It is hard to believe that we are nearly at the end of Term 2! We have had a very busy and successful start to the 2025 school year.

As I prepare to leave Hamlyn Views at the end of this term, I want to express what a privilege it has been to lead such a dynamic and dedicated school community. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know our staff, students and families, and I’m incredibly grateful for the warm welcome and support I’ve received throughout my time here.

While I’m sad to be finishing up, I know the community is looking forward to welcoming Suzanne back into the Principal role. The leadership team is excited to update her on the many exciting initiatives and improvements currently happening across the school.

Thank you once again for the opportunity to be part of this wonderful school. I wish everyone in the Hamlyn Views community all the very best for the future — it’s been an absolute pleasure.

We also say farewell to several valued staff members at the end of this term.

Phoebe Graham Bowd, one of our classroom teachers in the senior learning community , will be heading off on family leave — an exciting new chapter for her, and we wish her all the very best during this special time.

Dave Rittinger, one of our OTs, will be leaving Hamlyn Views to move into private practice. Dave has been a part of our school community since we opened in 2018, and his contribution over the years has been deeply appreciated.

Alina Lied, a classroom ES has accepted a position closer to home. Although her time with us has been shorter, she has made a positive impact with the students she has worked with this year.

Phoebe, Dave and Alina will be greatly missed, and we thank them for the positive contributions they’ve made to our school community.

We can also share that Ashley Kalkandis will be remaining at Colac West Primary School for Term 3. We wish her all the best in the term ahead.

Semester 1 Reports and Individual Education Plans

Student reports are now being finalised, and I hope you enjoy reading about your child’s learning and growth this semester when they come home. SSG meetings start next week, and Reports and IEPs will be available on Compass on Friday July 4th.

Voluntary School Contributions

We’d like to kindly remind you about voluntary school contributions for 2025. These voluntary contributions support the daily operations and ongoing improvement of our school. They help us fund essential programs and services that directly support our students.

Your support truly makes a difference. It allows us to continue offering a high-quality, well-resourced, and nurturing environment where every child can thrive.

We are sincerely grateful to all families who have contributed so far this year. For those who are able to, we warmly welcome your support.

The Voluntary Contribution breakdown is:

Voluntary Curriculum Contributions: $160
Voluntary Other Contributions: $40

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your school contributions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Exciting News: New Classrooms on the Way

We’re pleased to share that we’ve been allocated two relocatable buildings, providing us with four much-needed additional classrooms. This is a fantastic development for our growing school community.

Things are moving quickly, and we’ve now been advised that the buildings will begin arriving from July 1st. As these buildings are modular, they’ll be delivered in sections on the backs of large trucks (approximately six in total). These trucks will need to park in the vicinity while waiting to unload, so please be aware that traffic around the school may be disrupted on the day.

A crane will operate from the Calvert Street car park to lift the buildings over the fence into the senior yard. While students who use wheelchairs will still be able to be dropped off in the Calvert Street car park, please note that only one entrance will be in use, and vehicles will need to enter and exit via the same point.

We ask everyone to be extra vigilant with safety, and patient with delays, as traffic will likely move more slowly than usual. The builders are aware of the impact this will have on our school community and are aiming to complete deliveries in a single day. They will also advise our neighbours in advance.

While there will be some short-term disruption, the long-term benefit will be well worth it. Once onsite, there will be a period of setup while services are connected and furniture sourced. We are hopeful that the new classrooms will be ready for some use by Term 4 this year, and fully operational by the start of 2026.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and support as we continue to grow and improve our school facilities.

Trivia Night – August 7th

Our School Council Fundraising Committee has been working hard behind the scenes to organise what promises to be a fun and entertaining Trivia Night on Wednesday, August 7th.

Tickets are now on sale through the school office — don’t miss out!

If you’re able to support the event by donating a prize or have connections to a local business that might be able to help, please reach out to Amber, Brooke, Diane or Charleen from the Fundraising Committee. Your contributions are greatly appreciated and help make the night a success!

Hydrotherapy Pool – Importance of Appropriate Swimwear

Our hydrotherapy pool is a valuable part of our school program, supporting students’ physical development, wellbeing, and engagement. We want to ensure it remains open and accessible for all students.

Unfortunately, this year we’ve had to close the pool on many occasions due to accidents. Each time this occurs, the pool must be closed for a minimum of 24 hours for cleaning and treatment. This causes significant disruption across the school.

Many students arrive at school dressed and excited for their swim session, and it's incredibly distressing for them when these sessions need to be cancelled at short notice.

To help prevent this, we ask that all families ensure students who require continence support wear appropriate incontinence swimwear during pool sessions.

Our strong preference is for reusable, washable continence swim wear, which provide a much more secure and reliable seal. Disposable swim nappies often leak, and are currently the main cause of accidents that lead to pool closures.

If you're unsure about what’s suitable or need help sourcing the right swimwear, please reach out to our staff — we’re happy to help.

Thank you for your support in keeping the pool safe, clean and open for all students to enjoy.

Keeping Our School Community Healthy

We’d like to take a moment to thank families for working with us to help keep our school community as healthy as possible during this busy time of year.

As we move through the colder months, it’s not uncommon to see an increase in colds, flus and other illnesses. When students or staff are unwell, it can have a ripple effect — impacting classes, programs and the wellbeing of those who may be more vulnerable to illness.

We understand that it’s not always easy to juggle things when a child is unwell, and we really appreciate the efforts families are making to monitor symptoms and make cautious decisions about school attendance.

There are also Department of Health guidelines we’re required to follow for certain illnesses, including minimum exclusion periods. If you’re ever unsure, please don’t hesitate to contact the school office or your child’s teacher — we’re always happy to help.

Thank you again for your continued care and partnership in keeping our school safe, supported and well.

Early finish for end of term 2

A reminder that school will finish at 2:30pm on Friday 4th July for the end of term. We wish everyone a safe and happy holiday and look forward to seeing you all on the first day of Term 3, Monday July 21st

Julie Brown

Wellbeing News

Foodbank Victoria Food Fight!