Principals Message

Celebrating Excellence: Principal’s Awards Assembly 2024

This week concluded with the annual Principal’s Awards Assembly where, as a school, we bid farewell to the 2024 Grade 6 students, celebrated the incredible achievements of our students this year and announced the 2025 student leadership team. It was an afternoon filled with pride, recognition, and inspiration as we acknowledged the dedication, resilience, and talents displayed across our school.

Academic Excellence Awards

These awards honour students with the highest academic results across all subject areas, encouraging excellence and embodying our school motto, Victory through Effort. Each recipient received a book prize, and the top achiever from each year level was awarded a gift voucher. Congratulations to the following students (listed in alphabetical order by first name):

Foundation: Chloe Robertson, Cooper Vanderkoogh, Dylan Parker, Evie Dickison, George Semaan, Joshua Barrett, Matthew Leitch, Olivia Cook, Olivia Holland, Samantha Gaffke, William Dawes, and Zeeke Vickery.

Highest achievers: Matthew Leitch and Olivia Holland.

Year 1: Axl Garo, Aveer Matharu, Hazel Murphy-Mcknight, Kallum Salt, Rachel Bannister, Deklyn Ryan, Esther McCormack, Emma Schrader, Jacob Kendall, Hannah Johnstone, Bryce Peake, and Hendrix Ally.

Highest achiever: Axl Garo.

Year 2: Darcy Rankin, Eloise Griffin, Georgina Fowler, Gracie Gerlach, Harvey Hawkes, Isabella Cook, Jett Jensen, Kody Byrne, Millie Foster, Peyton Hines, River Rantall, and Rowan Blake.

Highest achiever: Rowan Blake.

Year 3: Connor McIntosh, Isabella De Haas, Mack Pratt, Mila Burrows, Oliver O'Donnell, Oliver Paynter, Paige Mynard, Quinn Rudy, Ryder Rantall, and Saylor Word.

Highest achiever: Isabella De Haas.

Year 4: Adelyn Hobson, Eliza Jacovou, Elizabeth Blake, Havana Brown, Judd Edwards, Lola Bannister, Mabel Brain, Myah Wyatt, Phoebe Barnes, Sophie Malady, and Yasmine Mynard.

Highest achiever: Elizabeth Blake.

Year 5: James Bryant, Oliver Hill, Elisha Ijiyera, Lennox Jennings, Scarlett Jones, Macy Hearne, Jaxon Barnes, Audrey Cheatley, Amelie Brown, Alexis Pratt, and Harleen Matharu.

Highest achiever: James Bryant.

Year 6: Abel Lynch-Berends, Aleena Khan, Hannah Kolody, Holly Dove, Indianna Bentley, John Smith-Heizer, Olivia Schrader, Sefton Brain, Sienna Giles, and Tamsyn Conrad.

Highest achiever: Hannah Kolody.

GPA Perfect 4 Awards

These awards celebrate students who consistently demonstrated our values: Be Safe, Be Respectful, Be a Learner. To achieve a perfect GPA score of 4 across all eight cycles this year is an extraordinary accomplishment.  Congratulations to (In alphabetical order):

• Foundation: Adaline Nash, Aria Urbanic, Arizona Cruikshank-Borg, Cooper Vanderkoogh, Dylan Parker, Easton Hines, Hannah Robinson, Hugo Visser, Joshua Barrett, Mackenzie Corbett, Olivia Cook, Olivia Holland, Peyton Websdale, Sadie Brincat, Samantha Gaffke, Violet Stares
• Year 1: Axl Garo, Kallum Salt, Karson Matthews, Peyton White.
• Year 2: Darcy Rankin, Eloise Griffin, Ethan Mcintosh, Georgina Fowler, Isabella Cook, Liam Nash, Mia Schena, Violet Brincat, William Wyatt
• Year 3: Alexis Goodin, Elise Dart, Harriet Kolody, Oliver O'Donnell, Quinn Rudy, Safira Rozet, Thanish Paridi, Veronica Van Dyk, Zoe Allen
• Year 4: Adelyn Hobson, Ashlee Merrigan, Dakoda Mcphail, Eliza Jacovou, Elizabeth Blake, Ellyra Jennings, Harper Fanning, Havana Brown, Heidi Davis, Isla Coffey, Ivy Lynch, Lola Bannister, Mabel Brain, Myah Wyatt, Phoebe Barnes, Sophie Malady, Yasmine Mynard, Zali Embleton
• Year 5: Ada Crow, Amelie Brown, Ariki Smith, Bailey Salt, Cooper Smith, James Bryant, Leila Mckinnon, Maddison Beagley, Raavi Namberdar, Scarlett Jones
• Year 6: Aleena Khan, Bella De Malmanche, Hannah Kolody, Indianna Bentley, John Smith, Mia Myrteza, Mia Reid, Michael Zelley, Tamsyn Conrad

GPA Bronze and Silver

Congratulations to our latest GPA Bronze and Silver recipients. 

