Principal's Report
By Frank Catalano
Dear Members of the Glen Waverley Primary School Community,
I trust all is well with you and your family and welcome to this fortnight’s newsletter where so much is shared about our wonderful school.
As per usual, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to see me at school or contact me on 9802 9938 or via email at frank.catalano@education.vic.gov.au
English Open Morning
May I take this opportunity to thank all the parents who attended our English Open Morning last week. It was wonderful to see so many families taking the time to come into classrooms, observe lessons and gain a deeper understanding of how English is taught and learnt at our school. Your attendance demonstrates the importance you place on your children’s learning and sends a powerful message to them that education is something we value and share together.
We strongly believe that the partnership between home and school is essential to student success. For this partnership to be most effective, it is important that parents understand not only what their children are learning, but also how they are learning.
As mentioned in previous newsletter items, our teaching approaches are informed by research and are designed to help students build strong foundations in reading, writing, spelling, vocabulary and comprehension. When parents understand these approaches, they are better placed to reinforce learning at home and have meaningful conversations with their children about their learning.
Thank you once again for your interest, your support and your willingness to work in partnership with our teachers. When home and school work together with a shared understanding of how children learn, our students are the ones who benefit most!
Thanks again everyone!
Congratulations to the following children for their recent achievements:
As written previously, one of the highlights and joy that I have as a school principal, is rejoicing in the children’s achievements both within and beyond our school. Below are some of the most recent achievements:
Shenelle (Year 4) chosen sport is rhythmic gymnastics and recently she participated in the 2026 Tatiana Loukianenko Cup, organised by Melbourne RG Academy. Shenelle competed in the High Performance Category for the 8–10 age group and I am thrilled to share that she placed 1st in all three of her routines, earning her the title of All-Round Champion in the Development Level.
Wow Shenelle, this is fantastic – well done, congratulations, keep it up and I look forward to sharing more of your achievements in the near future!
Reyashi (Year 4) is an avid chess player whose skills are improving and developing at a rapid rate. Recently she participated in a Northern Star tournament, and I am very proud to report that she placed 1st, receiving a Gold medal for the Year 3 and 4 division.
Well done Reyanshi, keep up the fabulous commitment and I look forward to sharing more of your achievements soon.
Aneel (Year 5) has decided to complete something quite extraordinary, during the weekend of October 17–18, she is stepping completely outside her comfort zone to tackle an enormous endurance milestone. She will be walking 38 kilometres in a single day, trekking from St Kilda Pier all the way to Frankston Pier along the Port Phillip Bay Trail.
She is undertaking this continuous 10-hour pavement journey to raise vital funds for the Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation. As an active squad gymnast and runner, Aneel understands dedication, but a road trek of this magnitude is a monumental physical and mental feat for a child 10 years of age.
Aneel has launched an official MyCause fundraising campaign with the objective to raise $3,800, representing exactly $100 for every single kilometre she walks i.e. 38km. to support this endeavour, Aneel has begun a very disciplined 9-week weekend training program with her dad coaching her on the trails and her brother, Rayansh, acting as cheerleader 🙂.
Please consider assisting Aneel with her quest to raise $100 by donating at:
100% of all public contributions flow securely and directly to the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation.
Wow Aneel, what an amazing feat and generous gesture – best wishes with your training and campaign and we all look forward to hearing how you go and how much you raise!
Oneli (Year 5) was awarded 3rd Place in the Woodwind Solo Category (AMEB Prelim Grade 2), receiving a bronze medal for her incredible performance, when she participated in the Monash Youth Music Festival!
We are incredibly proud of her achievement. Her dedication, perseverance, and passion for music have been recognised through this accomplishment, and it is a memorable milestone in her musical journey.
Her parents would also like to acknowledge the support and encouragement provided by the school and her teachers, which have helped nurture her confidence and talents over the years.
Congratulations Oneli on this fantastic achievement! Keep on pursuing your musical passion and strive for excellence!
Year 6 Camp
Congratulations to our Year 6 students and staff on what was a fantastic and highly successful camp at Forest Edge. The students embraced the experience with enthusiasm, courage and a wonderful sense of adventure as they experienced the flying fox, bush art, scavenger hunting, camp cooking, archery, bushwalking, 9 square and crate climbing. On top of this, invaluable skills such as independence, organisation and the ability to experience some time away from family members.
What was particularly pleasing was the attitude of our students throughout the camp and the exemplary behaviour they displayed. From the moment they arrived, they demonstrated our school values and were prepared to have a go at everything that was put in front of them.
