Principal Team's Report

This fortnight...

It's so fabulous to walk around our classes and experience the buzz of our learners hard at work! During every minute of every lesson, our students are given the chance to respond to the teacher, showing their understanding of concepts by giving a 'thumbs up', writing on their whiteboard, chorally responding, answering a cold call question, turning and talking to a partner or simply by tracking what the teacher is reading. Our teachers are providing Explicit Direct Instruction in their lessons and focusing on having students master the foundations of concepts so that they become confident and competent learners. The quality of learning being completed by our students is of an exemplary level, and all members of our community should be very proud of the efforts of our staff and students.

Another highlight of this past fortnight has been spending time in our Breakfast Club in the mornings. It's a hive of activity in the Multi-Purpose Room, expertly run by Miss Kym and Miss Bredin each morning. We have over 100 students and their families come and enjoy spaghetti on toast, cereal, toast, fruit, milk and even chicken soup for breakfast! Our latest offerings of banana smoothies and carrot sticks have also been a hit! Hearing students sit and chat in the mornings, seeing families enjoying the meal together and witnessing the interactions between students and our staff as they come and get their breakfast really does fill my happiness bucket! 

Parent and Carers - We want to hear your voice!

Our school is conducting the annual Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey offered by the Department of Education and is seeking your feedback. The survey is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage and appreciate your participation.

Our school will use the survey results to assist in identifying areas for improvement and professional development needs in the school, to target school planning and improvement strategies. 

The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey will be open online from Monday, 18 August to Friday, 19 September 2025.

All families are encouraged to complete the survey.

The survey will be conducted online and only takes about 15-20 minutes. It can be accessed on desktop computers, laptops, tablets and smartphones. It is available in English as well as 10 other languages, including Hindi, Arabic, Punjabi and Simplified Chinese. 

The survey link and log in information (below) will be active from Monday 18th August. 

https://research.orima.com/parent 

PIN: 641896

BYOD 2026 reminder - Year 3 and 4 Families

It is wonderful to see such an overwhelmingly positive response to our BYOD program for 2026! We have been sent order numbers from Learning With Technologies, and there are already a large number of devices that have been ordered by families - this is so exciting for us. 

The order portal is now open at https://pakenhamsprings.orderportal.com.au/ 

Or CLICK here...

We are also aware that there are some families who have purchased a device privately (or are planning to do so). If you have purchased a device privately, we ask that you please send through an email (renee.cotterell@education.vic.gov.au) letting us know that you have done so, and also letting us know the make/model/details of the device purchased. This will assist us with our planning for next year. We will organise a time where privately owned devices can be brought up to the school, and we can ensure that internet connection for them is all set and ready to go for the beginning of the 2026 school year. 

Planning for 2026

This is the time of year that we begin planning our workforce and class structures for 2026. If you do not anticipate your child being at Pakenham Springs in 2026, please let us know immediately for planning purposes (this does not include our current Year 6 students). If you have a younger child who will be starting Prep next year and haven't already submitted your enrolment forms, please visit the office immediately so that you do not miss important transition information.

Each year, we get many requests from parents regarding placing their child/ren in classes for the coming year. Class placements take many hours of discussion and take into account many different factors, including compatible groups of students (based on teachers' observations of how students learn together), balance of academic ability, the need for additional learning assistant support and an overall gender balance. Please note that requests for particular teachers, or requests not to have particular teachers, will not be considered, nor will requests for placing students with a certain 'friend' or keeping them away from a student they may have had problems with in the past. If you believe you have information that should be considered when placing your child in a class for next year, please submit this in writing directly to the Principal on renee.cotterell@education.vic.gov.au.

Please see our Class Placement Policy for further information. Class Placement Policy 

Attendance Reminder

Daily school attendance is important for all children and young people to succeed in education and to ensure they don't fall behind both socially and developmentally. Children and young people who regularly attend school and complete Year 12 or an equivalent qualification have better health outcomes, better employment outcomes, and higher incomes across their lives. It is important that children develop habits of regular attendance at an early age.

School participation is important as it maximises life opportunities for children and young people by providing them with education and support networks. School helps people to develop important skills, knowledge and values which set them up for further learning and participation in their community.

If you need support in establishing regular school attendance patterns with your child/ren, please contact your classroom teacher or our office staff.

Communication with staff

Please remember that our staff are doing their best to provide a positive, safe and supportive educational environment for all members of the community. We understand that sometimes a parent or carer may require further information about an incident that has happened at school. This clarification must be done in a respectful manner. Our staff have the right to be safe at work, and any abuse or explicit language towards staff will not be tolerated. Please see the Department's Respectful Behaviours Within the School Community Policy for more information.

Uniform Reminders

Please remember that the Pakenham Springs Uniform guidelines are very clear about what is/is not permitted at our school. This policy was developed by School Council and has been recently reviewed and approved. We are very clear on our expectations around jewellery, hair colour, nails and other uniform items. Please ensure you are familiar with the expectations and seek clarification if required. If a student is non-compliant with the Uniform guidelines, a Compass note will be sent to the parent for immediate attention. While we understand that sometimes a uniform item may get lost or be unwearable for a short amount of time, upholding our standards, ensuring safety for all students and showing pride in our school is a priority for our staff.

Parking and Road Safety

Cardinia Council has received a concerning increase in the reports regarding illegal parking, dangerous driving and pedestrian safety around schools across the Shire. Together with Cardinia Shire Council, we wish to remind all drivers of the importance of safety and adhering to road rules when parking around the school, at pick-up and drop-off times.

To ensure the safety of all pedestrians, students and members of our school community, we ask that you:

• Park only in designated areas: parking is not permitted on nature strips, no-stopping zones, no-parking zones, bus zones or areas reserved for staff (internal carpark areas). Please adhere to all signage and the road rules.
• Follow drop-off and pick-up procedures: use the designated drop-off and pick-up zones to ensure a smooth and safe flow of traffic.
• Be mindful of pedestrians: Follow directions from School Crossing Supervisors and take extra caution during peak times when children are arriving or leaving school.
• Be respectful: Council Parking Officers are required to conduct regular patrols around the school to ensure safety. Please be respectful and courteous.

Supervision before school

Students are not to arrive at school until 8:30 am on school mornings.  Staff do not begin their workday until this time, and there is insufficient supervision available in the mornings.  Any student arriving before 8:30 am will be asked to sit at the office and wait. We ask for your support in this matter.  Likewise, under no circumstances are students allowed to leave the school grounds in the morning and go across to the shops.  Not only is this incredibly unsafe, with them crossing the busy Heritage BLVD road unsupervised, but a small number of students are also coming back having purchased items inappropriate for the school day.  

Please contact OSHClub if you need to organise care and supervision for your child/ren outside of 8:30 am - 3:30 pm.

Have a wonderful fortnight,

The PSPS Leadership Team