Principal's report

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung People of the Kulin nation; past, present and those who will walk with us into the future. We acknowledge the rich and unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas, educational practices and the hopes of all First Nations Peoples. We do this in the spirit of reconciliation as we move to a place of justice and partnership - together we work, learn, play and care for one another and this land.

Senior House Athletics Carnival - A Day of Resilience, Determination and School Spirit

Last Wednesday, our Senior House Athletics Carnival was one of those days that reminded us that success isn't always measured by the weather, the results, or the records broken. Sometimes it is measured by resilience, determination and the way a community comes together to support one another.

Leading into the day, the weather forecast wasn't particularly encouraging, with predictions of a cold day and possible showers. As it turned out, we experienced plenty of rain throughout the day, along with some very chilly conditions. While it certainly wasn't the picture-perfect winter's day we had hoped for, it quickly became apparent that our students were not going to let the weather define the experience.

I could not have been prouder of every student who represented their House. Athletics has always been about much more than winning ribbons or crossing the finish line first. We continually encourage our students to focus on achieving their own personal best, because in athletics your greatest competitor is yourself. Every jump, throw and sprint is an opportunity to improve, challenge yourself and celebrate your own growth.

The difficult weather added another layer to that challenge. It took courage to stand on the starting line in the rain, resilience to keep competing when cold and wet, and determination to continue encouraging teammates despite the conditions. Throughout the day we saw students stepping outside their comfort zones, trying events they may never have attempted before, cheering each other on, congratulating one another on their achievements and simply getting on with the day with smiles on their faces. These are the moments that build character and create lifelong memories.

This year's move to the Knox Athletics Track proved to be an outstanding decision. The venue handled the wet conditions exceptionally well, with excellent drainage ensuring events could continue safely and efficiently throughout the day. The covered grandstand also provided students with a welcome opportunity to stay dry between events and created a fantastic central hub for each House. We look forward to returning to this excellent facility in the future.

Events like our Athletics Carnival rely on an enormous amount of planning and teamwork behind the scenes. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all of our staff for their enthusiasm, encouragement and willingness to brave the conditions to ensure our students enjoyed a successful day. A very special thank you must go to Mrs Oakley, whose organisation, preparation and leadership once again ensured the carnival ran so smoothly. Her commitment to providing outstanding sporting opportunities for our students is greatly appreciated by our entire school community.

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to our wonderful parent volunteers. Your support throughout the day was invaluable. Whether you were recording results, assisting at events, helping supervise students or simply standing out in the rain to ensure everything ran smoothly, your generosity of time and willingness to help made the carnival possible. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a supportive parent community, and we sincerely appreciate everything you do for our students.

While none of us could control the weather, we could control our attitude—and our students certainly did. They demonstrated resilience, perseverance, sportsmanship and kindness throughout the entire day, and they should all be incredibly proud of themselves. It was a wonderful reflection of the values we strive to develop at Kalinda Primary School, and I thank everyone who contributed to making the day such a memorable success.

2027 Prep Enrolments

Today marks an exciting milestone as offers for our 2027 Prep enrolments have been sent to families.

We are looking forward to welcoming our newest Kalinda students and their families into our school community next year. Beginning school is such an important milestone, and we are excited to start working with our new families over the coming months to ensure a smooth and positive transition into Prep.

If you have a child due to start school in 2027 and have not yet submitted an enrolment application, I encourage you to contact our school office as soon as possible. While the statewide placement process has commenced, we are happy to discuss enrolment opportunities and guide families through the application process.

We are incredibly proud of the welcoming and inclusive community we have at Kalinda Primary School, and we look forward to meeting the next group of Prep students who will begin their learning journey with us in 2027.

Host Family wanted for our Japanese Intern

We are currently looking for families who may be interested in hosting our wonderful Japanese intern, Arii Kawata, from Sunday 23 August for a minimum stay of two weeks.

Arii has quickly become a valued member of our school community, assisting in our Japanese classes each day and running a popular Origami Club during recess. She has been sharing her knowledge of Japanese language and culture with our students, and her warm, friendly nature has made her a favourite with both students and staff. Arii speaks excellent English and is excited about the opportunity to experience Australian family life while continuing her time at Kalinda Primary School.

Hosting Arii is a wonderful opportunity for your family to experience a cultural exchange, learn more about Japan, and support our Japanese language program.

If you would like to learn more about becoming a host family, please contact Jess White at jessica.white@education.vic.gov.au.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to support Arii during her stay with our school.

Smile Squad at Kalinda from next week

We are pleased to welcome the Smile Squad team back to Kalinda Primary School from next week.

Smile Squad is the Victorian Government's free school dental program, providing students with access to high-quality dental care at school. The team will be onsite across the coming weeks to provide dental check-ups and treatment for students who have returned completed consent forms.

Regular dental care plays an important role in supporting children's overall health and wellbeing, and we are pleased to be able to offer this valuable service to our students.

If you would like further information about the program, including eligibility, consent forms or the schedule for visits, please refer to the Front Office section of this week's newsletter, where you will find all the relevant details.

Thank you to our Front Office team for coordinating this program and helping make these important health services accessible to our students and families.

We are kind. We are resilient. We are respectful.