Principal's Report

Dear Members of the Glen Waverley Primary School Community,

I trust all is well with you and your family and welcome to the final newsletter for the term where so much is shared about our wonderful school.

As per usual, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me on 9802 9938 or via email at frank.catalano@education.vic.gov.au.

End of Term Three

I find it difficult to believe that next Friday is the final day of Term Three and that we are three quarters of the way through the 2025 school year – where has the time, term and year gone? Nevertheless, a sincere thank you to the children, their families and our amazing school staff for an outstanding term and I look forward to this continuing after the school holidays. 

Father’s Day

By the time this newsletter is distributed, Father's Day may be a distant memory for most, however I sincerely hope that everyone enjoyed their Father's Day festivities and the gifts the children purchased from our school stall. Also, may I take this opportunity to thank all the parents that assisted on the stall and the school staff who worked diligently to organise the gifts and set up. Well done and thank you everyone! 

Victorian State School Spectacular (VSSS)

This year’s VSSS is being held on Saturday, and may I take the opportunity to thank and congratulate all of the children involved. As always, it promises to be an incredible event that the students, their families and staff will fondly remember for many years to come. 

Congratulations, well done and thank you to the following students who have spent numerous hours rehearsing and preparing at school and also at home: 

Mass Choir:

• Shenelle 
• Jamie 
• Thinuli 
• Vivienne 
• Myraa 
• Sithev 
• Jathy 
• Aria 
• Ryleigh 
• Nicholas 
• Samiksha 
• Chloe 
• Manuth 
• Senoli 
• Aria 
• Kenu 
• Vidhi 
• Hasan 
• Gowri 
• Devanshi 
• Anuki 
• Klarissa 
• Nethanya 
• Nina 
• Aadhavan 

Mass Dance:

• Yuhas  
• Asees 
• Abiru 
• Arya W 
• Akeesha 
• Kesar 
• Aishwarya 
• Ellia 
• Ranuli 
• Tharshanna 
• Krisha A 
• Evin  
• Ngo-shun 
• Aanya 
• Onalee  
• Sahana  

Also, congratulations to Akshara (Year 5) and Theo (Year 4) for their outstanding achievements. 

Akshara was selected as one of the principal vocalists - a remarkable accomplishment, as these highly sought-after roles are usually awarded to secondary school students! 

Theo also achieved something extraordinary, being chosen for the VSSS choir in Year 4. Choir positions are generally offered to secondary school students, with a small proportion to those in Years 5 and 6.

Selection for these roles is no easy feat as the process is extensive and highly competitive, requiring countless hours of practice and dedication. Both Akshara and Theo, along with their families, committed to numerous rehearsals throughout the year, many of which were held on weekends. We are incredibly proud of them and hope they are just as proud of themselves - well done, congratulations and thank you to both of you!

May I also extend our sincere thanks to the families of all children involved in this year’s State School Spectacular. We understand the significant time commitment required, but we know this has provided the children with an unforgettable experience.

Finally, our school’s involvement in the Victorian State School Spectacular would not have been possible without the dedication of our staff. A heartfelt thank you to Ms. Cecconello and Ms. Bayly for leading the Mass Choir and Mass Dances respectively, and for their outstanding coordination and leadership throughout the year. Thank you also to Ms. Aung (Sabrina), Michael, Helen and Ms. Seach for their invaluable support.

Congratulations and well done to everyone!

Year 6 Camp

Congratulations to our Year 6 students who had a wonderful time at Camp Adanac where the children were able to experience activities such as flying fox, cooking, aqua ponding, low ropes, beach volleyball, hut building, archery, canoeing, disc golf, trampolining, cage soccer, tread wall and pickleball. All in all, everyone had a wonderful time as they not only developed their resilience and social skills, but also the importance of developing their independence and organisational skills.

A sincere thank you to the various staff members who attended and to the Year 6 Teaching Team for their outstanding organisation. Well done everyone! 

Chess Team

Congratulations, well done and thank you to the children who recently represented our school in the two Northern Star Zonal events. The children performed exceptionally well and placed a very convincing first in one and second in the other.

Congratulations to the following students who received individual awards:

Tournament One:

• Sarvang (Year 6) High Distinction and Star of the Tournament Trophy
• Aadyah (Year 5) High Distinction and Grade 5/6 Silver Medal
• Manish (Year 4) High Distinction and Grade 3/4 Gold Medal
• Reyan (Year 6) Distinction and Grade 5/6 Bronze medal 
• Reyashi (Year 3) Girls Silver Medal 
• Klarissa (Year 4) Girls Bronze Medal 
• Amaya (Year 5) High Distinction and Star of the Tournament Trophy
• Reyansh (Year 4) High Distinction and Grade 3/4 Gold Medal
• Manish (Year 4) Distinction and Grade 3/4 Silver Medal
• Reyan (Year 6) Distinction 
• Ayaan (Year 5) Distinction
• Agastya (Year 4) Credit
• Aaren (Year 3) Credit 

Tournament Two:

As always, thank you to the parents who supported the children, and we look forward to the State semi – finals and Grand Finals next term. Well done and thank you everyone!

Department of Education Review 

This week we finalised the Department of Education Review and I am extremely proud to report that it was very successful. Over the next four years our Goals and Key Improvement Strategies are as follows:

Goal 1: To maximise learning growth for all students in English and Mathematics.

• Strengthen instructional leadership to ensure whole school consistency in teaching and learning

• Strengthen teacher capacity to analyse and use learning and wellbeing data to implement responsive teaching 

• Strengthen teacher knowledge and practice to activate student voice and learner agency so students can act as partners in improving outcomes.

