Welcome

Wawa, Wominjika.

Here at Old Orchard Primary School, we acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land we visit each day, the Wurrunguri and Woiwurrung people of the Kulin nation. We acknowledge and respect the elders and leaders past and present and the elders and leaders of all of the cultures and nationalities that are part of the Old Orchard Primary School community. We express our gratitude towards the orchards that were kept in place by the peoples on this land before us. We thank the traditional owners for sharing this beautiful land that we all love, and for keeping the land, sky, waterways and animals all in great condition for thousands of years, not only for themselves but for all the generations to come.

Term 4 is always extremely busy, with numerous additional events and activities. Over the next couple of weeks we have:

Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 Swimming Program (with a change of venue for 2026 at Aqualink Forest Hill)
Initial stages of the 2027 Student Leader Elections
The initial planning meeting ahead of our School Review which will be conducted at the end of November (more information to follow)
Continued preparation ahead of the School Fete on November 14th
Session 2 of the Prep Transition Program for 2027 Prep students

Swimming Program

We are proud that we continue to offer a whole school 10 day swimming program, providing students with the opportunity to learn important water safety and survival skills as well as more advanced swimming skills. Thanks in advance to the staff and many parent/carer helpers who assist with the program.

Congratulations

Last week, I shared that one of our former students, Caelan Gray, has been selected as the 2027 School Captain at Blackburn High School. In addition, former student Ryan Li has been selected as School Captain at Koonung Secondary College.

Resource Smart Schools (RSS)

Old Orchard is an active participant in the RSS program that supports Victorian schools to embed sustainability across the school facilities, community and curriculum, while saving resources and money for the school. On Monday morning, we hosted a presentation for several other schools, sharing some of our practices and the benefits of the RSS Program. Special thanks to Pip Cariss for her work in hosting the event and for the amazing work that she does in this space. Special thanks also to Year 2 student, Aaradhya A, who delivered a beautiful Acknowledgement of Country to the guests.

Fete

The 2026 Fete is rapidly approaching and you will be receiving regular communications requesting donations, asking for assistance, etc. The Fete is held every second year and is our most important fundraising event, so please support in any way that you can. I must acknowledge Fiona, Sheree & Pip, who do an amazing job of organising this huge event.

Warm regards,