Principal's Message
Please take the time to read each page of our newsletter, as we provide you with information updates across our school.
TERM FOUR EVENTS:
Please be aware that all upcoming Term Four events are now viewable within our Compass Calendar. We advise all families to add these events to your schedules.
Upwey South Primary School- Starring at the National and State Level...again!
Since the publication of our last newsletter, students from Upwey South Primary School have once again been proudly representing our school in extra-curricular pursuits across the Arts, Technology, and Sporting fields.
Within this newsletter are highlights from the respective teachers who lead our extra-curricul programming, however as the Principal I would like to bring the following achievements to the attention of our community:
FISAF Aerobics- National Championships- Gold Coast, Queensland
(Saturday 30th August)
Following their claim as Victorian State Champions, our amazing aerobics team finished in fourth place at the National Championships. In a high-quality performance, our team finished as the highest ranked public school in Australia, and as the highest ranked team across the following states:
- Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory.
As a school community we should be immensly proud that our small community school from the Dandenong Ranges is out-performing independent and select-entry schools from across the nation.
Robocup- Victorian State Championships, Melbourne, Victoria
(Saturday 13th September)
Following on from our school achieving "Best Regional School" at the 2024 Victorian Robocup State Championship, in 2025 our team came away with the championship title of "Best Engineering Award- Onstage".
The complexity of design and coding which was applied to the robots entered by our students showed a level of interest and engagement which enabled our students to out-perform a number of high fee paying and select entry independent schools from across Victoria.
Victorian State Schools Spectacular, Melbourne Victoria
(Saturday 13th September)
Each year our students have the opportunity to perform in front of a capacity crowd of 10,000 audience members across an afternoon and evening of performances. The VSSS involves over 3000 students from across government schools in Victoria putting on a show like no other! In 2025, we had students taking part in the mass dance numbers. Each year the show is aired on Seven, and in 2025 it promises for our students to have plenty of time on television as they were front row for many of the dance numbers.
...and to think that all of the above achievements are on top of our daily and weekly practice, such as outstanding results at Division and Regional Athletics, Divison Sport, Book Week Dress Ups and Book Fair, Father's Day Event, new student electives on offer, and strong academic performances in the UNSW ICAS Assessments.
Upwey South Priamry School truly is a great place to belong!
Child Safe Practices and Policies
As part of our ongoing reviews of student safety, we have recently reviewed our Child Safe Practices and associated policies.
Please be aware, that from a recent review the following action will be coming into effect from Day One, Term Four 2025:
- the breezeway will only be available for student access to use the bathrooms.
Following the completion of our VSBA bathroom project, the gates at the end of the breezeway will have signage installed which indicates that the breezeway is not to be used for community members as a walk-through access.
The above decision has been made to provide our students with increased privacy and safety when using the breezeway bathrooms.
We understand that the above may impact upon families, and encourage visiting adults/family members to use the staff toilets near the office if required.
We expect our new student toilets to be ready for access from Day One, Term Four 2025. Please see below some progress images of works. In these photos the walls, floors, and toileting facilities have recently been installed. Yet to be actioned are associated hand basins, partitions, mirrors, fixtures, and signage.
In support of promoting ChildSafe practices at our school, please take the time to read the following policies:
Support our Parent Association and School Council
As a member of our wider community, you may not realise that behind the scenes we have a hard working group of volunteer parents/carers who commit their time to helping to grow educational and social opportunities for our students.
School Council is responsible for the strategic direction and governence of the school, and are looking forward to undertaking a formal school review process in 2026.
Our Parent Association are responsible for helping to make our school a fun place for students to learn, grow, and play. Through recent fundraising efforts we have committed time and resources to improving outdoor seating areas and installed astro-turf for our students (pictured below).
As we head into 2026, our next project is a big one... and we need your fundraising support to make it happen. On Friday 5th September, we posted detailed informaiton via Compass about our plans to install new playing fields for our students.
To keep this at the forefront of our minds as we enter Term Four, 2025 please refer to a duplicate of this information below:
GET EXCITED: 2025 Colour Run Announcement
Our Parent Association are holding a Colour Run onsite, on Friday 14th November 2:40pm-3:30pm.
We are asking parents/carers and families/community members to actively support the 2025 Colour Run, and help our school raise funds to create much needed new playfields for our students.
What are the details of the new playfields?
Our School Council and Parent Association have commenced initial works and planning for the installation of a new full-sized basketball court, a full-sized astro-turf playfield, and associated seating.
The new court and playfield will be installed within a newly created, fenced and secured, student space adjacent to Riley Road, which will be located where our staff currently park their cars.
Clearing works to relocate staff carparking are commencing from September 2025, and now we need your help to realise the dreams of our students to turn the Riley Road carpark into new playing fields.
How will fundraising be coordinated?
We are always grateful for the generosity and support of our parent/carer community, and we are especially aware of the financial constraints currently faced by modern families.
Despite the above constraints, in 2024 we raised over $20,000 for the Foodbank School Breakfast Program. A huge part of this success was the ease of access to donate via an online platform.
For our 2025 Colour Run, we will be using an online platform 'GoRaiseIt' with our donation target being $25,000.
How and when can families make donations?
