Assistant Principal's Message

Over the last 6 weeks (fortnightly) we welcomed the new prep students and their families into our school.  Over the 3 sessions the students and parents have had an opportunity to connect with each other, familiarise themselves with our school and of course have a go at a Literacy, Numeracy and Wellbeing lessons.  I would like to thank the students, parents and all our school staff who have supported the transition program thus far.  The new prep students also met their 2024 buddies today, so our grade 5 students have already began their buddy duties; the prep students were so excited.

Today the current prep to grade 5 students had their first step up session.  This session was aimed at having a try at the new year level, mix with different students in their cohort and getting to know different teachers.  A transition program is crucial to help students smoothly adjust academically and socially to the new learning environments. It aims to ease the anxiety and stress associated with change, fostering a positive initial experience.  Todays session groups will not necessarily be you child’s class grouping or teacher for next year.  All students will meet their class teacher and class group for 2024 on Tuesday 12 December when we host a whole school transition day from 9:15 to 2pm.  If your child or family will be away on this day we will communicate with you who their class teacher and where their classroom will be located.  Additional transition sessions for some students will occur after the 12 of December.

Suada Dzaferovic

Vice Principal

At Toorak PS we use a whole School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) which is a framework that brings together school communities to develop positive, safe, supportive learning cultures. SWPBS assists Toorak Primary School students to improve social, emotional, behavioural and academic outcomes. Below you will see a copy of our whole school matrix which outlines prosocial behaviours that are positively stated and endorsed to keep children safe in various areas across our school. These behaviours are explicitly taught through age-appropriate activities in classroom based lessons. Adults in our school community, seek to recognise students who demonstrate these behaviours through the use of tangible and verbal acknowledgements.

Teachers at our school use a multi-tiered approach to provide support and interventions for students tailored at their point of need. We respond to inappropriate behaviours using a consistent process which encourages reteaching students what behaviour is expected of them when they fail to do so e.g. how to take turns or how to use manners. 

Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR)

RR supports students to develop the knowledge and skills to strengthen their sense of self and build and manage respectful relationships. Respectful Relationships acknowledges that children of any age have challenges to overcome. The learning materials in this program have been developed by world-leading experts from, The University of Melbourne. These-age appropriate resources align to the Victorian Curriculum and include lesson plans and activities that help students learn and practise social skills and apply them in a positive way to learning, life and relationships. There are eight topics for each year level which further information about these can be accessed via our school website.

The RRRR programme teaches students how to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence. Students will be developing respectful relationships, with a focus on Gender and Identity and Positive Gender Relations throughout topics 7 & 8. At the start of each term, communication is sent out to families, detailing what will be covered in wellbeing lessons for the term via the Wellbeing Team. 

Warm regards,

Wellbeing Team,

Margaret Whitford, Maddy Paslis, Cassie Wilson