2026 School Year
| Start of 2026 School Year | |
|---|---|
| Monday 19 to Friday 23 January | OSHC Summer Vacation Care from 7am to 6pm. Booking essential. |
| Monday 26 January | Australia Day public holiday |
| Tuesday 27 January | Term 1 commences; statewide student-free day in all Victorian government schools. Office opens. Care provided by OSHC from 7am to 6pm. Booking essential. |
| Wednesday 28 January | EHPS student-free day; second of four student-free days in 2026 school year. Care provided by OSHC from 7am to 6pm. Booking essential. |
| Thursday 29 January to Wednesday 4 February | Prep school entry interviews - compulsory one hour interview between the student and their teacher; parents/guardians do not stay; date and time have been advised in school start email. |
| Thursday 29 January | Years 1 to 6 students commence (8.50am to 3.30pm). |
| Thursday 5 February | Prep students commence - Prep students will have a staggered start between 9am and 10am (specific start time advised in the school start document emailed to parents/guardians), and finish at 1.30pm. |
| Friday 6 February | Prep students attend school from 8.50am to 2.30pm. |
| Monday 9 February | Prep students begin attending school full time from 8.50am to 3.30pm. |
| 2026 School Terms | |
|---|---|
| Term 1 | Tuesday 27 January* to Thursday 2 April |
| Term 2 | Monday 20 April to Friday 26 June |
| Term 3 | Monday 13 July to Friday 18 September |
| Term 4 | Monday 5 October to Friday 18 December |
* compulsory student-free day in all Victorian government schools.
Student-free Days in 2026:
- Tuesday 27 January
- Wednesday 28 January
- plus two additional Student-free Days to be advised when determined by School Council.
- one Professional Practice Day for all teaching staff; students don't attend school.
OSHC care available from 7am to 6pm for students enrolled in the program.
Public Holidays in 2026 during school terms - no students at school:
Monday 9 March - Labour Day
Monday 8 June - King's Birthday
Tuesday 3 November - Melbourne Cup Day
Absence at the start of Term 1
If your child will not be starting school at the beginning of Term 1 on Thursday 29 January 2026 (first day of school for Years 1 to 6 students) or Thursday 5 February 2026 (Foundation/Prep students first day at school), please ensure you have notified Mr Perini, our Principal, of your child's absence and requested his approval to be absent from school, as required by the Department of Education attendance guidelines. Send your email to essex.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au for the attention of Mr Perini.
Please ensure that you enter the appropriate attendance note in Compass for the day/days that your child is absent. Please also email their teacher (via the link on Compass, or school email if needed) to advise your child’s absence and when they will commence school.
EHPS Staff in 2026
| TEAM/AREA | STAFF (Coordinators forming the School Leadership Team are in bold) | |
|---|---|---|
Principal Team Principal Assistant Principal Assistant Principal |
George Perini Elisha Cotterell Felicity O'Flyn | |
| Prep | PH PMP PS PZB | Amber Hardy Sarah Medland & Yogi Patel Kimberley Sambrooks Hannah Zagarn & Verity Bright |
| Year 1 | 1D 1F 1G 1M | Renée Dare Margaret Fitzpatrick Jemma Graham Kriti Maharaj |
| Year 2 | 2BH 2L 2LB 2RO | Helen Broderick & Paula Hammond Magdalene Lim Rowena Lin & Melanie Boyle Lauren Richardson & Alexandra O'Connor |
| Year 3 | 3E 3L 3S | Eshaneka Sethi Kristi Lloyd Simon Liao |
| Year 4 | 4C 4N 4S | Goretti Cheuk Aashnoor (Noor) Dhir Marita Steward |
| Year 5 | 5C 5K 5L | Cassie Cartwright Kirtana Nambiar (Sekaran) Sasha Lanyon |
| Year 6 | 6B 6R 6W | Alicia Boles Olivia Rose Meghan (Meg) Walker |
Specialist Art / ArtSEL Health & Physical Education Indonesian Music Science |
Aubrey Hudson & Jean Elliott Monique Hocking & Cassie Kemp Gladys Wangke Grace Cordell Eric Zhang & Maria Capsalis | |
Other EAL / Intervention / Learning Support / Release Marimba Choirs Other |
Melanie Boyle, Paula Hammond, Nikki Olsen, Yogi Patel, Andrew Russell, Carolyn Wilson (TBC) Blake Hanson Grace Cordell Con Papanicolaou (Terms 2-4) | |
Learning Specialists Literacy Numeracy |
Renée Dare Kelvin Tang | |