Message from the Principal 

"SHINE BRIGHT, DANCE RIGHT – DISCO SUCCESS ALL NIGHT!"

I think Santa would have been very impressed with our Christmas in July themed school disco. It was wonderful to see the students all dressed up, excited and having fun at school out of hours! Our Djilla Djerring is certainly an awesome venue, and the lighting, sound and smoke machine provided the perfect disco atmosphere. Events like this are a very special part of our Greenhills school experience and culture, but we couldn’t do it without the dedicated army of volunteers and helpers under the banner of our Parent Association. 

Thank you to our members of our Parent Association and for those of you who volunteered to assist in some way in the night. A very special shoutout to Jonathan Jayarajan and Craig Powell for all their effort in organising it all. 

SETTING UP FOR SUCCESS - MORNING ROUTINES 

In the newsletter last week, I emphasised the importance of arriving at school on time each day. For us this is between 8.45am and 8.55am (9am is late!).

Being at school on time and starting the day with a calm and settled routine is important for setting up students for success. Arriving between 8.45am and 8.55am helps students feel prepared, organised, and ready to engage with the day’s activities. A smooth start allows time to connect with teachers and peers, settle into the classroom, and build a focused mindset for learning. Consistent routines also support emotional wellbeing and help students develop responsibility, independence, and a strong sense of belonging.

A G.R.E.A.T example of this in action with our prep team. They start the day with a daily routine by quietly focusing on some learning rehearsal such as handwriting, forming letters and numbers. This helps to individually reduce their cognitive load at the start of the day and calm their brain stem whilst also ensuring the whole class is provided with a calm and organised classroom each morning.

These photos show students in PSB just after 9am yesterday morning so a big shout out to them and the prep teaching team for showing that even our youngest students who haven’t even had 100 days of school yet can do this!

LIBRARY OPEN AFTER SCHOOL TUESDAY’s 3.30pm – 4.15pm

Come on in, choose a book and find a nice little nook to sit in to enjoy your book together.

You can also borrow and return books during this time, so feel free to bring along books that are ready to be returned, so you can choose another to take home.

Jen Ellis will be in the library during this time, so if you have any library questions or just need a book recommendation, she will be very happy to help you. 

(Please note that students must be with their parents or another adult after 3.45pm and cannot be left on their own after this time).

Hope to see you there to share in our library joy!

MID -TERM 3 MEET WITH THE PRINCIPAL TEAM

7.30pm Wednesday 27th August via Webex

Another improvement we have made in recent years to the way we communicate to families is holding a Meet with the Principal Team session once per term. This is an opportunity to hear some more information about what is happening around the school. We also provide time for questions, feedback and suggestions around any topic. 

A Webex link will be sent home via Compass shortly.

YEAR 6 to 7 TRANSITION 2026

Letters to our Year 6 families went home last term to confirm the secondary school they will attend. As usual, we have a large percentage of this cohort going to both Montmorency and St. Helena Secondary Colleges. Other schools our students will attend next year include Greensborough College, Bundoora Secondary College, Templestowe College, Eltham High, The Lakes and a number of private or Catholic schools. 

I take this opportunity to thank Nicole Pearson who manages our Year 6-7 transition for our school and all the work she does to support our families in the process. 

PREP ENROLMENT 2026

Interest in our school continues to be very strong and in line with the Department of Education transition timeline, we have now confirmed our prep enrolment for 2026. We have 75 students starting school in prep next year and this will mean that we will have four prep classes (class sizes of around 18 or 19).

We are also gearing up for our “Experience Greenhills” sessions that are part of our transition program. These sessions aim to assist children and their families to feel comfortable and informed as they begin their learning journey at our school. The first session is Italian on Monday 11th August. Details on how to book was included in the letter of confirmation sent home this week.

James Penson,

Principal.