Goal 2: To maximise wellbeing and engagement for all students

• Strengthen a whole-school approach to inclusion, wellbeing, and engagement 

• Build staff knowledge and capacity to provide universal adjustments, Tier 1, 2 and 3 support strategies and interventions to successfully meet the wellbeing and learning needs of students

• Increase school and family partnerships as a key strategy to improve student learning and wellbeing outcomes

Once again, thank you to everyone who was involved in our review, and I look forward to implementing the above goals and key improvement strategies over the next four years.

Australian Primary Principals Association (APPA) Conference 

Earlier this month, Ms. Seach and I had the privilege of attending the APPA Conference, where leading educators, researchers, and inspirational speakers shared insights on leadership, wellbeing, and learning. The sessions provided valuable lessons not only for school leaders but also for the ways we support children in their growth and development.

Olympic swimmer Libby Trickett spoke about resilience, teamwork, and leadership, drawing on her own sporting highs and lows. She reminded us that while setbacks can feel overwhelming, adopting an “abundance mindset” and focusing on teamwork can unlock extraordinary achievements. Her reflections reinforced the importance of mental health as the foundation for success, in sport, education, and life.

Dr. Gemma Munro challenged the hustle culture many of us experience and encouraged a shift towards calm, intentional, and authentic ways of working. By quieting the “lizard brain” of self-doubt, making decisions with both heart and intuition, and pausing to gain perspective, she highlighted how sustainable peak performance comes from balance rather than busyness.

I also attended two sessions with Dr. Justin Coulson, who explored emotional intelligence and leadership. He emphasised the importance of asking children curiosity-driven questions to help them build self-awareness, rather than cornering them with “Why did you do that?” He also spoke about the “connection gap” in modern schools, reminding us that trust and genuine relationships remain central to effective learning communities.

Dr. Kirstin Ferguson shared her model of “Head and Heart” leadership, which combines intellectual qualities such as wisdom and perspective with emotional qualities such as humility, courage, and empathy. Her message connected strongly with the coaching work our leadership team has been engaging in and provided practical tools for reflection and growth.

Overall, the conference was an excellent opportunity for Ms. Seach and I to reflect on my own leadership, explore new approaches, and consider how these insights might enhance our culture of wellbeing and learning at Glen Waverley Primary School. I look forward to sharing more of these ideas with parents, staff and students as we continue our journey together.

Vacation Care Program

Our school will be implementing our very own Vacation Care (Holiday Care) program during the forthcoming holidays. Included in this newsletter is an overview of the program and the associated costs. 

Please be aware that ALL FAMILIES are entitled to a 50% rebate (which is not means tested) plus a further rebate which is determined by your family’s 2023-2024 annual taxable income. 

If you have any questions pertaining to the Vacation Care program, please do not hesitate to contact or see Meththa (OSHC coordinator) or me at school. 

What’s planned for our school during the school holidays?

Throughout the forthcoming school holidays, we plan to continue works associated with the new Year 6 play and recreational area. I am hopeful that this project will be completed this year. 

I look forward to sharing photos in the first newsletter of Term Four. 

Arrangements for Friday 19th September – the final day of Term

As we approach the end of Term Three, please be aware of the arrangements:

• The students will be dismissed at 2:30 pm 
• Our After School Care Program will operate from this earlier dismissal time
• As is tradition on the last day of term, students are invited to wear free dress 
• This term, we ask for a gold coin donation to support Kesar (Year 6) who has been selected to represent Victoria in the National Badminton championships which are being held during the September school holidays.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS WHO RECEIVED A PRINCIPAL’S AWARD RECENTLY: 

Year Prep 

• Kristine and Teyara for learning so much about maths 

Year 1

• Tatiana for receiving a medallion from her gymnastics club for placing second in a recent competition 

• Ohana for being a wonderful friend 
• Evaan for completing his home learning to a very high standard at all times 

Year 2

• Isabella, Aria, Aishira, Senuki, Neehira, Sahana, Aiden, Sadev and Nikan for creating very complicated spaghetti and marshmallow 3D shapes such as triangular prisms and cubes, and for being able to solve equations involving missing angles 
• Shebl, Samar, Myra, Ruhani and Atiya for creating very complicated spaghetti and marshmallow 3D shapes such as triangular prisms and cubes 

Year 3

• Thiruni, Saanvi, Eva, Alex and Keonna for raising $120.30 for our sister school
• Jamie for writing a terrific persuasive letter asking for a big trampoline in our school 
• Alina and Abisshna for being wonderful friends 
• Fabiana and Ryleigh for making amazing progress with their writing as featured in the Kids Corner section of this newsletter 
• Vicky, Ryleigh, Vedanshi, Chloe P, Satvi, Sansa, Samiksha and Maryam for writing a fantastic speech about protecting and looking after the green fence near the year 3 and 4 playground 
• Satvi and Samiksha for writing a fantastic letter about the importance of asking for help 

Year 4

• Krishna and Aarav for writing very detailed biographies of Mohammed Ali 
• Evelyn and Aneel for making the most amazing progress with their understanding and application of maths 
• Reyansh for writing and recording a conversation in Mandarin about his hobbies 
• Prahan for being a wonderful friend 

Year 5

• Kellie, Ravya and Ellie for researching, writing and presenting a very informative presentation about the three levels of government in Australia 
• Win, Alex, Sarah and Rayon for creating very detailed 6 Framed Story Maps as part of an English lesson 

Wishing everyone a safe and happy fortnight. Enjoy the school holidays and I look forward to seeing everyone on Monday 6 October. 

Frank Catalano

Principal