Principal Report

Welcome to Week Ten of Term Two, our final newsletter for the term. It has been a wonderful term with lots of fantastic community events and many things to be proud of and recognise. I am particularly proud of our Prep students who have completed their first semester of schooling. They have done a fantastic job settling into school life and are valued members of the Highvale community. I am proud of all of the Highvale students, however, I recognise that our Year Six students are about to embark on their last semester of Primary School and I really look forward to witnessing what they will achieve and contribute in the second half of this year. 

Welcome to HPS 

This fortnight, we have had two new students begin their learning journey with us at Highvale. Welcome to HPS Oscar Z in 3CBB and welcome back to Lily M in 4A. We are sure you will both love being members 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

A child’s birthday is a very special occasion and every fortnight I will share this celebration by including the children’s names in our newsletter. Happy Birthday to the following students who will celebrate their special day throughout July: Cassie H, Joy P, Roy Z, Hannah L, Jingen N, Aaron G, Nicky Z, Jason L, Jenil P, Nimmrit L, Mikayla L, Benji T, Vitaliah L, Akith G, Anekha D, Aaditya V, Pritika G, Zachary C, Masa R, Sander H, Juliet T, Kaley C, Jovin D, Leo S, Katerina H, Akhil A, Jane Z, Anvita S, Hrnav S, Eli H, Dante D, Aaliyah M and Katerina W.

Attendance

Student attendance and addressing chronic absenteeism continues to be a focus across the state and within the Inner East Area. Each term, I am provided with a data set highlighting the students at Highvale who are ‘at risk’ of being considered chronically absent if their current attendance patterns continue. This term we had 90 students, who were identified 

as being on a path towards chronic absenteeism (7.5+ days absent). As a Leadership Team, we will continue to explore and implement strategies to prevent these students missing more days of school across 2025.  

Congratulations to the 191 students who have achieved 100% attendance so far in June. Some of these students include: Arjan B Prep FY, Fiora J Prep FY, Henry H D Prep B, Lucas L Prep B, Shringa S 1S, Violet G 1S, Max W 1D, Ewen L 1D, Kezia C 2S, Quintin C 2S, Jason L 2M, Xin Xin D 2M, Erica J 2J, Andrew C 2J, Angela L 3CBB, Luke D 3CBB, Olivia G 3J, Kaleb G 3J, Emily L 4A, Hunter Y 4A, Joshua H 4U, Emma L 4U, Sam T 5S, Violet W 5S, Crystal L 5X, Marwin H 5X, Renita D 6D and Darren S 6D

Here are some attendance figures for 2025 so far:

Remember: it is not ok to be away!

Mid Year Reports

Your child’s mid year report will be available from this Friday afternoon via Compass. Instructions on how to access and download the report will be available via Compass on Friday. For more information about mid year reports, please see your child’s teacher.  

Student Led Conferences

On Tuesday 1st July we will be holding Student-Led Conferences and regular classes will NOT run. Students will only attend school at the time of their scheduled conference. It is an expectation that all students will attend a student-led conference with their classroom teacher on the day. During their 15-minute conference session, students will take the lead—reflecting on their learning, showcasing work across various subjects, and sharing the pieces they are most proud of, explaining why they selected them. They will also discuss their future learning goals for Semester Two, setting clear targets for continued growth.  The last 5 minutes of the conference will allow for parents to ask questions of teachers or discuss any important matters.

Families also have the option to book a student-led conference with ONE specialist teacher only, should they wish to gain further insights into their child's learning for a particular specialist subject area. Sessions for specialist subjects have been limited to one session per student, to allow for more families within the school community to meet with specialist teachers. Any families that have booked multiple sessions with specialist teachers will be contacted. Please indicate when booking online if you require an interpreter.

We look forward to seeing our students take ownership of their learning and share their progress with pride. If you have any questions, please contact the office or your child’s classroom teacher.

Pyjama Day

On the last day of Term Two – next Friday 4th July we will be having a Pyjama Day. We are anticipating some cold wintery weather, so students (and staff) should come to school in their winter pyjamas, onesies, dressing gowns or Oodies. Students can also enjoy a snack pack (cinnamon donut, packet of plain chips and Freddo Frog) for morning tea. The snack packs will cost $4 and must be ordered via Compass under the Canteen section by Sunday 29th June.

Onsite Construction 

This week, Highvale Secondary College have started the reconstruction and repair of their tennis courts. These tennis courts are right on the boundary of our school and you can see these works from our driveway. Although these works do not directly impact us, it is important to note that this is happening and we have instructed students to stay well away from this ‘out of bounds’ area. 

Allied Health Professionals 

We are very excited to welcome Joanne Goh, our new Occupational Therapist to HPS. Joanne will work in conjunction with Andrea Perkins (Speech Therapist), Olivia Piplios (Provisional Psychologist) and Alexandra Fritsche (Counsellor) as part of the Allied Health Team. If you believe that your child requires any of the above services, please contact your child’s classroom teacher.  

Congratulations Sophie

Over the weekend, one of our staff members Sophie Stokes (Education Support)  was presented with two awards from the Victorian Athletics League (VAL). Sophie won an award for being the most consistent runner across the season. This award was voted on every week by the stewards and racing officials and is an honour to receive. The second award that Sophie was presented was Female sprinter of the Year. This is a huge accomplishment and something that Sophie should be very poud of. Sophie trains extremely hard and racing at this level takes a lot of focus, persistence and dedication. Congratulations Sophie, Highvale are very proud of you!

Prep 2026

We are currently conducting school tours and we are taking enrolments for 2026. It appears we have a lot of new families that are wanting to join us and become part of the Highvale Primary School Community. If you know of anyone who has a child that will be starting school in 2026, please let them know they are welcome to contact the office to book in a tour or use the Student Insights online portal to enrol. If you are having trouble with the portal, please contact the office and we can assist you. 

Financial Contributions 

Highvale Primary School sincerely thanks all parents and carers who have supported our school this year. Your generous contributions play a vital role in helping us enhance and enrich the educational experiences we offer our students. These contributions have enabled us to provide additional resources and opportunities beyond the standard curriculum. If you are yet to make contributions and would like to, please see Compass or come and visit us at the school office. You are helping to make Highvale a very special place for our students to learn and grow. 

ICAS Assessments 

This year we are excited to offer students in Years 3 to 6 the chance to participate in the ICAS academic competition. This is an internationally recognised program that provides students with additional opportunities to display their knowledge, skills and confidence across several areas of the Victorian Curriculum. ICAS is an optional program that gives you the freedom to choose which assessments your child participates in. If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please see the information on Compass or visit; icasassessments.com/products-icas/

Late Pick ups

We still have some students that are not being collected from school until after 3:45pm each day. Please ensure your child is collected at 3:30pm or as close to 3:30pm as possible. If you cannot arrange this, please enrol your child in TheirCare our OSHC (Out of School Hours Care) provider. Then you can do ‘pick up’ at a time that suits your family and the circumstances. 

Early Dismissal – Next Friday 

Friday 4th July is the last day of Term Two and students will be dismissed at 2:30pm. Please make arrangements for your child to be collected at 2:30pm on this day. If you are unable to organise this, please contact TheirCare to assist. 

Term Two Holidays

As this is the last newsletter for Term Two, we wish all HPS families a safe and enjoyable break. Term Three will commence on Monday 21st July and we hope to see all students back at school on this day.   

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 

Have a great week ahead HPS families,

Carly Epskamp

Acting Principal

carly.epskamp@education.vic.gov.au