Welcome Back for Term 4!

Welcome back, everyone! I hope you all had a chance to rest, recharge, and enjoy some time with family and friends over the break. It’s hard to believe we’re already into Term 4!

There’s so much to look forward to over the coming weeks, including the Year 1 Movie Night, Year 2 Sleepover, and the Year 6 excursion to MSAC, all leading up to the big Year 6 Graduation as our senior students prepare for the next exciting chapter of their learning journey. It’s such a special time for them as they begin to look ahead to secondary school.

It’s also been wonderful to see how far our Preps have come since starting at Yarra Road. Their growing confidence and independence are amazing to see, from those first-day nerves to now proudly navigating the school with big smiles and a strong sense of belonging.

Term 4 is always full of energy, celebrations, and reflection, here’s to a positive, fun, and memorable Term 4!

Grade Placements for 2026

As we start planning classes for 2026, families are welcome to share any important information that might help us place students in the most supportive learning environment. Teacher allocations and the grade structure are still being finalised.

If your child has special circumstances, such as health, learning, social, or family considerations, please let us know. Requests for a specific teacher cannot be accommodated.

Please email yarra.road.ps@education.vic.gov.au. We will reply to you email to acknowledge that we have received it. If you do not receive a reply within 3 business days, please call the office. All requests need to be received by Friday 10th November. We regret that any requests given after this date will not be considered.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we work to create supportive classes for all students in 2026.

Halloween Disco

We are very excited for our upcoming Halloween Disco, and we know that one of the highlights for many students will be dressing up in fun and creative costumes! The Disco will take place during our normal school day on Friday the 31st October and will be supervised by our Parents Association and members of our school staff.

The Disco will take place in two sessions; a first session for our Prep - Year 2 students and a second session for our Year 3 - Year 6 students.

Tickets

Tickets are available on Compass for $10 per student. This will include good music, face gems, and temporary tattoos. Please ensure payment is made by Friday, 24th October.

Face Gems & Temporary Tattoos

Students will have the option to receive face gems or temporary tattoos. Please inform your child’s teacher if your child has any allergies or would prefer not to receive any face gems and/or tattoos.

Spook-tacular Lunch

Our wonderful canteen ladies have prepared an optional spook-tacular "Disco Meal Deal" for lunch on the day, which is now available to order on Flexischools! This is an additional cost and orders must be placed by Friday the 24th October at 2pm.

Dress Code

Students are welcome to come dressed in either a Halloween costume or a disco-themed outfit – whichever they prefer! To ensure that the event is enjoyable and comfortable for all students – including our younger children – we kindly ask for your support in following a few simple guidelines when choosing costumes:

Parents are not expected to buy a costume; your child may come dressed in disco-wear or bright colours.
Please avoid scary or horror-themed costumes, including masks, fake blood or makeup that may frighten younger children.
No weapons or weapon-like accessories are permitted, this includes toy knives, swords, or any sharp objects.
Costumes should be age-appropriate, safe to move around in, allow a hat to be worn, and sun smart.
If face paint or masks are part of the costume, make sure your child can still be easily recognised and can see and breathe comfortably.
Fully enclosed shoes are worn.
No inflatable costumes.

We can’t wait to see everyone’s costumes and dance moves at this fun-filled event!

Changes to Digital Device Use

From 2027, the Victorian Government is introducing changes to the use of digital devices for students from Prep to Grade 6.

Under the new guidelines, schools:

will no longer invite families to purchase or bring their own digital devices to use at school for Prep to Grade 6.
will follow new recommended digital device times, including minimal device time for Prep to Grade 2; and a maximum of 90 minutes per day for Grades 3 to 6.

These changes are intended to support families by reducing cost-of-living pressures. They will also support students by reducing screen-time, which can reduce the risk of eye strain, sedentary behaviour, and reduced peer interaction. These reforms complement Victoria’s nation-leading mobile phone restrictions, ensuring an integrated approach to addressing digital distraction and the inappropriate use of technology.

What this Means for our School

As you know, we already provide school-owned digital devices for student learning, so there is no impact on our school’s ICT programs.
Students with disability who use a digital device as a reasonable adjustment are exempt from these changes.
These changes are intended to support families with cost-of-living pressures and reduce student screen time.

You can read more about the changes on the department’s website or clicking on the button below.

ThinkUKnow Parent Presentation

📅When: Tuesday 28th October

🕡 Time: 6:30pm – 8:00pm

📍Where: Year 5/6 Building, Yarra Road Primary School

We are excited to invite all Yarra Road Primary School parents and carers to a ThinkUKnow presentation on Tuesday 28th October, from 6:30pm – 8:00pm.

ThinkUKnow is a national, evidence-based program delivered in partnership with the Australian Federal Police, industry partners, and state and territory police. The program provides parents and carers with up-to-date information about what young people see, say, and do online. It covers topics such as:

Popular apps and platforms children and young people use
The challenges and risks they may face online
Practical strategies to help parents support their children to stay safe

The session is designed to give families the tools and confidence to have open conversations about online safety and to recognise when and where to seek help.

We strongly encourage all parents to attend this informative evening. Together, we can ensure our children develop positive online behaviours and navigate the digital world safely.

Please note, due to the sensitive nature of the content, this ThinkUKnow presentation is for parents of our school only, and is not suitable for children or students to attend.

To learn more about ThinkUKnow, you can click the button below.

Expression of Interest

To assist us with planning, please complete the brief expression of interest form below if you are interested in attending this event. Please note, this is simply an expression of interest and does not commit you to attending.

Uniform Using State Schools' Relief (SSR)

If you have any unused State Schools' Relief (SSR) vouchers, please take them directly to Spartan School World to purchase uniform.

If your voucher/s have expired, please contact the school office to have them re-issued.

Specialists

LOTE, Performing Arts, Physical Education, and STEAM.

STEAM

Performing Arts