Principal's Message 

End of the Year 

As we come to the close of the school year, I want to take a moment to reflect on what has truly been a wonderful year for our school community. Throughout the year, our students have shown growth, resilience, and a genuine commitment to learning, both in and out of the classroom. It has been a pleasure to see their confidence develop, their achievements celebrated, and their kindness towards one another shine through in so many ways.

I am incredibly proud of our dedicated staff, whose professionalism, care, and commitment continue to make a real difference every day. I also extend my sincere thanks to our families and wider community for your ongoing support, partnership, and trust, it plays such an important role in the success of our school. Together, we have much to celebrate, and I look forward to building on this strong foundation as we move into the year ahead. I wish everyone a safe, restful, and happy break.

Year 6 Students

This year marks the final year of primary school for our Year 6 students, and we are incredibly proud of the young people they have become. Their journey through our school has been filled with learning, growth, friendships, and memorable experiences that have shaped them along the way. Tonight, we look forward to celebrating their graduation at Chirnside Park Country Club, a special occasion that recognises both their achievements and milestones they have reached. On behalf of the entire school community, I wish our Year 6 students every success as they move into secondary school, and all the very best for the exciting journey ahead.

Farewells

We would like to wish a farewell to students who will be leaving Yarra Road Primary School. Each student at Yarra Road Primary School has been a valued part of our school community, contributing their own strengths, friendships, and memories along the way. We thank them for the time they have spent with us and wish them every success and happiness as they move on to new schools and new opportunities. They will always remain part of the Yarra Road Primary School story.

We also farewell several valued staff members who have made significant contributions to our school community. As mentioned in a previous newsletter, we extend our heartfelt thanks to Judy Haysom, who is retiring at the end of the year after many years of dedicated service. Judy’s long-standing commitment, care, and knowledge have left a lasting impact on our school, and she will be greatly missed. We wish her all the very best as she begins this well-earned next chapter.

We also farewell Brogan Smith, who has accepted a new position as Business Manager at Templestowe Valley, and Janet Hatvani, who has secured an exciting new role outside of education. Both Brogan and Janet have been wonderful to have supporting and running our office operations, and their professionalism, warmth, and reliability have been deeply appreciated by staff, students, and families alike. Kerri Fitzgerald, who worked in 1A for part of this year, has been an asset to the team and a pleasure to work with, and we thank her for her positive contribution to our classrooms. Finally, while not a farewell, we acknowledge Alycia Legge, who will be taking leave for the year ahead. We wish her all the best during this time and look forward to welcoming her back in the future.

Reports

Student reports were uploaded to Compass on Tuesday, and are now available for families to view. These reports provide an overview of your child’s learning and progress throughout the year. If you are unsure how to access reports through Compass, or experience any difficulties, please contact the school office for assistance.

2026 Class and Specialist Teachers

We are pleased to share the class and specialist teaching arrangements below. We look forward to another positive year of learning and value the strong relationships that form between students, families, and staff.

Class Teachers

Prep A: Mrs Cooper

Prep B: Mrs Ross

1A: Ms Tan

1/2B: Miss Stevens

2A: Mrs Hurley & Mrs Van Loenen

3/4A: Mr Franklin

3/4B: Mrs Pfander & Mr Smith

5/6A: Miss Dixon & Mrs Grace Smith

5/6B: Mr Hanley

5/6C: Mrs Macrae

Specialist Teachers

STEAM: Mrs Baum

LOTE: Miss Grogan

Performing Arts: Mrs Ashleigh Smith

Physical Education: Mrs Pagliaro

Victorian Government’s New Year of Learning Webpage 

The Victorian Government’s New Year of Learning webpage provides helpful information and guidance to support children as they prepare for school and new learning experiences. It includes tips on what to expect at each stage of schooling and practical advice for families to help students start the year confidently.

Click on the button below to visit the webpage. 

Curriculum Days 2026

We are pleased to share our scheduled Curriculum Days for 2026. These days are important for staff to engage in professional learning, planning, and collaboration, helping us continue to provide the best possible learning experiences for our students. Please note that some of the Curriculum Days fall mid-week to coordinate with staff work schedules. 

2026 Curriculum Days: 

• Tuesday, 27th January 2026  (First day of the school year)

• Tuesday, 26th May 2026

• Wednesday, 26th August 2026

• Monday, 7th December 2026

On these days, students do not attend school, so families are encouraged to make alternative care arrangements.

School Council 2026

Our School Council plays a vital role in shaping the direction of our school, supporting initiatives, and providing a voice for our parent community.

Key dates for 2026 include:

• Monday, 17th February 2026 – Final meeting of the current School Council

• Monday, 17th March 2026 – Annual General Meeting (AGM)

Each year in Term 1, we invite nominations for School Council membership. Serving on School Council is a rewarding way to contribute to our school community, help guide important decisions, and support programs that benefit all students. We encourage interested parents to consider nominating and sharing their ideas and expertise with the council.

A Message from the School Council President

School Council President

As the 2025 school year comes to an end, I would like to take the opportunity to wish all of our community the very best for an enjoyable and safe festive period.  It seems like just yesterday that we started the 100th year of Yarra Road Primary School, but here we are farewelling another Grade 6 cohort, who will no doubt do us all proud in their new schools next year.

It has been an honour to have served as School Council President for another year, so I thank everyone for the support throughout the year.

At this time last year, I flagged that with the departure of Ken, there would be a temporary replacement before a permanent appointment of a new principal, and that would bring with it a number of changes.  A year on, and I am glad that Karen has settled into the role now on an ongoing basis and that I feel the community has successfully navigated the period of change associated with the change of leadership and we can look forward to a settled and consistent time moving forward.

100-Years of Yarra Road Primary School

This year has been significant for the school, and across a number of events and activities, we celebrated the 100 years of Yarra Road Primary School.  A huge thank you to all the students, teachers, parents, and community members who contributed across the year to make this a memorable year for the school.

End of Year

Finally, on behalf of the School Council, I would like to congratulate our graduating class of 2025 and wish you all the best as you start the next phase of your schooling journey. Thank you for your contribution to Yarra Road Primary School.

To those families who are ending their time with Yarra Road, some of you have been around for a long time and we will miss seeing you next year. Be it every day at pick up or at the school events.  Thank you for your time and contribution to the school and don’t be strangers!

Thank you to our awesome PA, led by Bec and Stacey, for their hard work in supporting the fundraising activities in the school, and a huge thank you to all the School Council members who have worked behind the scenes to help our school to be all it can be.

Thanks also to Kate, Brogan, Shelley, and Charlee for all your hard work in the office supporting all aspects of our school.

Lastly, thanks to the Teachers & Education Support Team for leading, guiding, mentoring, and teaching our kids this year – enjoy a break and reload for 2026.  

Special mention to Judy Haysom, who is heading off on a new adventure – all the best with your transition into retirement. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful break over Christmas and comes back ready for a big 2026.

Junior School Council Salvation Army Fundraiser

This term, the Junior School Council (JSC) will be once again fundraising for the Salvation Army. Therefore we are accepting the following:

• Non - perishable foods.

• New toys.

• Monetary donations.

This is a wonderful opportunity to support families in need this Christmas.

Thank you from the Junior School Council.

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 use to purchase uniform. 

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