Principal Report - 

Mrs Cameron

A big thank you to all parents and carers who attended our recent Meet and Greets with classroom teachers. The partnership between home and school is an incredibly important one and we will be sure to reach out to families throughout the term. Equally, I encourage all parents and carers to contact the school with any questions or queries regarding your child’s learning and wellbeing. Compass is the most effective way to communicate directly with your child’s classroom teacher and for a member of the leadership team please call the office on 5221 3772.

A reminder, for parents and carers of students in Foundation, we are giving our students a little more time to settle in and your Meet and Greets with classroom teachers is scheduled for Wednesday 18th March. 

Our new furniture has arrived! 

This week we received delivery of all new furniture for each of the Departments across the school. You will recall, this is the result of the fundraising efforts from our 2025 Christmas Fair and some extra support from our F&F Association fundraising. Students were very excited to see their classrooms come together. Below are pictures from our 5/6 Department. The 3/4 Department will be completed tomorrow with the assembly of all new furniture. 

I would especially like to thank Greg, our maintenance and grounds coordinator for his mammoth effort today in assisting with the dispersal of items across the school and to our staff and students for their flexibility with learning spaces. Special Mention to 56T who enjoyed their maths lesson on the green surface today. 

FPPS Colour Run and Family BBQ

Save the date – Wednesday 1st April – 3.45pm – 5.45pm

Our F&F association have been working behind the scenes to plan for this year’s event which is going to be bigger and better than ever. 

This year we have partnered with Colour Blast fundraising so that students can seek donations for each of their laps completed and their participation in this year’s event. 

Our fundraising target for the Colour Run is $6,000 with all funds raised is going towards the development of our new play area - "The Dig Pit" with construction having already commenced.

Please see below a DRAFT Image for inspiration

Currently, students from all year levels have been enjoying using the long jump pit for digging tunnels and building hills, for creative play in the environment. At students’ request, we support the idea of building an area, purpose built for such activities. This is one of many examples of student voice in action! 

Event entry is $5 per student, with each child receiving their own pair of Colour Blast sunglasses and enough powder colour for the duration of the event. Students can also seek donations in support of our schools fundraising target from family members and friends for each lap they run or walk. Remember kids -  wear a white tee shirt!

Each lap, students will be showered in colour from various stations established around the school oval. The Colour Run is a hugely popular event on the FPPS calendar, and the staff and I are looking forward to getting involved in the fun. We encourage all parents to wear their white t-shirt and get involved on the night.

Please register your child for this year’s event by clicking on the link below.

 https://colourblast.com.au/registration/?fyansparkprimary

The Family BBQ and games on the oval with Kelly Club will commence from 3.45pm with the Colour Blast to commence from 4.45pm. 

With the support of our F&F and student leaders who have assisted to source donations from local businesses, we will be holding a Sausage Sizzle, with drinks, and Zooper Doopers also on sale on the night. 

EFTPOS will be available on the night and is the preferred method of payment with a small float for cash sales if necessary. 

Taking inspiration from the ancient Hindu festival of Holi, our annual Colour Run first commenced in 2020 just prior to the pandemic, was inspired by Holi, a popular and significant Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours. The traditions of Holi celebrate the triumph of good and serve as a reminder to be thankful for the difficulties we face in life and the lessons they teach us. Through adopting this attitude, similarly to the teachings of The Resilience Project here at Fyans Park, we can re-frame the challenges we face in life as opportunities for personal development and growth and in addition, further strengthening our cultural connections.

A reminder to parents and carers that we are encouraging the whole family to join in the fun this year so please wear your white clothes and join in the fun with students and staff. 

Buildings and Grounds Update

You will now see temporary fencing surrounding the retaining wall along the Cook Street driveway. The school has been informed by the VSBA (Victorian School Building Authority) that an engineer has been engaged to re-design the wall and once complete, along with the funding application, a tender process will commence for the new/repaired retaining wall. Student safety is our priority and while the structure is sound, it requires extensive work to ensure its sustainability and the temporary fencing will remain to ensure students stay off the area.

NAPLAN 2026

Teachers are working with students in Years 3 and 5 this term in best supporting them to be prepared and confident as we head into the NAPLAN Assessment Period later this term. By allowing students time to ask questions about the purpose and expectations of NAPLAN, we are hopeful to alleviate any concerns or worries for students, prior to the assessments taking place. Our processes have ensured over the last few years, that students enter the assessments confident and ready to put in their best efforts. 

Rather than teach to the tests, our teaching teams prepare students by unpacking the skills required to respond to questions, use worked examples, we encourage the use of paper to show their working out, brainstorm strategies that can be utilised for different question types and discuss answers. This explicit focus in our teaching also impacts on students in Years 4 and 6 who will be undertaking NAPLAN in 2027, so everyone benefits. 

The NAPLAN assessment program commences on the 11th of March until 23rd March this year. 

School Council Elections

Our School Council met earlier this week for the final meeting of the 2025 school term with our AGM and first official meeting for 2026 scheduled for Monday 23rd March. 

Thank you to those of you who have re- nominated or nominated for the first time for our Council in 2026.

School Council elections will take place this term and I encourage parents to read the information below and consider expressing interest for school council membership in 2026. We have an active and engaged School Council and welcome new members.

What do you need to do to stand for election?

The Principal will issue a Notice of Election and Call for Nominations following the commencement of Term 1 each year. All School Council elections must be completed by the end of March unless the usual timeline has been varied by the Minister. If you decide to stand for election, you can arrange for someone to nominate you as a candidate or you can nominate yourself in the Parent member category.

DET employees whose child is enrolled in a school in which they are not engaged in work, are eligible to nominate for Parent membership of the School Council at that school.

Once the nomination form is completed, return it to the Principal within the time stated on the Notice of Election. You will receive a Nomination Form Receipt via email or by hand following the receipt of your completed nomination.

If there are more nominations received than there are vacancies on Council, a ballot will be conducted during the two weeks after the call for nominations has closed. 

I encourage anyone considering School Council to contact me at the office on 5221 3772 or in person, I would be happy to discuss how parents contribute to our School Council or answer any questions you might have. 

School Council election process and timetable

Name of the School:  Fyans Park Primary School 

*** Please see Jane or Alison at the office for the nomination forms for School Council membership. To make this easier for families our admin team can also send these via email to be completed. 

Notice of election and call for nominations

The terms of office, membership categories and number of positions in each membership category open for election are as follows:

Have a terrific week.

Mrs Camer