2027 Planning & Preparation Well Under Way

As we come to the end of term 3 and enter spring we know that with all of the excitement that term 4 brings - Junior Swimming, Fresh Food Fair, Art Show, Junior Sports Day and everything else in between that 2026 will be a distant memory.

As a school we have started considerable planning for 2027 and look forward to starting our 2027 Foundation transition sessions early next term. We hope to confirm our Foundation team for 2027 prior to transition beginning.

We are planning class numbers and composition based on our known enrolments for 2027 so it would be great to know if you won't be with us in 2027. If you are relocating could you please notifiy the office administration team on 5256 1411. We plan to update you throughout term 4 regarding our 2027 planning.

Last week of term 3!!

Check the Dates for your Diary page for what is happening next term but here is a little snapshot of the last week of term 3 and early term 4:

Term 3

September

Tue 15th - Wonder Schools Showcase Performance (Costa Hall)

School Council at 5.30pm (Finance 5.00pm)

Thu 17th - No Breakfast Club

Friday Lunch Service will be served on Thursday during the last week of school - orders still close on Wednesday afternoon

Fri 18th - End of Term 3 - 2.30pm dismissal

Assembly @ 1.45

Casual Dress in Favourite sport colours or jersy with a gold coin donation

Term 4

October

Tue 6th-Fri 16th - F-2 Swimming - BASC

Tue 6th - SSV Division Tennis

Thu 8th - No Breakfast Club

SSV Division Volleyball

Mon 12th - Year 5 Excursion - EarthEd - Ballarat - Change Detectives (2 classes)

Tue 13th - Year 5 Excursion - EarthEd - Ballarat - Change Detectives (2 classes)

Thu 15th - Breakfast Club @ 7.45am in the kitchen

Fri 16th - Assembly @ 2.30pm - courtyard

Royal Geelong Show Band Performance

Term 4 is just around the corner

Here are some things to plan for or be aware of as we enter term 4 and the festive season:

Hats for Term 4 - Sun Protection Policy hats are mandatory for term 4 for all students to participate in outdoor activities and be outdoors during recess and lunch. If you need to order a hat for term 4 this can be done via DCS Uniforms - https://www.dcsuniforms.com.au/collections/surfside-primary-school
2026 Fresh Food Fair - Friday 6th November - keep an eye on upcoming newsletters regarding information for the Fresh Food Fair and it starts with a special page in this newsletter.

2026 Surfside Art Show - Tuesday 24th November - students have been busy preparing for our upcoming Art Show and we look forward to welcoming our school community to celebrate our Art program. More information will be released during early term 4.

Hats Compulsory for Term 4 & DCS Uniforms

Term 1 and term 4 are the terms that hats are compulsory for all students to be outside at recess, lunch, PE lessons and outdoor activites. This is supported by the Surfside and Department of Education Sun Smart policy. UV levels increase significantly during these terms and it is an important aspect around keeping our students safe. Students are required to wear a broad brimmed hat (caps are not ok). Students will be given a grace period in week 1 of term 4 but all students will be required to wear hats from week 2 or they will be required to be undercover during play periods and outdoor activities.

Hats can be ordered from DCS UNIFORMS - CLICK LINK TO ORDER HATS HERE

F-2 Swimming Program

Our Swimming and Water Safety Program will be held in Term 4 over 2 weeks beginning Tuesday 6th October, for students in Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2. Surfside Primary is able to reduce the cost for families with a subsidy from the Department of Education's Positive Start Initiative'. All families who have paid at the start of the year only need to give consent through their Parent Compass. Families who have yet to pay can do this via compass and give consent. Call our office if you have any questions.

Preparation is the key to allow for a successful 2 weeks:

Have all clothing and swimming items labelled
Students should wear their swimming costume underneath their school clothes
Have an extra bag with swimming items (towell, change of underwear, goggles, etc)
Students are not allowed to get changed in shower or toilet cubicles as these need to be available for the general public
A hooded towel is great for students
Over the holidays it might help to do a couple of trips to the BASC pool to help your child with the routines and familiarise themselves with the area if they are feeling a little anxious or don't regularly do lessons.

Below are some social stories that staff have prepared to support our junior students so please feel free to download, print off and use to support your child if required:

BUILDING PROJECT UPDATE

Gymnasium & Upgrade - $11.645 million

We have exciting news to share.

In the 2026–27 State Budget, the Victorian Government invested $11.645 million in Surfside Primary School to deliver a new competition-grade gymnasium.

We are pleased to announce that Cotter Reid Architects have been appointed as the Project Development Consultant (PDC) for the project.

The PDC will work with Surfside Primary School and the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) to progress planning and design for the new gymnasium.

This is an important milestone for the project and brings us one step closer to delivering a new gymnasium for our school community.

Thank you for being part of this journey. I look forward to sharing more updates with you.

More information: If you have any questions about the Surfside Primary School works, you can contact the VSBA by phone at 1800 896 950, email vsba@education.vic.gov.au or visit their website: www.schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au

Bonanza Day Wrap

Wow!!!! What an amazing student led iinitiative that allowed our year 6 students the opportunity to create a business, advertise, work our profit and loss, invest and celebrate their hard work with an amazing day with our student community. The Year 6 students were lucky to have great conditions and it was great to see our students exploring the stalls, enjoying some sweet and savoury delights and spending quality time together. From face painting, bands and necklaces, smoothies, Snags, snow cones and plenty of games and activities with prizes. All of our students showed a great display of our school values of Respect, Honesty, Teamwork and Achievement throughout our bonanza day and a big thank you to our year 6 teaching and education support staff for preparing the year 6 students with the skills to make the day a successful venture. A big thank you to our school community for their support.

Bonanza Day fundraising amount

The day was an overwhelming success and the Year 6's and Surfside Community raised a whopping $5318 - this is the most raised in Bonanza Day history. The year 6 crew will now plan how they would like to support the school and their legacy with a plan for the money.

The Surfside Big Book Swap Thank You

A big thank you to Mrs Lord, the year 6 students and everyone who attended the Great Book Swap throughout the week. There has been such a good range of books on offer to swap for.

We managed to swap 858 books throughout the week!!!

With the left over books we replenished some class libraries throughout the school and we will be donating some to charity as well.

Victorian State Schools Spectacular Superstars

Absolutely Spectacular!

The 2026 Victorian State Schools Spectacular was the most fantastic experience. Our hard work paid off and we showcased our amazing dance skills in front of record crowds. It was very special to be a part of something like this and we will have these wonderful memories forever.

Students from across the state worked together and soared to new heights during the 2026 Victorian State Schools Spectacular – This is Me – is a vibrant celebration of creativity showcased by students from across Victoria.

An iconic event on the calendar for more than 30 years, the Spectacular delivers another epic, breathtaking showcase of song, dance and exhilarating circus acts, featuring stunning visuals, bold costumes and a live 80-piece orchestra.

From powerful pop anthems to moving ballads, high-energy choreography to awe-inspiring aerial performances, This Is Me is a celebratory display of talent, skill and individuality.

It's more than a show. It's a celebration of every student's creative journey.

Surfside Primary School participated in the 2026 Spectacular and after many rehearsals enjoyed a busy and fun filled weekend of performance and creating life long friendships and experiences. The students put on a great performance and will remain a highlight for many of them. A big thank you to Ms Elli Moss, Ms Kristy Griffiths and Mrs Katrina McCredden for supporting the State Schools Spectacular Crew throughout 2026, as well as our school community for their support through fundraising events and also a big thank you to the parent/carer support crew - YOU ALL ROCK!!!

Breakfast Club - Pancake Morning - R U OK Day

R U OK Day was bathed in sunshine and it was a great opportunity to meet together over some food and upbeat tunes. Our Breakfast Club crew served up hundreds of pancakes in the morning while the students and families sat and chatted with friends, listened to some music and raised awareness for R U OK Day - an opportunity to check in on a friend, a peer, a colleague or meet someone new.

Got a feeling that someone you know or care about isn’t behaving as they normally would? Perhaps they seem out of sorts? More agitated or withdrawn? Or they’re just not themselves. Trust that gut instinct and act on it. Learn more about the signs and when it's time to ask R U OK? here.