A huge thank you to our dedicated Year 6 teachers and staff who planned, organised and participated in the camp. A camp of this size requires an enormous amount of preparation, commitment and energy, and our staff ensured that the experience was safe, well organised and, most importantly, enjoyable for everyone. We are incredibly proud of our Year 6 students and the way they represented Glen Waverley Primary School. Well done to everyone involved on a memorable Year 6 camp!
Jeans for Genes Day
Thank you to everyone who supported the Service Learning Junior School Council’s latest initiative, please refer to Ms. Tsang’s report below:
Total money raised for Jeans for Genes Australia: $584.80
On Wednesday, 12 August, Glen Waverley Primary School came together to celebrate Jeans for Genes Day! Students and staff proudly wore their favourite denim outfits, creating a fun and colourful day across the school.
Jeans for Genes Day raises funds for the Children’s Medical Research Institute (CMRI), supporting vital research into genetic diseases, birth defects and childhood cancers.
We are incredibly proud of our school community for raising an amazing $584.80 this year! Our goal was to beat last year’s total of $469.20, and we were thrilled to surpass it by $115.60.
A huge thank you to all our students, families and staff for your generosity and support. Together, we have made a wonderful contribution to this important cause!
Well done, Glen Waverley Primary School!
I am often in awe of the children’s willingness to assist others, and recently this was evident when the following Year 5 children, Advika, Saanvi, Keonna, Mahroosh, Alex, Eva and Thiruni, made bracelets, loom bands and other items to support Jeans for Genes Day.
I am incredibly proud to report that the children raised an additional $94 for this very worthwhile cause but much more importantly, they demonstrated that a little bit of extra is all it takes to accomplish something extraordinary.
Eva, Alex, Keonna, Thiruni, Advika, Saanvi and Mahroosh, I cannot express how proud I am of you – well done, thank you and congratulations!
100 Days of Prep
Last Friday, our Prep learners celebrated their 100th day of school in wonderful style, please refer to Mrs. Byrne’s report below:
Celebrated on Friday 14th August 2026
Our students arrived with big smiles and wonderful costumes to help mark this very special milestone in their learning journey.
There were some fantastic and creative outfits on display. We had students dressed as 100-year-olds, while others wore clothing decorated with 100 items that had been glued, sewn or attached. Each student and Prep teacher, shared in the wonderful celebration of the incredible achievement of reaching 100 days of learning.
One of the highlights of the day was a very special visit from our 100-year-old Principal. Dressed in a long wig and doing his very best to convince the students that he was not Mr. Catalano certainly gave everyone a laugh. However, our clever Prep students were 100 days smarter and quickly worked out that this was Mr Catalano in disguise.
We captured some special photos in the hallway in front of our beautiful balloon garland, before beginning our 100 Days of Learning activities. The students watched a video about why we are celebrating 100 days of learning and reflected on all the learning they have done since starting Prep. We talked about how much we have grown, the new things we can do and all the knowledge and skills we have developed along the way.
Our students also created their very own 100 Days crowns and practised counting to 100 throughout the day. There were lots of opportunities to count, think, talk, create and celebrate together.
As the afternoon concluded and it was time to pack up for home time, our Prep students and teachers reflected on what was a truly enjoyable and memorable day. We are incredibly proud of how much our students have learned, grown and achieved.
What a wonderful milestone, we are all officially 100 Days Smarter!
Congratulations to the following students who received a Principal's Award recently:
Year Prep
- Selene, Rovin and Jayson for making the most amazing progress with their writing skills
- Aaradhya for being a wonderful friend
- Rehansa and Kate for learning about the importance of speaking with a trusted adult when they are worried about something
- Iva and Pranchi for working very hard to improve their English skills
- Riyon for making excellent progress with his artistic skills
Year 1
- Yenaya for writing a very clever piece about her classroom chair as featured in the kids corner section of the newsletter
- Vivaansh for making great choices by being an upstander!
- Aekarsh and Marley for working very hard to improve their understanding of maths problems
- Kriyansh, Aekarsh, Sohum and Viraaj for being really responsible by making time to keep our school grounds neat and tidy
Year 2
- Soren and Evaan for making amazing progress with their maths skills
- Elaine, Helios and Bavitran for working really, really hard to improve their handwriting
- Kowsigan, Sajunthan and Abir also for being really responsible by making time to keep our school grounds neat and tidy
- Saras for working very hard to improve his drawing and overall artistic skills
Year 3
- Ava, Sasavi, Savik, Ayara, Vivaan, Saambavi, and Aaradhyaa for working very hard to develop their handwriting skills
- Nairah and Tanvika for working very hard to improve their spelling skills
Year 4
- Shajika and Abisshna for working very hard on their English skills
- Louis, Visvajith, Omar, Binuka, Wilson and Thenura for working well together during Lego Club.
Wishing everyone a safe and happy fortnight,
Frank Catalano
Principal