Principal Team Message

Hello BRPS Community,

As we approach the end of another remarkable year at Black Rock Primary School, I am incredibly proud of what our students, staff and families have achieved together. From academic growth and creative pursuits such as our school concert, sporting achievements and the adventure of camps across the school, 2025 has been a year of connection, energy and collective accomplishment.

Thank you to every member of our community for the spirit, generosity and partnership you bring to our school every day.

2026 Class Planning & Transition

Our 2026 class structure, and teaching appointments are almost finalised. We have commenced the process of  2026 class placement for students. 

Please notify us immediately via the school email if you know that your child will not be enrolled at BRPS next year to ensure that we can develop balanced classes. 

“Meet Your Teacher” letters will be distributed on Friday 12th December, followed by student transition sessions on Monday 15th December.

Please note that requests for class changes cannot be accommodated due to the complexity of the placement process.

🎨  2026 Staff, Class  & Specialist Programs Structure

Information about our staffing, specialist timetable, class structure and support programs for 2026 will be released on Wednesday 10th December. 

📘 Student Achievement Reports & Conferences

Semester Two reports will be released via Compass on Thursday 11th December at 3:30pm. These reports celebrate each child’s learning growth, effort and wellbeing throughout the year.

We encourage families to read the report with their child and reflect proudly on their achievements.

🌟 Launch of Our New BRPS Website

We are excited to announce that the brand-new Black Rock Primary School website is now live! The refreshed site has been designed to make it easier for families to stay connected, find important information quickly, and gain a clearer sense of life and learning at BRPS.

Through the instigation, support and guidance of School Councillor and parent Nives Zubcevic-Basic, the project was proudly developed in partnership with the Business Bureau at Swinburne University of Technology — a student-led consultancy that offers emerging professionals an immersive industry experience. Employed full-time and mentored by academics with deep industry expertise, Business Bureau students work across the full lifecycle of client projects, from early engagement and needs analysis to solution design and delivery. Their model supports the development of leadership, strategic thinking, entrepreneurship, and professional communication skills within a structured education and mentorship framework.

We extend our warm thanks to the two Business Bureau Associates who led the development of our new site:

• Sam Radford – Marketing Associate
• Anh Duong – Information Systems Associate

Their creativity, professionalism and responsiveness ensured that our new website is modern, intuitive and tailored to the needs of our community.

Key Features for Parents

The new site includes several parent-friendly features designed to make school life easier, including:

• A clear, easy-to-navigate homepage showing key dates, announcements and quick links
• Updated enrolment information that simplifies the process for new families
• A dedicated Parent Information section containing policies, forms and essential documents
• Improved accessibility and mobile-friendly design so you can find what you need on any device

We are proud to launch a website that reflects the warmth, energy and excellence of our BRPS community. We encourage all families to explore the new site and make use of its helpful tools.

RMGC Australian Golf Open - Street Closures

The 2025 Men’s Australian Open will be held at Royal Melbourne Golf Club from Tuesday 2 December to Sunday 7 December. With this major event happening right next door, please be aware of the following changes that may affect school drop-off and pick-up:

• Cheltenham Road will be closed between Ferguson St and Reserve Rd from Monday 1 December to Sunday 7 December. Detours and signage will be in place.
• Students WILL NOT be able to ride bikes along Cheltenham Road during this time. 
• Increased traffic and pedestrian activity is expected throughout the week (golf play runs 7am–6pm), with a steady flow of vehicles rather than large peak surges.
• Shuttle buses will operate from Cheltenham and Sandringham Stations to Reserve Rd.
• Event parking will be at Sandy Golf Links, with access via Tulip St.
• A heightened security and traffic management presence—including Victoria Police—will be in the area.
• We expect 

Please plan your travel accordingly and allow extra time. Thank you for helping keep our community safe during this significant local event.

Good news for families — free public transport for all school-aged children from 2026

Starting 1 January 2026, all children under 18 in Victoria will be able to travel free on public transport — including trains, trams, buses and coaches.

The new scheme will use a specially designed “Youth myki” card (costing just $5) that remains valid until a child turns 18. This will replace the standard student pass (which currently costs about $755 per year), saving families potentially hundreds of dollars annually.

The free travel applies across metropolitan, regional and rural Victoria, so students can use it for school, sports, social activities — anywhere public transport runs.

Parents and carers can prepare by ordering a Youth myki when they become available.  

The BRPS Big Celebration Day - Thursday 4th December 

With only one week to go, we’re excited to remind everyone that this year all BRPS students and staff will come together for a whole-school Celebration Day right here at school.

Our Big Celebration Day at BRPS is designed to bring our community together to recognise the achievements, growth and memories of the year. Students can look forward to a full day of fun—both in and out of the classroom—including a visit from a magician and a variety of outdoor activities run by Proactivity.

It promises to be a wonderful way to reflect on an amazing year and finish on a high!

Community Christmas Celebration - Thursday 4th December 

Following our BRPS Big Celebration Day, we will also host our annual Community Christmas Celebration and Carols on the same afternoon, from 3.45pm to 4.45pm.

