Assistant Principals

Foundation Enrolments - now open for 2025!

If you have a child who is eligible to attend Foundation (Prep) in 2025 enrolments are now open. Please pick up enrolment forms from the office and return them in as soon as possible.

For additional detail regarding enrolment, you can find information and resources about the timeline, including factsheets, at: Enrolling in Foundation (Prep) 2025. To start primary school in 2025, your child will need to turn 5 years old by 30 April 2025.  Schooling is compulsory for children who have turned 6 years old.

On Wednesday 22nd May at 6pm, we will be holding our Foundation 2025 Information Evening. Please use this QR code to book your attendance.

Year 6-7 Transition to Secondary School

The transition from Year 6 into Year 7 is an exciting and important part of the final year of primary school for all students at Gilgai Plains Primary School. Our year 6 teachers and the staff at Gilgai Plains are here to make this process as easy as possible.

From Term 2, the transition process begins with a Year 6 to 7 Placement Information Pack 2024-2025 which was sent home last week regarding choices for the Secondary School families prefer for their Year 6 children. The pack includes important information, key dates and an application form that must be completed and returned to school by Friday May 10th.  If your child did not bring home this pack, please contact your child’s teacher immediately. It is important that you submit your Secondary School application form and follow the timeline accordingly. When completing the form, use Find my School to locate your local secondary school and read about School zones and Enrolling in school (links below).

Secondary Schools offer information sessions to parents regarding Year 6 to Year 7 transition. We strongly encourage you to make time to tour Secondary Schools as early as possible to ensure you are making an informed decision.

Parents/carers will be notified in Term 3 about their Secondary School choice. There is a state-wide transition orientation day for Year 6 students to visit their Secondary School early in December to assist with their transition for the following year.

Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or our Year 6-7 Transition Leader, Melissa Miller if you have any questions or need support through this process.

Useful Links

Department of Education Transition Website: https://www.vic.gov.au/moving-primary-secondary-school-information-parents-and-carers 

Find my School: https://www.findmyschool.vic.gov.au/ 

School Zones: https://www.vic.gov.au/school-zones 

Enrolling in school: https://www.vic.gov.au/how-choose-school-and-enrol

Building a National Picture of Child Health

Information for Foundation Families: Australian Early Development Census 

From May 2024, our school, along with thousands of others across the country, will participate in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC).

The AEDC is a teacher-completed census (similar to a questionnaire) which provides a comprehensive picture of how children have developed by the time they start their first year of full-time school.

The AEDC is an Australian Government Initiative and is completed nationally every three years.

Children don’t miss any class time while the AEDC is completed, and parents/carers don’t need to supply schools with any new information.

The data collected through the AEDC is used by schools, communities and governments to better understand children and families’ needs, and identify the services, resources and support they need.

AEDC data is reported at a school, community, state/territory and national level. AEDC results for individual children are not reported and the AEDC is not used as an individual diagnostic tool.

Some teachers have found that completing the AEDC made them more aware of the needs of individual children and their class, and that the data was useful for planning for transitions to Year 1 and developing programs.

Participation in the AEDC is voluntary, however the AEDC relies on all schools with children in their first year of full-time school participating in the collection. Parents/carers don’t need to take any action unless they choose not to include their children in the census.

To find out more about the AEDC and how it is being used to help children and families visit: www.aedc.gov.au.

If you have any questions, you can contact Mrs Lisa Walker on gilgai.plains.ps@education.vic.gov.au.