A Smooth Start to the School Year

It has been wonderful to see how smoothly our students have transitioned back to school for 2026. Across all year levels, students have returned with positivity, confidence and a strong readiness to learn, and we are incredibly proud of the way they have settled back into school routines so seamlessly.

We would also like to extend a very warm welcome to all of our new families who have joined the Orchard Park community this year. Thank you for entrusting us with your child’s learning and wellbeing, we are grateful for the opportunity to partner with you and look forward to a strong and positive journey together.

Our school newsletter is a fortnightly communication, designed to keep families informed and connected. We hope you find it insightful, informative and full of exciting news and updates that reflect the vibrant learning and community life of our school.

We’re off to a fantastic start, and we’re looking forward to another great year of learning, growth and connection at Orchard Park.

Strengthening Pride, Connection and House Spirit in 2026

One of our whole school improvement priorities for 2026 is to strengthen students’ sense of pride and connectedness to school.

A key part of this work is building stronger connections to our House system and creating more opportunities for students to have fun, compete, and work together with peers across their House.

As part of this focus, students will be involved in more experiences where they can earn points for their House as part of our termly House competition. These opportunities will include:

Earning House points during weekly Year Level sport
Participation in a new termly whole school House Competition
Continuing to earn points through spending Spark Bucks at the Spark Buck Shop
Points earned through Cross Country and Athletics later in the year

The termly House Competition will take place each term in Week 7 on Friday afternoons. Students will participate in a range of fun, inclusive and simple games, competing against other Houses within their year level. As these competitions will replace our usual Friday afternoon gathering, there will be no whole school assembly in Week 7 each term.

In addition, students will participate in a House meeting each term, led by our Student Leaders. These sessions will focus on motivation, team building and strengthening connections within each House.

This is an exciting development for our school and an important part of building a strong sense of belonging, pride and connection for all students. We are really looking forward to seeing our House spirit grow throughout the year.

School Assemblies – 2026 Reminder

Following on from the information sent through Compass today, this is just another reminder about our assembly structures for 2026.

Our school assemblies are held on Friday afternoons from 2:30–3:00pm in the gym and are a time to celebrate student achievements, including Orchard Spark Awards, sporting successes, performances, and other highlights from across the school.

Prep students

During February, Preps will join assemblies from 2:45–3:00pm.
From March onwards, Preps will attend the full assembly with the whole school.

House Competition – Week 7 Reminder

As outlined about, each term, students will participate in our House Competition for fun games and team points.
These competitions take place in Week 7 on Friday afternoons, and as a result, there will be no assembly in Week 7.

As always, families are warmly invited to attend assemblies and celebrate our students’ achievements. We look forward to a fantastic year together!

Orchard Park Primary School Camps – 2026 Snapshot

Late in 2025, we shared an update to our Orchard Park Primary School camp structures for 2026. For anyone who missed that information, or for our new families joining the school this year, here is a snapshot of what to expect.

Over the years, our camp experiences have evolved due to factors such as composite classes, smaller cohort sizes, and camp availability. Following a careful review, we now have a clear, consistent, and age-appropriate camp program that provides structure and rhythm for all students as they progress through primary school. Camps play an important role in childhood development, helping students build independence, resilience, confidence, and creating memories that last a lifetime.

Key Updates for 2026:

A sequenced, age-appropriate pathway

Year 2: School sleepover at OPPS – an introductory experience to prepare students for future camps
Year 3: One-night camp at Gilwell Park, Gembrook – close to home, ideal for first-time campers
Years 4–6: Two-night camps with varied experiences, increasing challenge, adventure, and independence

Clarity and consistency

Camps will now occur at similar times each year, helping families plan ahead
Full schedules are shared in advance to provide transparency and support planning
Plans are well underway for Year 6 camp, and information for other year levels will be provided in the lead-up to their camp experiences

Compass timelines

Year 6 camp is well and truly in the finals stages of planning before they head to the city in the coming weeks.
All other year-level camps will be added to Compass in the near future, along with further supporting information for families.

Financial supports

While the School Saver Bonus will not continue, families eligible for CSEF will receive an increased allowance that can be used for camp payments

We are very excited about the 2026 camp experiences and look forward to another year of memorable and enriching opportunities for our students.

Orchard Park News

Going Further Together

Issue 1 · 30 Jan 2026

In this issue