Principal's Report
- Tania Sorbello
Welcome to another great and busy week! As always, Term 4 is jam packed full of exciting moments and wonderful learning opportunities for the students. From our 2026 Prep Orientation, to $20 Boss and all the way to Grade 6 Graduation, this term is sure to afford every student at FNPS the opportunity to shine.
Foodbank Fruit in Schools Initiative
The Fruit in Classrooms initiative has been very well received, with more than 13 kilograms of fruit enjoyed by students in its first week. Supported by the Department of Education and Foodbank Australia, students have embraced the opportunity to access fresh fruit and vegetables throughout the day.
Looking ahead to 2026, the program will expand to include a Breakfast Club, offering breakfast to students twice per week at the beginning. Further information about this initiative will be shared later in the year. Foodbank will also continue to support our community by providing food boxes and lunches for students who may have forgotten their lunch. This is a wonderful initiative that is having a positive impact on our students, staff, and wider school community.
Year 3/4 Camp: Ferngully Lodge
Our Year 3/4 students are currently enjoying their camp at Ferngully Lodge, with one more night of adventure ahead! They’ve been having a fantastic time taking part in a range of outdoor activities, building teamwork and resilience while making wonderful memories with their friends and teachers. From all reports, the days have been full of energy and excitement, so we’re expecting lots of tired (but very happy!) children returning home tomorrow.
Regional Athletics Carnival
Congratulations to the students who proudly represented FNPS at the Regional Athletics Carnival earlier this week. As always, our students demonstrated the school’s values of Kindness, Resilience and Respect, displaying outstanding sportsmanship, teamwork, and encouragement of their peers. They are to be commended for the way they supported one another and celebrated each other’s achievements.
Student Attitudes to School Data
The aggregated Student Attitudes to School results for our Year 4 – 6 students are now at hand. Below is a snapshot of the overall 2025 results:
| Framework Factor | 2023 | 2024 | FNPS 2025 | Similar Schools 2025 | Network Schools 2025 |
| Effective Teaching Time | 73% | 75% | 84% | 80% | 79% |
| Differentiated Learning Challenge | 71% | 79% | 86% | 82% | 82% |
| Stimulated Learning | 62% | 73% | 82% | 75% | 74% |
| Effective Classroom Behaviour | 64% | 73% | 84% | 78% | 76% |
| High Expectations for Success | 91% | 91% | 94% | 92% | 93% |
| Effort | 66% | 71% | 82% | 76% | 76% |
| Teacher Concern | 54% | 69% | 76% | 70% | 69% |
| Sense of Confidence | 71% | 81% | 85% | 78% | 78% |
| Perseverance | 68% | 74% | 82% | 74% | 75% |
| Motivation and Interest | 61% | 72% | 84% | 72% | 73% |
| Self Regulation and Goal Setting | 75% | 79% | 86% | 81% | 81% |
| Attitudes to Attendance | 76% | 82% | 87% | 83% | 85% |
| School Connectedness | 61% | 70% | 82% | 76% | 76% |
| Student Voice and Agency | 46% | 55% | 78% | 64% | 64% |
| Sense of Inclusion | 79% | 83% | 88% | 87% | 86% |
| Advocate at School | 75% | 79% | 89% | 86% | 85% |
| Managing Bullying | 57% | 68% | 86% | 74% | 76% |
| Not Experiencing Bullying (past 12 months) | 63% | 73% | 77% | 69% | 70% |
| Respect for Diversity | 62% | 72% | 85% | 77% | 78% |
| Life Satisfaction | 71% | 69% | 84% | 77% | 76% |
| Emotional Awareness and Regulation | 70% | 71% | 86% | 73% | 72% |
| Peer Relationships | 81% | 84% | 91% | 88% | 86% |
It was evident that the challenges of the build impacted both our 2023 and 2024 Student Attitudes data collection. However, the outstanding improvements reflected in our 2025 results are indicative of the renewed sense of connection and belonging our students are feeling at FNPS this year. These results highlight not only the refinement of our internal processes but also the deliberate and consistent communication of expectations to students, ensuring they understand their roles and responsibilities within our school community.
In response to the data received in 2023 and 2024, a number of targeted actions were implemented to enhance our students’ educational experience. This year, a strong focus on creating safe, calm, and orderly learning environments, combined with all children now being in fit-for-purpose classrooms, has led to significant improvements in how our students feel and learn. Through student focus groups, we have co-developed a clear and predictable behaviour support process, supported by the introduction of behaviour matrices displayed in every classroom. In addition, our ongoing partnership with Real Schools continues to embed Restorative Practices across the school, complemented by regular surveys and student consultations to ensure we remain attuned to their experiences.
One of our greatest achievements this year has been the remarkable improvement in our Managing Bullying, School Connectedness, and Student Voice and Agency data. Across every measure above, FNPS now outperforms our designated similar schools and those within the Yarra/Darebin network which is a wonderful, wonderful achievement and a testament to the outstanding work of all of our staff here at FNPS.
Importantly, the influence of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) has been pivotal in shaping our learners’ positive attitudes and dispositions. Through the PYP’s inquiry-based approach, students are developing greater curiosity, confidence, empathy, and a strong sense of agency in their learning. They are not only demonstrating deeper engagement in the classroom but also embodying the IB Learner Profile attributes; becoming more open-minded, principled, and reflective members of our school community. This shift in mindset has contributed significantly to the overall growth in student wellbeing, connection, and engagement evident in this year’s results.
Student Free Days
As you may be aware, we have two student free days scheduled this term on Friday 31st October, 2025 and Monday 3 November 2025. Friday will see our staff immersed in professional learning around assessment and the new Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0, whilst the Monday has been allocated as a whole school Professional Practice Day for our teachers who will spend this time moderating assessments and preparing reports. TheirCare are taking enrolments on these days if required.
Save the Date: End of Year Picnic
Speaking of all of the wonderful things happening this term, our End of Year Picnic has been scheduled for Wednesday 10th December 2025. The date has been chosen to coincide with our Term 4 PYP Learning Celebration afternoon, along with our Year 5 $20 Boss market.
That’s all from me, go gently,
Tania