Students will perform on stage while families and community members enjoy the show from the courts. Keep an eye on your News Feed for the official invitation!

🎓 Year 6 Graduation & End-of-Year Celebrations

We are thrilled to celebrate our Year 6 students as they prepare to move into secondary school. Key events include:

• Bike Hike - Fri 28th November
• Buddy Beach Picnic – Friday 12th December
• Graduation Ceremony – Monday 15th December, Sandringham College
• Graduation Lunch – Wednesday 17th December, Black Rock Bowls Club
• Celebration Assembly – Thursday 18th December, 2.45pm

Term 4 - Important Dates

The final day for students in 2025 will be Thursday 18th December (Friday 19th December is a student-free curriculum day).

November

28th - Year 6 Bike Hike

28th - Glee Club Christmas Carols performance at the Black Rock Foreshore 5-7 pm

December

4th - BRPS Big Celebration

       - Christmas Carols

5th - 2026 Foundation Orientation 1

       - Final Friday Assembly

8th - Year 3 IMAX Excursion

9th - 2026 Foundation Orientation 2

10th - Volunteers Thank You Morning Tea

12th - Buddies Beach Picnic

15th - Year 6 Graduation

17th - Year 6 Grad Lunch

18th - Final Day for students and Celebration Assembly (3.30pm dismissal)

19th - Curriculum Day (student free)

⭐ Volunteers Thank You Morning Tea

Wed 10th December – 10.30am-11.30am 

We warmly invite all volunteers—classroom helpers, excursion supervisors, sporting supporters, library assistants, event organisers and more—to join us for a special Thank You Morning Tea. Your time, care and commitment enrich every aspect of BRPS, and this morning tea is our small way of recognising the big difference you make. 

📅 2026 Start Dates & Planning

Please refer to the Compass Calendar for 2026 dates which are beginning to fill. 

Several key dates for the commencement of the 2026 school year have been determined:

Tue 27 Jan:  Staff Return (Statewide Student Free Day)

Wed 28 Jan - All students F-6 Return

Wed 4, 11, 18, 25 Feb:  - Foundation days off

The dates of the four remaining student-free days for 2026 will be confirmed after the next School Council Meeting on Thursday 4th December. 

🎓 2026 Student Leaders

Congratulations to our newly appointed 2026 School Captains:

Jasper Pennell, Tegan Fahey, James Doyle and Frankie Emmins. 

We congratulate all Year 5 students who applied—your presentations were exceptional and reflected our school values of Respect, Aspiration, Kindness and Integrity. 

We look forward to formally introducing the 2026 Captains at assembly on Friday 5th December. 

2026 Intensive Swimming Program Dates

To assist with forward planning, the 2026 Intensive Swimming Program dates are published by term and week below. Please see the Compass Calendar for the exact dates.

Foundation:  Term 4 - Week 2 & 3

Year 1/2:  Term 3 - Week 9 & 10

Year 3/4:  Term 2 - Week 2 & 3

Year 5/6:  Term 4 - Week 7 & 8

2026 Parent Payments 

Parent Contributions are the lifeblood of the school and we continue to rely on parent contributions to support delivery of additional programs and support beyond the standard curriculum offerings, as well as provision of devices and upgrades to facilities.

2026 Parent Payment Information for all year levels are available to families via Compass Newsfeed and are also published on the school website. Parent payments and contributions are made via the Compass portal through Course Confirmations/School Payments module.

The Compass online payment portal will be open and accepting payments from Friday 5th December 2025.

Year 2 Pyjama Party

We were thrilled to host our Year 2 students for last night’s Pyjama Party. They had a fantastic time dancing at the silent disco in the Stadium, enjoying a pizza dinner, and settling in for a movie with popcorn.

🍳 Year 2 Breakfast – This Morning

The fun continued this morning with a Year 2 breakfast at school, where students arrived early for a delicious teacher-cooked meal. The excitement carried on as a magician visited later in the day, adding plenty of laughter and wonder.

It’s been a wonderful celebration for our Year 2 cohort!

Year 3 Camp

Our Year 3 students returned tired but happy from their first school camp at Golden Valleys in Flinders, and what a wonderful experience it was. Students embraced a range of adventure activities that challenged them, helped build confidence and resilience, and strengthened their independence and teamwork skills.

A heartfelt thank you to our Year 3 teachers — Sandy Bassoukos, Steph Thorpe and Tori Edwards — for the significant planning and preparation that ensured a safe, smooth and memorable camp. We also extend our gratitude to the staff who generously gave their time to support the experience: Hannah Kemp, Sarah Hogan, Linda Newell, Steve Muller and Rowan Doyle.

It was a joy to visit and see the students fully engaged and having fun. The camp was a fantastic milestone for our Year 3 cohort.

2025 School Council 

A summary report of our October meeting will be provided in the November Newsletter. 

The final School Council meeting for 2025 will be held on 

• Thu 4 Dec

Contact details for correspondence with School Council is via the school email address: black.rock.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Have a wonderful month ahead

Sam Tyndall

PRINCIPAL

Emily Harvey

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL