Principal Report

Week Eight Newsletter

Welcome to our newsletter for Week Eight. It is hard to believe that we are already nearing the end of what has been a wonderful and productive term. Throughout Term One, our students have demonstrated great enthusiasm for learning, settled well into their classroom routines, and embraced the many opportunities available to them both in and out of the classroom. It has been fantastic to see students building strong foundations in their learning, developing friendships, and contributing positively to our school community. From classroom achievements, NAPLAN, Interschool Sports and incursions, it has certainly been a busy and rewarding term. As we move into the final weeks of the term, we look forward to continuing the great learning taking place across the school and celebrating the many successes of our students. Thank you to our dedicated families and staff for your ongoing support in making our school such a positive and vibrant place for our students to learn and grow.

Welcome to Highvale

We have had a new student begin their learning journey with us since our last newsletter. Welcome to HPS: Dhev J 4P. We are sure you will love being a member of our community. If there is anything that you would like to discuss or need assistance with, please contact the School Office on 9887 8000. We are always here to help!

Birthdays 

Happy Birthday to the following students who will celebrate their special day throughout March: Jaanudwaya T 2M, Aarnik A PFY, Sebastian Y 3C, Amber K 2M, Walter Z 2L, Adorna L 4P, Shawn N PA, Weien D 5S, Zara Z 6S, Owen X 2L, Carter C 2L, Owen L PA, Kai Yan D 5E, Harper K 5E, Hithen M 5M, Markus H 3C, Griva P 1P, Vishruth M 2L, Ian G 3A, Anna W 1GC, Ethan C 5E, Eleni K 6D. We hope you all have a terrific birthday.

Attendance

At Highvale Primary School we firmly believe that attending school every day plays a crucial role in shaping a child's educational journey. Regular attendance allows students to fully engage in classroom activities, discussions, and hands-on learning experiences. It provides them with the opportunity to grasp new concepts, ask questions and collaborate with their peers. Consistent attendance helps build a strong foundation of knowledge and skills, enabling children to excel academically. This term, we will be reinforcing the importance of attending school every day. 

Congratulations to the 280 students who have achieved 100% attendance in March so far. Some of these students include: Kelissa C PA, Rakith G PA, Norah G PFY, Desindu K PFY, Ace H 1P, Amika N 1P, Omar N 2M, Amika N 2M, Peter L 2L, Max W 2L, Kaylee S 3A, Adyant S 3A, Fiora X 3C, Kiaan D'Silva 3C, Xin Xin Dai 3L, Hua L 3L, Vinnie L 4C, Wey Xin S 4C, Chloe Q 4G, Aadi V 4G, Chen X 4P,  Roy Z 4P, Ene Z 5E, Jingen N 5E, Kaiyah P 5M, Navya P 5E, Megan C 5M, Oneli S 5M, Frederick P 5S, Ryan S 5S, James V 6T, Aadhi S 6T, Zara Z 6S, Isabella Z 6S, Chenxin Z 6D and Jack Z 6D.

Remember: It is not ok to be away!

School Council Elections

We are pleased to share that our 2026 School Council has now been formed, with our first meeting held on Tuesday evening. We extend our sincere thanks to all parents who nominated for a position on School Council: Lubna Ukani, Chamila Gunawardana, Kashmin Singh, Lee-Ming Tan, John Cheung, Xindi (Michelle) Wu, Bo Zhang, Cheuk Man (Ursula) Wong, Minghui Zhao, Sunil Aryal, Rachel Wong, Chitra Creta, Shinta Tjandra and Ryan Mullampy-Neaves. With 14 nominations received for 5 available parent member positions, an election ballot was conducted. We were very pleased to see 103 families participate in the voting process, reflecting strong community engagement. At our first meeting, office bearer roles were also appointed, and we look forward to working collaboratively with our new Council to support the ongoing success of our school.

Industrial Action

As you know, the Australian Education Union has called on its members to take strike action on Tuesday 24 March 2026. Based upon the information provided to me so far, we have a number of teachers who will be taking part in the strike action and therefore our program will be heavily modified, with some classes/ year levels not required to attend at all. Supervision will be provided for students if parents are critical services workers. 

In preparation for Tuesday, could you please fill in the following short survey indicating whether you anticipate your child attending school.  

Industrial Action Survey

More information will come via Compass across the next few days.  

Upcoming Community Events

Our next community event that is planned for this term is our HPS Sports Carnival on Wednesday 1st April from 2:15pm – 3:15pm. Please add this date to your calendar as we’d love to see as many families as possible. On Thursday 2nd March, we will be having an Easter Bonnet Parade for students in Years Prep – Two. This will be held on the basketball court at 9:15am. Again, we’d love to have parents join us. Next term, we will be having a Cross Country event on Wednesday 22nd April and also a Colour Run on Friday 1st May. More information on these two events will be available over the coming weeks. 

NAPLAN 2026

Congratulations to our Year Three and Five students who have now completed their NAPLAN assessments this week. We are very proud of the calm and positive way students approached each test and the effort they put into doing their best. NAPLAN provides a snapshot of student learning in literacy and numeracy and is just one of the many ways we understand and support student progress. Thank you to our students for their focus and perseverance and to our Year Three and Year Five staff for supporting them throughout the testing period.

Theircare

TheirCare is our school’s provider for before and after school care. We encourage all families to register their child’s details with TheirCare, even if you do not plan to use the service regularly. Registration is free and can be very helpful if you ever need to access care unexpectedly. For example, if you are running late and unable to collect your child at 3:30pm, having your child registered will make it much easier to arrange care on the day. Please register your child at your earliest convenience online or in person. 

Compass & Communication

The Compass parent portal is a key communication tool, which provides parents with access to information about their child’s academic progress, attendance, key dates, reports, upcoming events, payments, interview bookings and newsletters. Please ensure you can access this portal, as information is regularly shared through this service. If you are unable to access Compass, please phone Charlotte or Kate in the Office on 9887 8000.

Tissues 

If possible, it would be much appreciated if each student could please contribute a box of tissues to the classroom supply. These come in very handy throughout the day for small spills and for students to blow their nose if they have caught a cold. Please provide a box of tissues to your child’s classroom teacher at your earliest convenience. These will be stored in the classroom until needed. 

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS 

Kids Help - kidshelpline.com.au phone 1800 55 1800 

Parent Line - betterhealth.vic.gov.au phone 13 22 89 

Headspace - headspace.org.au phone 1800 650 890 

eSafety Commissioner - esafety.gov.au - Advice for parents and carers to help children have safe experiences online 

Thank you for your ongoing partnership and support — together, we continue to create a positive, inclusive and high-expectations learning environment for every child.

Have a great week ahead HPS families,

Carly Epskamp