House Cup

Congratulation to McGregor House on winning the House Cup for 2024!

2025 Student Leaders

We are thrilled to announce our incoming student leaders for 2025. These students exemplify leadership and are poised to inspire their peers in the coming year:

• School Captains: Ada Crow, Leila McKinnon, Imogen Radic, Amelie Brown.

   

• House Captains:
  • Balfour: Ariki Smith, Scarlett Jones
  • Uralla: Vicky Nguyen, Illythia Malcom
  • Davey: Lenny Jennings, Oscar Barrett
  • McGregor: Roy Wang, Penny Brownbill

• Technology Captains: Ollie Hill, James Bryant
• Sports Captains: Aurora Coffey, Ellisha Ijiyera
• Performing Arts Captains: Alexis Pratt, Malaika Keay
• Visual Arts Captains: Eden Cook, Lucy Baker, Sienna Taylor-Bowman
• Environmental Captains: Harleen Matharu, Zahlee Gunn
• Environmental Team Members: Aurora Snowden, Audrey Cheatley, Raavi Namberdar
• Indonesian Captains: Maddison Beagley, Milly McKinnon

House Competition

Congratulations to McGregor House, our 2024 House Competition champions! Their hard work and team spirit earned them the coveted perpetual trophy.

As we conclude the year, we extend heartfelt congratulations to all our award recipients and farewell to our graduating Grade 6 class. Your contributions have enriched our school, and we wish you every success as you embark on your next journey.

Principal’s End-of-Year Message: 2024

Dear School Community,

As we reach the end of 2024, I would like to extend warm wishes on behalf of the entire staff at Trafalgar Primary School for a safe and joyous Christmas and New Year. This year has been one of extraordinary achievements and immense challenges, and I’m incredibly proud of how our school community has come together to support one another.

Celebrating Student Success

Our primary mission remains the learning and growth of our students, and this year has been no exception. Despite the challenges of staffing shortages and illnesses, our teachers have gone above and beyond to ensure that every child has the opportunity to thrive. Overall student have continued to make solid progress in literacy and numeracy which reflects the dedication of our staff and the partnership with families who support their children’s learning every day. I’m also deeply grateful to our teachers for embracing new approaches that have enriched learning experiences and outcomes for our students.

A Banner Year for Sports

Our sports program has reached new heights, building on the foundation established last year. The success of our students on the sporting field has been nothing short of outstanding, culminating in Trafalgar Primary School receiving the Victorian School Sports Community Partnership Award for 2024. This prestigious recognition highlights the growth of the program introduced in 2023 and its continued expansion this year. I encourage everyone to revisit earlier newsletters to relive these wonderful achievements.

The Arts in Full Bloom

The arts have also shone brightly this year, with the return of the Festival on the Lawn serving as a joyful celebration of student creativity. The rain held off just long enough for the final performances, and the event was a spectacular showcase of talent. Highlights included the Visual Arts Exhibition in the gym and our student choir leading the community carols, which truly underscored the flourishing of the arts program at Trafalgar Primary School.

Acknowledging Challenges and Looking Forward

This year, staffing has been one of our most significant hurdles, reflecting broader challenges across the state. Despite ongoing recruitment efforts, we faced shortages that required staff to manage larger classes, supported by our incredible Education Support staff. I want to acknowledge the resilience and hard work of our team, who continued to provide high-quality education despite these difficulties. A well-deserved rest awaits them over the holidays.

Our School Council has been instrumental in navigating these challenges with unwavering support, and their contributions have been critical to our continued success. While we anticipate some ongoing staffing challenges in 2025, there is optimism on the horizon with a moderately improved outlook.

On a positive note, our Transition Day was a resounding success, and we are excited to welcome new students and families into our community next year. Together, we are prepared to make 2025 another year of growth, learning, and achievement.

Thank You to Our Community

I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to our volunteers, families, and School Council for their support and dedication throughout the year. Your contributions have made an indelible impact on our students and the broader school community.

As we embrace the holiday season, I hope you find time to rest, recharge, and enjoy the company of loved ones. May 2025 bring new opportunities and continued success for all.

Wishing you a safe and joyful holiday season.

Sincerely,

Cameron Nicholls

PRINCIPAL