hodgkisson (ESS)
Grade 2:	Natalie Price
Grade 3:	Mason Argus, Ash Durward (ESS)
Grade 4:	Sam Aitken, Tayhlah Sammut (ESS)
Grade 5 / 6 M:	Sarah Maskell, Abby Knight (ESS)
Grade 5 / 6KW:	Filippa Kimmorley (Mon & Tue) Dani Watt (Wed-Fri)
Science & PE:	Tristan Tarrant
Art:	Carly Tuhan (Wed & Thur)
Dani Watt:	Disability Inclusion (Mon & Tue)
Filippa Kimmorley:	Acting Principal (Fri)
Heather Kennedy:	Principal (Mon -Thur)

FAREWELL

The end of the year is always exciting but sad as we bid farewell to valued members of our school community. Last night, we had the privilege of formally farewelling our Grade 6 students. Hearing their speeches and watching the slideshow of their journey through Toolamba Primary School was a lovely reminder of the growth and memories they’ve shared with us. They have left an indelible mark on our school, and we’ve grown very fond of them. Their unique sense of humour and vibrant personalities will be greatly missed! I know I am certainly going to miss those enthusiastic helpers who appear at my door every recess and lunch time.

In addition, we are sad to be farewelling Abbie Birchmore, Jude Brown, Tom Hall, Ruby Marsden, Jacob Robinson, Archer Trazzera, Andrew Shaw, and Mila Jennings.

We wish them every success and happiness as they embark on the next stage of their educational journey at their respective secondary schools.

As we say goodbye to these students, we also take a moment to acknowledge and thank several long-standing families who are moving on from the Toolamba community this year. These families—the Anderson, Argus, Barlow, Birchmore, Briant, Brisbane, Brown, Hall, Hodgkisson, Hughes, Marsden, Merritt, Wallace, Powles, Trazzera, Williams, Shaw, and Jennings families—have contributed so much to our school. Your support, dedication, and involvement over the years have helped make Toolamba Primary School the great school that it is.

To all our departing students and families, thank you for the wonderful memories, and we wish you all the very best for the future. You will always be part of the Toolamba story.

THANK YOU

Firstly, I would like to thank our incredible Toolamba staff. We are truly fortunate to have such a dedicated and passionate team who place your child’s learning and wellbeing at the centre of everything they do. I’m sure you will join me in commending and thanking them for their outstanding work in education and for the countless ways they consistently go above and beyond.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank our parents for fostering such positive home-school partnerships. These strong connections significantly enhance your child’s wellbeing and learning opportunities, and we deeply appreciate your ongoing support.

A special thank you goes to our small but committed Parents and Friends group. Your tireless efforts make it possible for our students and staff to access resources and opportunities that might otherwise be out of reach. Your contributions truly make a difference.

Lastly, I wish to thank our School Council, an exceptionally dedicated group of parents and staff who work collaboratively to support and guide our school. Your commitment and teamwork are invaluable to the success of our school community.

HOLIDAY SECURITY

As you have done in the past, I encourage you to keep an eye on our school over the holidays. Please notify the police if you see anything suspicious.

Finally, on behalf of the Staff of Toolamba PS, I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas. For those of you that are travelling I hope that you arrive and return safely.

Happy Christmas and take care over the holiday season!

Kind Regards,

Heather Kennedy

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