Principal's Report

I hope you are reading this term’s final edition in the sunshine somewhere! We are gearing up for a big term 4, as always, and yet there is no shortage of information in this newsletter to be aware of as we close out this term. I wish your family a safe and wonderful holiday, hope you enjoy the chance to spend some quality time together, and may the good weather and close football games continue!

Art Trail 2023

Don't forget to lock in the afternoon of the 12th October for our Biennial Art Trail, the first since 2019 due to COVID. The event will begin with a Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country followed by the chance to view artwork and purchase pieces of your child's art on various items. There will be a sausage sizzle and a bar throughout the afternoon. 

Introducing RelovdUniforms.com

We are thrilled to announce the launch of our new online second-hand uniform shop, www.RelovdUniforms.com! As shared on Compass this week, this platform provides a convenient way for parents and students to access pre-loved uniforms. Visit www.relovduniforms.com to explore, noting that there is a limit of 5 items per family per order and any unfulfilled orders will be refunded. Termly second-hand uniform sale at school will continue.

Student Safety

In light of recent attacks on secondary students that have made headlines in suburban Melbourne, I want to emphasise the importance of student safety. Please encourage your children to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings at all times and to ensure they are safe travelling to and from school and throughout the holidays.

Bike Security

It is wonderful to see so many students riding to school each day. If your child rides to school, remind them to lock their bikes securely using bike locks to prevent any issues. If all bike parking areas are full (soon to be rectified thanks to fundraising!), bikes can be locked to the chicken-wire fence. 

Connor's Run Fundraiser: Footy Colours Day

This Friday, we're all gearing up for a footy-themed extravaganza! We will be raising money for Connor's Run with a Footy (sports) Colours Dress-Up Day. We encourage all students to participate and wear their favourite footy attire and colours. There is a footy-themed canteen menu, a students versus staff footy match and other fun events on the day to ensure we finish the term on a high. 

Volunteer & Visitor Sign-In

As part of our ongoing commitment to the safety of our students and staff, we are implementing a new procedure for all volunteers and visitors. Starting immediately, everyone entering the school premises, even for quick drop-offs like lunchboxes or hats, will be required to sign in at the office. You'll receive a lanyard to wear during your time on site. This simple change ensures that all staff members can quickly identify who should be on the premises, enhancing the overall safety of our school.

District Athletics Winners

Congratulations to our District Athletics Team who won yesterday's event. The team performed strongly across the board, particularly in the relay events which secured the win. We congratulate all students that participated and all Grade 4-6 students that put up such strong competition in House Athletics a fortnight ago. 

Event Updates

BATTLE OF THE BOOTS: A HUGE SUCCESS!

Last week we were thrilled to have Rob, Ben, Andrew and James present the "Battle of the Boots" trophy to the school community. They also announced that the event raised an astounding $6,500. These funds will be dedicated to purchasing new robotics equipment for our STEM program, enriching the learning experience for all our students. This investment will enable them to dive into the world of coding and problem-solving, nurturing their creativity and technological skills.

FATHER'S DAY STALL

Our Father's Day stall was not just an important chance for your children to select a very carefully considered gift, but also another remarkable fundraiser. It raised $2,730, and we're planning to use these funds to install more bike parking facilities for students and further enhance our school's landscaping and infrastructure in and around the sensory garden that all students can benefit from.

INDIGENOUS LITERACY DAY

Thank you to everyone that donated a book, or many books, throughout our Indigenous Literacy Foundation (Day) Book Drive. We collected 1732 books which equates to a donation of this amount to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. Each of these books will be catalogued and distributed to classrooms in time for next year, where every student and every class will have access to rich literature to support the reading program. 

Above image: Multicultural Captains Jimmy & Willow announcing the total at assembly

BEAUT BLOKES AFTERNOON

A huge thank you to all the dads and special friends who joined us for the "Beaut Blokes Afternoon." It was a wonderful afternoon of connection, game playing, problem solving and some highly-competitive sports. I appreciate the challenge of making the time to attend and hope that you also found it to be very worthwhile and memorable. 

New & Important Dates

• Monday 2nd October: First Day of Term 4
• Thursday 12th October: Art Trail
• Monday 6th November: Pupil Free Day
• Friday 15th December – 2:00pm: Christmas Carols
• Tuesday 19th December – 1:00pm: Final Assembly 
• Tuesday 19th December – 1:30pm: Students dismissed for the year
• Wednesday 20th December: Curriculum Day

To stay up to date with all events and key dates, see the Compass Calendar. 

Congratulations

Congratulations to Silla G in Grade 5 who recently represented HPS and Victoria at the School Sport Australia Swimming 2023 Nationals competition. Silla had over 7 races with a mixture of heats and finals, relays, and individual events. She achieved a PB in each race and was often the only Victorian competing in each final. Her individual 50m and 100m backstroke both ended in top ten finishes and the 200m medley relay and 200m freestyle relay Victoria finished  fifth place.