From Mr Ridgway

Welcome Back

It has been wonderful to hear from many of our students this week as they excitedly shared stories about their travels and activities over the holidays. Whether it was exploring new places, spending time with family and friends, or simply enjoying some well-deserved downtime, I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable break filled with fun and relaxation.

During the break, my wife and I had a lot of downtime at home doing some projects around the house. Given my lack of expertise in home improvement and use of tools, Bunnings ensured I was successful!

Back at school, it’s been great to see the enthusiasm as students settle back into routine as we move into what will be a busy 11-week term.

Also, a friendly reminder for students to have their sunsmart hats at school every day, and a recommendation to bring their own sunscreen. Roll-on sunscreen is ideal.

What’s Happening in Term 4 at CEPS?

Term 4 is shaping up to be another busy and exciting term at CEPS, with plenty of learning, celebrations, sporting events and special activities planned.

Some of the highlights include:

Some of the highlights include:
Italian Day – Thursday 15 October (payment and consent due by 11th of Oct)
Year 3 Golden Valleys Camp – Wednesday 28 and Thursday 29 October (payment and consent due by the 11th of Oct)
World Teachers’ Day – Friday 30 October
Curriculum Day – Monday 2 November
Melbourne Cup Day – Tuesday 3 November
Remembrance Day – Wednesday 11 November
CEPS 70th Anniversary Celebration and Carnival – Thursday 12 November
Foundation–Year 4 Learn to Swim Program – Monday 16 to Friday 20 November
Year 5/6 Concert – Tuesday 24 November
Foundation 2027 Transition Program – continuing throughout November and early December
Year 2 Wild Action Zoo Incursion – Thursday 3 December
Year 1 Melbourne Zoo Excursion – Friday 4 December
Year 6 Big Day Out – Thursday 10 December
End-of-Year Whole School Celebration Concert – Friday 11 December
Foundation Myuna Farm Excursion – Tuesday 15 December
Year 6 Graduation – Wednesday 16 December
Last Day of Term 4 – Friday 18 December, with a 1:30pm dismissal and whole-school assembly at 1:00pm

Buildings and Grounds Update

There have been plenty of improvements happening around CEPS, with several projects completed over the school holidays and some exciting developments ahead!

School Maintenance and Improvements

Over the holidays, a number of jobs were completed to help make our classrooms safer, more comfortable and better places to learn. These included:

New carpet installed in our Year 4 portable classrooms.
New curtains fitted in classrooms affected by sun glare.
Safety improvements, including securing shelving units and installing new TV brackets.
General maintenance and smaller repairs across the school.

This week, our new portable soccer goals were also assembled and are ready for students to enjoy during recess and lunchtime.

$10.6 Million Building Project – Planning for the Future

Planning for our exciting $10.6 million building project is progressing well! We continue to meet with our architects every fortnight as we work towards developing a master plan for the whole school. A master plan is essentially a big-picture plan for how our school buildings and spaces could be improved over the coming years.

The redevelopment of our main school building will be the first stage, using the $10.6 million already committed to CEPS.

While this funding will cover the first stage, we are also planning ahead. The master plan will identify other areas of the school that could be upgraded in the future. Although these additional improvements are not yet funded, having a clear plan will help us seek further government funding down the track.

Our goal is to make the most of this wonderful opportunity, not only improving our school now but also setting CEPS up for the future.

New Playground Coming Soon!

I am excited to share that the design and colour scheme for our new playground have now been finalised! Installation is scheduled for mid-January 2027, meaning students can look forward to enjoying the new equipment when they return for the 2027 school year.

We are particularly excited about providing more opportunities for climbing, swinging and active play.

There is plenty to look forward to at CEPS, and we will continue to share updates as these projects progress!

Mr Robert Ridgway