Principal
Aaron Cox
Principal
It’s been awhile since our last newsletter and as always, Kingswood has been buzzing with activity. We’ve launched into Term 4 with energy, creativity and a strong sense of community as we move into the final stretch of the school year.
Our Newsletter Schedule – Connected to community
You may have noticed that this is the first newsletter of the term. We’ve made a shift from sending newsletters fortnightly to twice a term.
This change comes after reviewing how families engage with our communications and how we can best balance information-sharing with the realities of leading a busy school. While our newsletters are read, analytics show that readership tends to peak around key events — so we’re focusing on creating fewer, higher-quality editions that are more meaningful, timely and easier to digest.
Writing and coordinating each newsletter takes many hours — collecting updates from staff, curating photos, proofreading and ensuring everything is relevant. By moving to a twice-per-term model, we free up valuable leadership time to be where it matters most: in classrooms, with students and supporting teachers.
Families will still receive regular updates through Compass posts and class communications, but the newsletter will now serve as a richer, story-style reflection of school life and achievement.
Celebrations and Highlights – A place to shine
We recently celebrated World Teachers’ Day, taking a moment to reflect on the incredible work of our teaching and support staff. Every day, they bring patience, passion and creativity to their classrooms — shaping confident, kind learners. Thank you to families who shared messages of appreciation; those small gestures go a long way.
Our Art Show is also just around the corner and promises to be a highlight on the school calendar. Ms. Kerry Eeckman and her little Visual Arts team have been working tirelessly and the standard of student work this year is outstanding.
Learning, Growth, and Reflection – We are here for the students
Term 4 has been rich with deep learning and student engagement. From Prep to Year 6, classrooms are alive with curiosity and connection. Students are collaborating, reflecting and applying their learning in meaningful ways — a reflection of both strong teaching and our thriving learning culture.
Behind the scenes, we’ve started our School Review for 2026, which has been an affirming process. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with just a few small actions to complete. These will be addressed quickly, ensuring our school registration is in the rear-view mirror before the year concludes. Thank you to everyone — Mrs. Megan Franklyn, Mrs. Sharon Lomas and Mrs. Liliane Karidis — who played a role in shaping this outcome.
Workforce Planning for 2026 – Lead the way
As part of our workforce planning for next year, we have a few staffing updates to share.
We extend our gratitude and best wishes to Mrs. Amy Savanah, who will be heading to Balwyn Primary School, and to Ms. Courtney Stelling and Ms. Natalie Potenzi, who are also departing at the end of the year. Each has made a wonderful contribution to Kingswood and we wish them every success in their next chapter of their careers.
We also welcome several new faces to Kingswood in 2026:
Mr. Josh Miller (from Sandringham East PS)
Mr. Josh Diamond-Smith
Mrs. Richelle Fraser (joining us from Sandringham East PS as our Disability Inclusion Leading Teacher)
Ms. Tina Prycz (from Caulfield PS)
In addition, Mr. Josh Velez (Leading Teacher) will be taking family leave for the first half of 2026 and Ms. Sarah Joseph will be returning from family leave from the beginning of the year.
This mix of continuity, return and new appointments ensures we continue to build a strong, balanced, and future-focused team.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge Melissa Goddeassi our school counsellor who is retiring in a few short weeks. Melissa was a teacher at Kingswood for many years before heading to Aspendale Gardens Primary School in 2007. Upon finishing her teaching career, Melissa became a certified child counsellor and she has supported many children at Kingswood since Covid. Melissa is sailing off into the distance to enjoy never ending holidays with her husband John. Thanks Melissa for everything you have done here at Kingswood.
Student Voice and Focus Groups – Thrive in a team culture
This term, we’ve been conducting student focus groups across all year levels to hear directly from our learners about their experiences, strengths and aspirations for school improvement.
Student voice is central to our planning — their insights are shaping how we think about teaching, wellbeing and engagement.
The data collected will feed into the development of our 2026 Annual Implementation Plan, which we’ll finalise later in November. We’re excited to see how students’ ideas and reflections help guide the next steps in our journey.
Prep Transition 2026 - Connected to community
Our Prep Transition Program is now underway for our incoming 2026 Prep students and families.
This is always a special time as we welcome new children and parents into the Kingswood community.
Transition sessions will take place on the following dates:
Session 1: Wednesday 5th November
Session 2: Wednesday 12th November
Session 3: Tuesday 18th November
Session 4: Tuesday 25th November
Session 5: Tuesday 9th December