Principal's Report

Jells Park Primary School

Principal:                        Kevin Oakey

                                          Kevin.Oakey@education.vic.gov.au

Principal &

Assistant Principal:    Kellie Stewart

                                         Kellie.Stewart@education.vic.gov.au

Assistant Principal:     Scott Zachariassen

                                          Scott.Zachariassen@education.vic.gov.au

Parent Contributions

A huge thank you to all the families that have recently made contributions to the school for ongoing operations and expenses - much appreciated and this will allow most of our operations to continue.

We are still a significant amount behind on a our budget with only 49% of families making contributions. We appreciate the tough times now (petrol up, interest rates up, etc), however if you can still consider making a contribution to the school, that would be great, even if it is just the Educational and Specialist contributions amount.

The JPPC (Parents Committee) are working hard on fundraising and we look forward to announcing some new plans for the junior playground fairly shortly.

Annual Report (2025)

In Term 2 we will hold a public meeting to release the 2025 Annual Report. We have some preliminary information from the Department of Education to show. While Jells Park PS is well known for its extra-curricular programs and its wellbeing programs, we also do pretty well academically. As this graphic shows, we are consistently above State and Similar schools in most categories.

These results below don’t just happen by chance - it is a credit to the students, the teachers, the leadership team and the school environment that we are performing so well.

10 Year Partnership with KidsHope

We received a certificate from KidsHope acknowledging our 10 year relationship with them and Waverley Baptist Church. This is a wonderful achievement and we get plenty of support for our children through this program. Congratulations to all those involved over the years.

Important Reminders / notes:

Excursions: parents are remindered that to attend a school excursion you must be allocated a role as Parent Helper - you cannot just turn up at the venue. All Parent Helpers have had their Working with Children Check verified, have acknowledged that they have read the Child Safe Standards, have been through the expectations of a Parent Helper and have been allocated a supervisory role. We also carefully manage Parent Helpers according to required ratios and responsibilities.

Parents that just turn up at excursions expecting to engage with the group and their child will be asked to leave. Please do not put teachers in a position where they have to do this.

Student Toilets: Can I request please that parents DO NOT use the student toilets - under the Child Safe Standards there should not be any adults using the same toilets as a student. Parents needing to go to the toilet are asked to use the unisex toilets, available in the Admin foyer, next to the Artroom door.

Hope everyone has a safe and relaxing School Holiday break.

Kevin Oakey

Principal

Canteen – feedback wanted

We are currently seeking parent feedback about our school canteen services, as we are exploring the possibility of changing our provider in 2027. Your insights are important to us and will help guide future decisions. Please submit any comments or suggestions in writing to kellie.stewart@education.vic.gov.au

Continuum Tracker

The Continuum Tracker on SENTRAL provides information about your child’s progress in relation to the Victorian Curriculum. The Continuum Tracker will be available for parents and carers to view today until the end of the school holidays. Green statements indicate elements of the curriculum your child has achieved, blue statements are things your child is working on and black indicates areas that have not yet been achieved. If you have any questions about your child’s progress please contact your child’s classroom teacher. Parents/Carers of Foundation students please note – the Continuum Tracker does not begin for Foundation students until mid year. 

Are you still carrying your child’s bag?

Promoting independence is an important part of every child’s school experience, and one simple way to support this is by encouraging students to carry their own bags to school. Taking responsibility for their belongings helps build resilience and gives students a sense of purpose at the start of the day—something particularly beneficial for children who find separation from parents challenging or who experience anxiety in the mornings. With the beginning of Term 2 approaching, now i a great time to consider supporting your child to take this step toward greater independence by carrying their own bag to and from school.

Happy Term 1 Holidays!

I would like to wish all our families a safe and enjoyable Easter and holiday break. I hope you find time to relax and recharge. The holidays are a wonderful opportunity to get out in nature with your children—whether it’s a walk in a local park, exploring a new bike track, or simply enjoying fresh air and time outdoors. I look forward to welcoming everyone back refreshed and ready for a positive start to Term 2.

Have a wonderful Easter break and holiday period!

Kellie Stewart

Assistant Principal / Acting Principal