By starting a conversation and commenting on the changes you’ve noticed, you could help that family member, friend or workmate open up. If they say they are not OK, you can follow the conversation steps to show them they’re supported and help them find strategies to better manage the load. If they are OK, that person will know you’re someone who cares enough to ask.

We all want to work towards a community where R U OK? Day is everyday but if we continue to raise awareness we hope that goal is not too far away. It is great that we can provide a community that gets together to connect and spark conversation. Remember that if you are ever in need for a chat please always feel welcome to pop in for a chat!

Year 5 Incursion - Under the Microscope

This term, our Year 5 students have participated in two engaging Science incursions.

During ‘Life Under the Microscope’ students used microscopes to examine tiny structural adaptations in animals. They were fascinated to observe intricate details that are not visible to the naked eye, including reptile scales, feathers and insect body parts. This developed a deeper understanding of how animals adapt to their environments.

In our second incursion, ‘Reactive Chemistry’ students used their senses to explore the fascinating world of chemicals and investigated how different substances behave when mixed. Students learnt about states of matter and explored the difference between reversible and irreversible changes.

Both incursions provided our students with hands-on learning experiences that encouraged them to be curious, ask questions and think like scientists!

Year 4 Father’s Day and Special Person’s Afternoon

Year 4s absolutely loved having our very special people visit on Monday afternoon. Students and carers worked together to create a ‘Super Human’ and then we ended the day with our Annual Dodgeball Competition. This is always a fabulous finish to a great afternoon and feedback suggests it has become a highlight for both students and Dads/Carers over the years. Thank you to all that were able to come along.

Thank you to all that were able to come along.

2027 Student Scholarships - Department of Education

The Department of Education manages a range of student scholarships on behalf of various trusts. These are available for students who:

complete Grade 4 to Year 11 in 2026

The department will evaluate applicants on their:

academic achievement
participation in school and community activities
financial need.

Scholarships are either one-off payments or cover the duration of the student’s course.

Applications for these scholarships open on Thursday 1 October 2026 and close on Monday 1 February 2027.

To view all available scholarships and for more information on each, including how to apply, refer to Student scholarships.

Fresh Food Fair Sponsorship

We are busy in the planning and preparing for the 2026 Fresh Food Fair and we would love to welcome our local family businesses to support our amazing school community. Please jump on board and support the 2026 Fresh Food Fair and Surfside PS community. Check out the Fresh Food Fair 2026 page for more info:

Friday Lunch Service

Friday Lunch Orders are here – Set Up Flexischools Today!

Our new Friday lunch order service with Groove Café has begun and was a roaring and busy success on week 1.

To ensure you are set up to place your orders, we encourage families to set up their Flexischools account.

What is Flexischools?

Flexischools is Australia's leading online school ordering platform, making it easy to order and pay for your child's school lunches using your phone or computer.

With Flexischools you can:

Order your child's lunch by Wednesday afternoon for Friday delivery and future Fridays.
Manage multiple children from one account.
Pay securely without needing cash.

If you already have a Flexischools account from another school, simply add Surfside Primary School to your existing account.

Flexischools app, which can be downloaded from the AppStore (iOS) or Google Play Store (Android).

These instructions will help you to get started:

• How do I register for a Flexischools account?

• How do I add a student to my account?

• How do I place an order?

The Groove Cafe Menu and Ordering ability is available now

2027 Enrolments

Enrolments for 2027 have officialy closed but if you fulfil one of the following criteria enrolments can still be completed at the administration office:

Prior to completing an enrolment application for Surfside Primary School, it is important to note that all enrolments are confined to the following two criteria:

1. Students for whom the school is the designated neighbourhood school.

2. Students with a sibling at the same permanent address who are attending the school at the same time.

To correctly identify if Surfside Primary School is your designated neighbourhood school, please use this link: www.findmyschool.vic.gov.au

Please check in with the administration office if you have any questions - 5256 1411.

School Council 2026 - September Meeting

Our next meeting will take place on Tuesday 15th September

Finance Meeting - 5.00pm
School Council Meeting - 5.30pm

Teaching & Learning Page

Ms Charleston & Mr Chapman (Learning Specialists)