From the Principal

Welcome back to Term 2. I trust you had a wonderful term break and Easter. Many students told me they were excited to be back at school to reconnect with their friends. We had a number of trades in over the break completing improvement projects in the school including the roof, new values signs in the front garden and artwork in the office area. 

Reminder - Student Free Days During Term 2

There are a number of public holidays and student free days this term:

• Friday, 5 June - Staff Professional Practice Day - OSHC Open on this day
• Monday, 8 June - Kings Birthday Public Holiday

2027 Foundation Enrolments are now open!

The Department of Education opened the enrolment process for 2027 foundation enrolments last week. All foundation enrolments must be completed online via the website ‘VicStudents’. 

To commence online enrolment, visit https://students.educationapps.vic.gov.au/s/ to create an account and complete the online application form. Please ensure that all documents required are attached to the application. 

On our website you can download the Foundation (Prep) enrolment information pack giving families an understanding of the enrolment process. Applications for Foundation (Prep) are due by Friday, 31 July 2026. You will be notified of the outcome of your application between Monday, 3 August 2026 and Friday, 14 August 2026. If you receive an enrolment offer, you should accept the offer by Friday, 28 August 2026.

Enrolment applications submitted after 31 July 2026 will be processed by our school as they are received, in accordance with the department’s Placement Policy.

Parents who have older siblings at the school should enrol online. If you know of any friends or neighbours wishing to enrol their child, please let them know of this process. We conduct school tours each week for prospective enrolments, and you can book them on our website https://www.oakleighps.vic.edu.au/enrolments-1

ANZAC Day Ceremony

“ANZAC” was the name given to a combined force of the First Australian Imperial Force and New Zealand Army troops who landed on Turkey’s Gallipoli Peninsula around dawn on Sunday, the 25th day of April 1915, barely nine months after the outbreak of World War I.

ANZAC Day was established as a solemn day of public remembrance of these forces as well as all who have shown courage and sacrifice to fight in all wars. 

Bright and early on ANZAC Day, our school captains Liam, Lucinda and Emi represented Oakleigh PS to lay a wreath at the dawn service held in Warrawee Park. It was well attended by the local community with several of our families present. It was a moving ceremony including a ‘gun salute’ and the laying of wreaths by different groups. 

We are so privileged to live in a country with many freedoms and opportunities and I acknowledge all who have served in war both in the past and presently to protect the rights we enjoy today.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning.

We will remember them.

Victorian High Ability Program

The Victorian High Ability Program (VHAP) has begun for 2026 at Oakleigh, with a group of our Grade 5 & 6 students having been selected by the Department of Education to be a part of the enrichment program for English and Mathematics. 

The Victorian Government has again funded the Victorian High-Ability Program. This provides up to 48,000 Victorian high-ability students in Years 5 to 8 (Year 5-6 at Oakleigh) at government schools the opportunity to participate in a 10-week online extension and enrichment program, in English and mathematics.

The virtual program, delivered by Virtual School Victoria, will focus on extending and developing students' mathematic and English abilities. 

The Department of Education has centrally managed the selection process for the program based on students’ academic performance. The students at Oakleigh who are participating in this program commenced their first classes have enjoyed meeting high ability students from other schools and their teacher from Virtual School Victoria. Congratulations to the students who have been selected to be in the program. 

Reminder - Arrangements for collecting students from school, before and after school arrangements and movement around the school

School start time

The first bell rings at 8.50am in the morning. Students should enter the classroom to prepare for the school day.

Learning starts at 9.00am. All students that arrive after 9.00am must attend the office to sign in and obtain a late pass which is then to be given to the class teacher. 

It is important that all students arrive at school on time. We ask that parents aim to have their children at school by 8.50am each day, so they are ready for the school day.

Students should not be on school grounds before 8.45am, unless they are attending OSHC or supervised extracurricular activity.  

During school hours

If you need to collect your child for an appointment during the school day, please attend the school office. Our office staff will phone the classroom and ask for your child to come to the office to meet you. While waiting, parents can sign their child out. 

To help your child and their teacher, if you know ahead of time that you are collecting your child early, please let your child know and send a COMPASS notification to the teacher. 

If you need to drop off something to your child during the day (e.g. lunch), please attend the school office (not the classroom) and we will deliver this to your child.

After school

School finishes at 3.30pm. All students should leave the school by 3.45pm, unless they are attending OSHC or supervised extracurricular activity.  After 3.45pm, parents must be supervising their children within eyesight, ensuring that they are playing safely. At 4.00pm the bell rings and we ask all families to leave as OSHC uses the grounds for their program. You are welcome to go to Warawee Oval so children can play.

Out of School Hours Care

Families are encouraged to contact the OSHC coordinator James Marron via email at oshc@oakleighps.vic.edu.au or on 9568 2983 or 0412 168 560 or refer to

https://www.oakleighps.vic.edu.au/out-of-school-hours-care  for more information about the before and after school care facilities available to our school community.

Scooters and Bikes

Students can ride scooters and bikes to school. Upon entering school grounds, they must dismount and walk their bike or scooter. Racks are located outside near the basketball court and library wall, adjacent to Yr 1C classroom, as well as the amphitheatre deck. We encourage any students who are leaving their scooters and bikes overnight at school to store them in the external thoroughfare /atrium to the Yr 3/4 area. 

Ball Games on the Basketball Courts - before and after school

Students are not to play any ball sports on the basketball court before or after school including basketball, soccer or football as both school and kindergarten families are dropping or collecting students during this time and the risk of hitting someone with a ball is high. Students can play on Warrawee oval before and after school if they are supervised by their parents. 

Dogs

Lastly, we ask that families do not bring dogs onto the school grounds.

Reminder - Mobile Devices Policy

The school understands that a number of students own a mobile phone or a smart watch (with SIM capability). Our school follows the Department of Education Policy, where students are not allowed to access their mobile during school hours or their smart watch. All students must give their mobile phone, tablet or smart watch to their classroom teacher to be stored away. Devices will be given out at the end of the day. This policy can be found on our school website. 

Medical Plans and Update contact details

At school we often need to contact parents for a variety of reasons. Over the break many families’ telephone numbers, home address and email addresses have changed. If you do change telephone numbers, email, and/or home address or there is an update on personal/medical/family situation, it is most important that you contact the office to let us know so we can update the school records and also put this change on COMPASS.

Winter is Coming so is Flu Season! 

As we enter the colder months of the year, it is important to remind families there are many things we can still do to prevent the transmission of illness be it COVID or flu-like colds and coughs:

1. Stay home if unwell.
2. Ventilation (Air purifiers on in school)   
3. Vaccinate 
4. Wash hands thoroughly after going to the toilet. 
5. Sneeze into elbow  
6. Sanitize hands on entry to buildings.  
7. Mask wearing  

Our combined efforts to implement these above-mentioned strategies will go a long way to ensuring the overall health of all students, staff, and parents.

Industrial Action 

The Australian Education Union (AEU) and the Australian Principal’s Federation (APF) continue to work with the government in relation to our upcoming Enterprise Bargaining Agreement.

Members of the AEU have been advised of the following current industrial action including:

1. The boycott of meetings 

2. Writing report comments 

3. Upcoming half day stop work action

This means that for the Mid Year Reports your child will only receive a progression point indicating their level of achievement and a progression point indicating their effort and behaviour. There will not be any written comments on reports. At Oakleigh we were trialling changes to reports this semester to be in line with the expected changes being explored by The Department of Education.

There half day stop work action planned for Thursday, 21 May. More information about this will be shared with the community once we are aware of the finer details. 

We very much appreciate the support of our school community as our members seek for better pay and conditions that will benefit all students and staff.

We do hope that an agreement is reached prior to these events happening, but we wanted to provide you with as much information as possible to help families prepare for the proposed half day stop work action planned for Thursday, 21 May. 

Have a great month

Ruth Biddle

Principal