Ms D Principal Message

Staffing News

This Friday we farewell Tracie Houston Walker who has retired from her role as an Education Support staff member at TPS. Tracie worked with a number of students supporting their learning across the school for over 10 years.  We wish Tracie all the very best in her retirement.

Margaret Whitford was successful in her application for a leadership position in the Catholic System late last term.  We wish her all the best in her new role and thank her for all the work over the past 3 years at TPS.  Margaret wore many hats at the school and played a key role in supporting students through the school enrichment program and inclusion.

This week we welcome Carla Rosi who has been successful in her application for the Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader at TPS. The role is new for 2026 and is funded by the state government.  More information about her role and how she will support the students and families across the school will be communicated shortly.

A Reminder About School Uniform

At Toorak Primary School, we take pride in our school uniform as an important part of our school identity and community. As outlined in the Department of Education guidelines and our School Uniform Policy, all students are expected to wear school-branded tops, jumpers and jackets. For pants, shorts, skorts and leggings, navy blue is the only approved colour. Lately, we have noticed an increasing number of students arriving in black shorts and pants, which fall outside our uniform expectations. We appreciate that this may sometimes be an oversight, and we ask that families take a moment to check their child's uniform before school each day. Your support in upholding our uniform standards helps foster a sense of pride and belonging for all students — thank you for your partnership in this.

Industrial Action Update 

You may have seen media reports regarding recent progress between the Australian Education Union and the State Government. While we are heartened by these discussions, a formal improved offer has not yet been presented. The union executive rejected an earlier proposal because the wage increase for education support staff, the lowest-paid workers in our sector, was nearly half that offered to teachers and principals. 

In response to the current negotiations, the union has paused the proposed half-day regional stop-work actions for a fortnight; however, other industrial work bans remain in place. This includes the ban on writing comments for student reports. To ensure full transparency, even if a new agreement is ratified in the coming weeks, mid-year reports will not include written comments this year. We cannot expect our teachers to complete these comments late in the term, especially as the reporting cycle is typically well advanced by this stage. 

Please note that while comments are paused, reports will still include "progression points" (the dot points) to provide an accurate evaluation of academic achievement. These reports will be distributed electronically on Friday, 19 June, ahead of our Parent Teacher Conferences.  Verbal progress feedback will be given during the parent teacher conferences and will follow the format of:

• What has your child achieved, academically and as a learner so far this year?
• What are the areas for future growth and improvement?

2027 Prep Enrolments

2027 Prep enrolments are now open via student insight platform: https://students.educationapps.vic.gov.au/s/

Enrolments are open until July 31. You will be notified of your enrolment outcome from Monday, 3 August 2026. 

Battle of the Bands

On Monday morning we were treated to some outstanding musical performances from our year 6 classes.  All the students have been learning and rehearsing their rock band performances throughout term 1 and performed 2 songs each for our school community.  The judges had to make some difficult decisions when it came to scoring and this year 6A took out the winning performance.  A big thank you Ms Extintaris for providing the ongoing learning sequences to enable students to learn and rehearse their performances as a part of the music program here at TPS.  We now look forward to the Soiree in June and the formation of the school rock band.

Fundraising

I would like to acknowledge the wonderful fundraising efforts of our parent community so far this year. We have already seen a hive of activity, with families generously giving their time and energy to supplement our school funding for the benefit of all students. So far in 2026 we have had:

• Easter Raffle — led by Wei (parent of Margot and Elena)
• Mother's Day Stall — led by Danielle (parent of Lucy and Zoe)
• Year 6 Icy Pole and Tasty Treats — led by Kate (parent of Isabel and Charlotte)
• Mother's Day Lunch — led by Michelle (parent of Hugo and Sailor) and Bonnie (parent of Harriet and Audrey)
• Art Smocks — led by Michelle (Art Teacher)

The EMF team meets regularly on a Friday before School Council to work collaboratively to plan events. This group is led by Sophie McQueen, and if you would like to be involved — whether regularly or casually — please reach out. We would love to grow the team, as many hands make light work!

Our fundraising goal for 2026 aims to co-contribute to:

• The installation of a new kiln for the Art program, which aligns beautifully with our 2026 Art Show
• The purchase and installation of new tables and seating on the deck area, to support the development of passive spaces for students during lunch and recess

Book Pack Payments

This year we introduced individual book packs for all students, containing all the necessary stationery and supplies for the school year. We worked hard to keep the cost as low as possible for families. If your book pack payment is still outstanding, please complete payment as soon as possible via the Compass app or by calling the school office.

Voluntary Contributions

We are sincerely grateful to every family who has contributed to this year's voluntary school contributions. Your generosity makes a direct and meaningful difference to the experiences and outcomes of every student at our school. To date, we have received contributions from 40% of our families — thank you. Every contribution, no matter the size, has a real impact.

Why Voluntary Contributions Matter

As a government school, our core funding covers essential operations — but it is voluntary contributions that allow us to go above and beyond for your children. These funds are used directly to:

• Provide additional literacy and numeracy support programs, including small-group intervention (support and extension) for students who need it most
• Fund student wellbeing initiatives, including counselling resources, social-emotional learning programs, and our Community Hardship Fund — which ensures no student misses out due to financial difficulty
• Maintain and upgrade classroom resources across ICT, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, and Physical Education, giving students access to high-quality learning materials every day
• Support school maintenance and improvement projects that create safe, welcoming, and inspiring learning environments
• Deliver first aid and health services

We understand that some families may be experiencing financial hardship. Contributions can be made in part rather than in full, and at any time through Compass or at the front office. If you have any questions about the contribution program, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Thank you once again for your ongoing support. It is your partnership that helps us deliver the highest standard of education and wellbeing for every student in our community.

Suada Dzaferovic

Principal

Toorak Primary School