Principals' News 

Principal News 16/10/2026

Dear Banyan Fields Primary School Community,

Welcome back to Term 4! We hope our families enjoyed a restful break and are ready for a positive and productive finish to 2026. This term brings many opportunities to celebrate learning, enjoy new experiences and prepare for the year ahead. Thank you for your ongoing partnership in helping our students learn and thrive.

Tenacity: We try, we learn, we never give up.

Attendance Arrive To Thrive:

Regular attendance and arriving on time help students build strong learning routines, maintain friendships and make the most of every school day. With a busy term ahead, consistent attendance will also help children participate fully in end-of-year learning, celebrations and transition activities.

On time, ready to learn: Our school day begins at 8:45 am. Arriving on time helps students settle calmly and participate in their morning routine.

Every day matters: Please plan appointments outside school hours wherever possible and minimise avoidable absences.

Notifying absences: If your child is unwell or unable to attend, please record their absence promptly through Compass or contact the office.

Working together: If getting your child to school is becoming difficult, please speak with their classroom teacher or a member of leadership so we can support you.

Our weekly attendance awards will continue to celebrate strong class attendance across Foundation–Year 2 and Years 3–6. Thank you for helping your child Arrive to Thrive!

Athletics

Last Wednesday, students from Banyan Fields PS attended Mornington Athletics Track for the Division Athletics. Congratulations to everyone who attended, 

• Krystal Yr 6– Hurdles 6th
• Emma B – Hurdles 5th
• Summer Yr 5 – Shot Put 4th & Discus 3rd
• Noah D Yr 5 – 100m Sprint 4th
• Ryder L  Yr 5 – High Jump 3rd
• Sam R Yr 4 – Discus 3rd
• Denver Yr 5 – Discus 8th

Equity: We include, we respect, we support.

SunSmart – Hats Required in Term 4

As the weather warms up, please ensure your child brings their school-approved broad-brimmed hat each day. Hats are required during outdoor activities, including recess, lunch, sport and PE.

• No hat, play in the shade: Students without a suitable hat will be directed to designated shaded areas.
• Label hats clearly: Please include your child’s name so misplaced hats can be returned.
• Come prepared: Please send a refillable water bottle each day and encourage your child to practise sun protection habits.

Thank you for supporting these routines and helping our students enjoy outdoor learning and play safely.

Synergy: We listen, we learn, we grow together.

Transitions and Planning – Supporting Students for 2027

As we approach the end of 2026, staff are preparing to help every student move confidently into their next year of learning.

Smooth transitions: Students will participate in activities that build familiarity with new routines, learning spaces and expectations. We will also welcome our incoming Foundation students and support them as they prepare to begin school.

Student voice: Teachers will consider students’ strengths, learning needs and social connections as part of our class placement process.

Class formation for 2027: Staff will review learning data, wellbeing needs and friendships to create balanced and supportive classes. Information about 2027 classes and teachers will be shared with families later in the term.

Year 6 to Year 7: Our Year 6 students will prepare for secondary school through transition activities and opportunities to discuss the changes ahead. Families are encouraged to check communications from their child’s secondary school for relevant arrangements.

Our goal is for every student to begin 2027 feeling known, supported and ready to thrive.

World Teachers’ Day – Friday 30 October

World Teachers’ Day is an opportunity to recognise the care, dedication and hard work of our teachers. This year’s national celebration invites us to “Shine a light on teachers” and the difference they make in children’s lives.

At Banyan Fields, we are grateful for the ways our teachers support, encourage and inspire students each day. Families can help celebrate by encouraging children to share a thank-you, write a note or make a card for their teachers. A small message of appreciation can mean a great deal.

PLC

PLC – Building Our Spelling Knowledge

At Banyan Fields Primary School, we continue to build students’ spelling knowledge by exploring how letters work in words. Understanding spelling patterns helps students become more confident readers and writers.

This Week’s Focus: The Sounds of Y

This week, students are exploring the different sounds the letter y can represent. Y can act as a consonant or a vowel, depending on its position in a word.

1. Y at the beginning of a wordAt the beginning of a word, y usually represents the sound we hear in yes.Examples: yes, yellow, yam, yet.
2. Y at the end of a one-syllable wordAt the end of a one-syllable word, y often represents the long “i” sound, as in my.Examples: my, by, cry, fly, shy.
3. Y at the end of a word with two or more syllablesAt the end of a word with two or more syllables, y often represents the “ee” sound, as in happy.Examples: happy, funny, sunny, baby, family.
4. Y within a wordWithin some words, y represents the short “i” sound, as in gym.Examples: gym, myth, symbol.

A helpful way to remember:Yes – y says “y”.My – y says “igh”.Happy – y says “ee”.Gym – y says short “i”.

These patterns give students useful clues when reading and spelling unfamiliar words.

How Families Can Support at Home

Ask your child:“What sound does y represent in this word?”“Where is the y — at the beginning, in the middle or at the end?”“How many syllables can you hear?”“Can you think of another word where y represents the same sound?”

Try This Together

Write the words yes, fly, happy, gym, yellow, cry, sunny and myth on small pieces of paper. Say each word aloud and ask your child to sort them into groups according to the sound represented by y.

Try building a sentence using words from different groups:The happy child can fly a yellow kite.

Spot It While Reading

While reading together, look for words containing y. Ask your child to say each word aloud, identify the sound represented by y and notice where it appears in the word.

By exploring the sounds of y, students continue to strengthen their reading and spelling skills while building confidence and independence as learners.

The Fathering Project

We are delighted to be partnering with The Fathering Project this term. To get us started, we will be hosting an event later in the month for fathers to attend with their children. The event will involve a sausage sizzle, a paper plane competition, and other games and activities to provide everybody to interact and enjoy each other’s company. Fathers will also have an opportunity to hear from the facilitator Rodney. 

For more information on The Fathering Project, please visit their website.

Stewardship: We care for people, places, and possibilities.

Building Works

The work has begun on improving our school facilities with the Foundation building being the focus for the next few weeks. We are grateful to the Foundation Team who, with a huge amount of support from Leo, moved their furniture and resources to the portables. The students have adjusted to their new learning space with ease but are excited to return to their regular building as soon as the works have been complete. We will keep you posted on the progress and the next steps in the work. 

Staffing News – Lisa Rolfe’s Retirement

We would like to inform our school community that Lisa Rolfe will be retiring from Banyan Fields Primary School on Friday, 23 October 2026.

Lisa has been a valued member of our school community for 23 years, working across both classroom support and sick bay. Throughout her time at Banyan Fields Primary School, Lisa has made a wonderful contribution to the care and support of our students and staff.

It has been a pleasure having Lisa as part of our school for so many years. She will be greatly missed, and we would like to sincerely thank her for her dedication, hard work and the ongoing contribution she has made to our school and wider community.

We wish Lisa all the very best for her retirement and the exciting new chapter ahead!

Outside School Hours Care (OHSC)

School council have gone tender with OHSC. Parents and families can email the school with any ideas of what they would like to see with OHSC in 2027.

Patrick Halpin - Principal 

Jennifer Churcher - Assistant Principal 

Sharleen Nason - Assistant Principal