Principal's Report
Dear EHPS Parents and Carers,
Education Week
Last week we celebrated Education Week 2026 with an open afternoon on Monday, instead of school assembly. It was so pleasing to see so many parents around the school enjoying the various activities in the classrooms and specialist areas.
This year’s theme was ‘Showcase your school’ and the children and teachers really did that so well.
Thank you for coming to see some of the things that your children do at school. They love sharing their learning and their fun with you.
National Walk Safely to School
Last Friday the JSC encouraged the EHPS community to join in National Walk Safely to School Day. Participating students received House Points. Many children and families made the special effort to walk to school and I hope, ‘weather’ permitting, that it could become a habit on some days of the week.
Education Support Staff High Tea
On Wednesday 27 May, we celebrated our wonderful Education Support staff; those who work with children in classrooms, administration staff, instrumental music staff, canteen staff, OSHC staff, maintenance staff and IT staff. We enjoyed a high tea in the Staff Room, with thanks to the Staff Association. We are grateful for everything that our Education Support staff do for our school.
Communication between home and school
At Essex Heights we really value the communication that exists between staff and parents. We would like to encourage you to discuss matters with your child’s classroom teacher. This can occur in many ways. The best is to contact the teacher and arrange for a meeting via telephone, online or in person. If something is very urgent then a brief chat in the morning is also possible. Staff can always be contacted through the school’s parent portal on Compass.
Please remember to avoid contacting staff out of hours. However, if you must email staff late at night, it is unreasonable to expect an immediate answer the next morning. We all want to encourage a good work life balance, so I strongly discourage staff to look at work related emails when they are at home. This is in line with the Department of Education’s policy regarding out of hours communication and the employees right to disconnect from work related matters. All staff will get to their emails when they have the time, outside of their classroom duties, yard duty and class preparation. If you have an urgent matter that needs clarification, then please do not hesitate to contact the School Office on 9807 4944.
House Athletics
Yesterday Years 3 to 6 students took part in the annual House Athletics at the Bill Sewart Athletics Track. The day was filled with excitement and several outstanding performances from the children. Many were involved in a wide range of events and the best thing was that ALL participants earned points for their House. In recent years it has been a very close competition and the results will be announced at assembly on Monday. Thank you to the many parents that volunteered to help on the day. It is greatly appreciated and it ensures that we can conduct these events.
Visit from Boori Monty Pryor
Today we welcomed indigenous author Boori Monty Pryor to Essex Heights. He is an Aboriginal Australian author best known as a story teller and as the inaugural Australian Children’s Laureate. Boori is a very strong advocate for the power of literacy. Students were highly engaged in his storytelling and music; they particularly enjoyed moving their bodies to his music. We were very pleased to welcome him to our school and for all children to participate in this marvellous incursion.
This week we have recognised National Sorry Day on Tuesday and National Reconciliation Week (Wednesday 27 May to next Wednesday, 3 June). This year’s theme is ‘All In for Reconciliation’. All students took time to better understand the significance of this week by creating a hand to show their support. These are on display in the Library windows.
Prep 2027 enrolment and tours
Applications for Prep next year open at the start of Term 2. If you have a child starting school next year, get your application in as soon as possible and not later than Friday 31 July. Submit a digital enrolment application on the VicStudents portal – link and information in your Compass News Feed or on the Foundation (Prep) 2027 page in this newsletter.
We are pleased that interest in EHPS continues to be high. We have been conducting two tours each week since March, mostly for attendees with a child starting primary school next year, with bookings through almost to the end of term in June.
Year 5 Camp
Last week our Year 5 students went to Cave Hill Creek for their annual camp. The children had such a great time. The camp site is a picturesque location at Raglan near Beaufort. All facilities were immaculate, and the children developed a very positive rapport with the camp staff. The camp activities included Canoeing, Possum Glider, Low ropes, Vertical challenge, Archery and Orienteering, just to mention a few. A huge thanks must go to the staff and our parent volunteers for making this great experience possible for the children.
I look forward to visiting the Year 4 Camp at Mount Evelyn in a few weeks time.
Importance of Regular Attendance and Punctuality
At Essex Heights, we are committed to supporting every child’s learning journey - and a key part of this success is consistent attendance and punctuality.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind our school community that regular attendance is vital for academic progress, personal development and building strong social connections. When students are frequently absent, whether due to illness, family holidays, or other reasons, they often miss essential learning experiences that are difficult to fully recover. Even short absences can interrupt the flow of learning, cause gaps in knowledge and impact confidence and participation in class.
With respect to illness, it is totally justifiable and recommended that sick children should not come to school. They should stay at home until they are well. Please note that where possible medical appointments should be made outside of school hours, however it is understandable that it is not always possible.
While we appreciate that family holidays can offer valuable life experiences and quality time together, we respectfully ask families to consider the timing of such breaks. Holidays taken during the school term can significantly affect children’s learning and social outcomes. Whenever possible, we strongly encourage families to plan holidays during designated school breaks to minimise disruption to students' education.
With the school holidays approaching, I'd like to remind you that children who will be absent from school during school term for any of the following reasons:
- Family holiday
- Religious/Cultural observance
- Leisure or social activities
- School refusal
- Other – special event or participation in elite sporting event/training
are required by the Department of Education school attendance guidelines to have my approval for them to be absent. Parents/carers are required to send an email to essex.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au for my attention with the details of your child's absence to request approval to be away from school. You will receive an email response with further steps.
In addition, arriving on time each morning is just as important as regular attendance. Our school day begins promptly at 9.00am and we ask that all students arrive by 8.50am. This allows children the necessary time to settle in, connect with classmates, and prepare for a successful start to their day. Arriving late not only affects the individual child’s readiness to learn but can also disrupt the learning of others.
We recognise that mornings can be busy and sometimes unpredictable. However, with your continued support and planning, we believe that together we can create a routine that sets every student up for a productive and positive day.
Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and commitment to your child’s education. Let’s continue working together to ensure all our students have the best opportunity to thrive. Every day, right from the start.
King’s Birthday public holiday reminder
Families are reminded that Monday 8 June is the King’s Birthday public holiday. The school will be closed and students do not attend. The soccer after school program will not run.
Cultural Days & Celebrations
Celebrating the diversity of the EHPS community, we acknowledge the following significant days for some of our families:
National Sorry Day 26 May
National Sorry Day acknowledges and raises awareness of the history and continued effect of the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from their families, communities and culture.
Eid al Adha 26 – 30 May
The Eid al Adha means Feast of Sacrifice and commemorates the ordeal of Ibrahim (Abraham) who was asked to sacrifice his only son to prove his faith to Allah (God). The timing of this event is subject to the sighting of the moon) and runs for three to four days.
National Reconciliation Week 27 May – 3 Jun
National Reconciliation Week celebrates and builds on the respectful relationships shared by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians.
Mabo Day 3 Jun
The Australian High Court delivered the Mabo decision on 3 June 1992, providing legal recognition that Indigenous people have a special relationship with the land. This decision paved the way for land rights known as native title. Mabo Day celebrates the life of activist Eddie Koiki Mabo.
Welcome
We welcome the following students and their family to the EHPS community:
- Sayara B (2RO) & Nehan B (4C)
Farewell
We farewell the following students and their family from the EHPS community:
- Tiana W (1M) – moving overseas
- Katja L (1M) – moving overseas
I look forward to seeing you around the school.
Kindest regards,
George Perini
Principal