From Mr Chaplin

Mother's and Special Person's Day

A heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful parents and carers who supported our Mother’s and Special Persons Day Stall and Afternoon Tea. Your generosity, time, and presence helped make the day a truly special one for our students, who were so proud to share the celebration with the important people in their lives. These events are more than just a moment to gather—they’re a powerful reminder of the vital role families play in a child’s development. Whether it’s offering encouragement, modelling kindness, or simply being there, the love and support you provide lays the foundation for lifelong confidence, resilience, and a strong sense of belonging. Thank you for all that you do.

Election BBQ

A massive thank you to all the staff and parents who volunteered their time at our Election Day BBQ—we couldn’t have done it without your grilling dedication! From flipping sausages to serving with smiles, your efforts helped make the day a true community success.

Thank you also to the many families, students and voters who came down and cast their appetites in favour of a democracy sausage or bacon and egg roll. We’re proud to announce that we raised over $2800 for the school—now that’s a result we can all get behind!

School Saving Bonus Reminder

The Victorian Government is delivering the School Saving Bonus (SSB) – a one-off support of $400 for eligible government school students from Prep to Year 12 in 2025.

The SSB can be used for uniforms and textbooks until Monday 30 June 2025.

Any funds remaining after 30 June 2025, including online voucher amounts that have not been redeemed, will become a credit to use on school activities. However, the credit will not be available on your family account at our school until late July.

To use any remaining SSB funds to cover the cost of school activities in July, please refer to the SSB online system and allocate the funds to school activities before 30 June 2025.

To learn more about the SSB online system, download the step-by-step System guide for parents and carers (DOCX, 945KB) or watch this School Saving Bonus video. System guide translations are also available in 14 languages.

The Department of Education’s SSB contact centre will remain available until 30 June 2025. The contact centre can be reached by:

• completing the School Saving Bonus enquiry form 
• calling 1800 338 663, between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm on weekdays.

After this date, please contact our administration team for any SSB related questions.

Education Week

From Monday 19 May to Friday 23 May, each grade at Cheltenham East Primary School will take part in a range of activities to celebrate Education Week 2025. This year’s theme, Celebration of Cultures, recognises the rich diversity that exists within our school and across Victorian government schools. Throughout the week, students will engage in classroom-based experiences that highlight different cultural traditions, languages, and stories, helping to build understanding and respect within our inclusive school community. Education Week is also a chance to acknowledge the important role our staff play in creating safe, supportive, and engaging environments where every student can thrive. We look forward to sharing these celebrations with you!

District Cross Country

Congratulations to all the students who represented our school with pride at the recent District Cross Country event! Mr Ridgway and myself attended, it was fantastic to see such determination, resilience, and respect on display throughout the day. A special congratulations to the students who placed in the top 10 of their event—an outstanding achievement! These students have now qualified to compete at the Division Cross Country and we wish them all the very best as they take on the next level of competition.

• Charley N  1st
• Bronte 6th
• Indi 3rd
• Nousha 10th
• Mia 5th
• Elise 2nd
• Alisha N 3rd
• Jamie 8th
• Sam B 1st

Student Safety and Morning Supervision Reminder

At Cheltenham East Primary School, the safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority. We would like to remind all families that, as part of our duty of care, students should not be left unsupervised in the school grounds before 8:45am. Staff supervision begins at this time, and students arriving earlier are not actively supervised, which poses a safety risk.

We have recently been made aware that some students have been arriving at school well before this time and waiting outside the grounds or moving around the surrounding streets. While we understand that mornings can be a busy time for families, we ask for your support in ensuring that children are not dropped off too early and that they come straight into the school grounds once supervised entry begins.

We also encourage all parents and carers to speak with their children about staying safe, remaining on school grounds, and being aware of their surroundings at all times. Thank you for your ongoing support in helping us maintain a safe and secure environment for all our students.

Inclusive Environments Through Lunchtime Clubs

At Cheltenham East Primary School, we are committed to building a safe and inclusive environment where every student feels a strong sense of belonging. One of the ways we support this is through our vibrant lunchtime clubs program, which offers students a variety of opportunities to connect with peers, explore interests, and build social confidence in smaller, supported settings.

Our Term 2 Lunchtime Clubs include something for everyone—from creative outlets like Drawing Club and Choir Club to active options like Sports Club and Gardening Club. For students who enjoy problem-solving or digital exploration, Coding Club and Minecraft provide engaging and structured activities. Mindfulness Mondays and Friendship Club offer calming, supportive spaces that encourage positive relationships and emotional regulation.

By offering a range of clubs across different days and interests, we aim to ensure all students have access to inclusive, engaging experiences during lunchtime. These clubs help reduce playground stress, promote student wellbeing, and provide an opportunity for every child to shine in a setting that suits them.

WOW Kingston Walk 'n' Wheel

Congratulations to class 1B for winning the Golden Boot this week.  Stay tuned for next week, to see who the next winner is!

2026 Foundation Enrolments are open

 A reminder that Foundation enrolments for the 2026 school year are now open!

If you have a child starting Foundation in 2026, we encourage you to submit your enrolment forms early. This helps our office plan effectively for the year ahead, particularly with staffing and class sizes.

If you already have children attending Cheltenham East and have a sibling ready to begin their school journey, please ensure their enrolment is submitted as soon as possible.

Help us spread the word within the community – we are now accepting Foundation enrolments and are excited to welcome the next generation of Cheltenham East learners!

Second Hand Uniform Sale

Book Club

Book Club is back for Term 2! Look out for your copy of Book Club which likely already came home in your child's schoolbag last week. It's packed with hundreds of books from just $3. We will be doing one book club order each term.

Issue 3 orders need to be in by Monday 12th May

Ordering: Just a reminder that the school does not accept cash payments. All orders are to be done through the LOOP system. All instructions can be found on the inside back cover of the catalogues or on the Scholastic Book Club website.

Any questions, please see Julian Gordon (Year 5 teacher)

Happy Reading!

Interschool Sport

Vs Kingston Heath PS

Regards,

Jared Chaplin