At the commencement of Week Two, Term Four, we will be providing families with additional information and the details of how to access our online fundraising platform.
Families will then be able to make donations linked to their child's account throughout the months of October and November. Throughout this period there are many exciting prizes on offer for both students and families, and we can't wait to share these details with you.
How can local business get involved?
We are looking to expand our connections with local businesses through the donation of goods and services which can be offered as part of our fundraising prize pool.
If you, or someone you know, would like to get involved in donating to our prize pool please contact our Parent Association via email
This is an exciting opportunity for our students, and with your fundraising support we can continue to strive forward as a school.
Become involved in helping to capture community voice; join our Community Engagement Subcommittee
At Upwey South Primary School, we recognise that one of the features that makes our school such a great place to belong is that "everyone's voice is valued".
Just like our approach to managing student wellbeing through Let's TALK (Letting Everyone Talk Safely), we are seeking volunteer parents/carers who are willing to join a steering committee to assist in capturing the voice of our community as we head into a 'year of review' in 2026.
What's involved in joining the Community Engagement Subcommittee?
Our Community Engagement Subcommittee will play a vital role in helping to capture the parent/carer voice of our school community as we prepare for our school review in 2026.
The subcommittee will be led by a member of our principal-class and the School Council Vice President. The following will be the primary tasks of the subcommittee:
- attend an in-person meeting during the month of October (TBC dependent upon volunteer availability), and to schedule future meeting formats
- determine how to best capture parent/carer voice regarding the current format of our school newsletter
- determine how to best capture parent/carer voice regarding our 'Student Dress Code (School Uniform) Policy'
- determine suitable future parent/carer education forums to grow parent/carer understanding of the curriculum, for example within Auslan
- determine how to best capture parent/carer voice regarding our school values, school philosophy, and associated guiding principles. This will be undertaken through the review of our 'Statement of Values and School Philosophy Policy'.
During previous review years, the Community Engagement Subcommittee has been responsible for driving the following improvements across our school:
- unpacking and refinement of our school values
- the development of Guiding Principles
- the coordination of network and local school parent/carer information sessions
- the allowance of student individuality within our Student Dress Code
- the refinement of student report cards
- working alongside the Parent Association to support the strategic direction of School Council.
If you are interested in becoming involved, please make contact with the Principal via damien.kitch@education.vic.gov.au prior to Friday 10th October 2025.
Be Prepared for the Upcoming Bushfire Season
As we near the end of Term Three each year, we continue to prepare our school to be 'Bushfire Aware'. Given the beautiful natural surroundings of the Dandenong Ranges, we encourage all members of our community to commit the time to plan and prepare for the Summer monhts ahead.
Ongoing works around our school include vegetation clearance, gutter cleaning, quality and pressure checks of hydrants, drill practice with students, and updating of our Emergency Management Plan.
Once again, we direct families to information which is publicly available on our website.
Emergency Management Planning FAQs
At Upwey South Primary School, we review and update our Emergency Management Plan (EMP) annually.
The management of EMP actions is highly detailed, and can alter dependent upon environmental changes which may impact upon schools (e.g. geographical location, changes to surrounding bushland/vegetation, changes to community access/buildings, etc).
In order to simplify the complexities of an EMP, we provide families with a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) reference.
These FAQs provides you with:
- possible emergency scenarios which may require a school to enact its Emergency Management Plan
- actions specific to our school, when enacting our Emergency Management Plan
- information about the Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS)
Please familiarise yourself with the actions we are taking to provide a safe learning environment for our students.
Should you require further information, please speak with the Principal, or visit the Department of Education (DE) Reference Guide online:
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/emergency-critical-incident-management-planning/policy
Bushfire Information
Upwey South Primary School is in the picturesque Dandenong Ranges region of Victoria, which is one of the most fire-prone areas within Australia. Due to our geographical location, our school is listed on the Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR).
What is the Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR)?
The BARR is a list of sites across Victoria, which have been identified as at an increased risk of exposure to bushfires.
Schools, kindergartens, and childcare facilities at the highest risk of fire danger are placed on the Department's BARR. Inclusion on this register requires listed facilities to communicate information to their communities.
For more information and an alphabetical listing of BARR sites, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/bushfire-risk-register-barr
Upwey South Primary School BARR information:
BARR Category: CAT 3 (as pictured above)
Local Government Area: Yarra Ranges
Fire Weather District: Central
What happens to Upwey South Primary School during a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating (previously Code Red)?
All schools and early childhood services that have been listed on the Department’s BARR will close on days determined
'Catastrophic' by the Emergency Management Commissioner.
The distribution of communications is managed at a regional level. Schools are not to circulate their own communications without regional authority.
When a school or early childhood service is closed due to a Code Red determination, no staff will remain on site, and all out-of-school care programs (including vacation, before, and after-school programs) will not operate.
Where can I find out more information about the Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS)?
For a summary of the national rating system, please refer to the information below:
The Australian Fire Danger Rating System
In September 2022, Australia implemented the Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS). This is a nationally consistent system for fire danger ratings based on the latest scientific research. This will result in more accurate predictions for fire danger. It has fewer levels (from 6 to 4). It also has clearer, simplified messaging for all communities.
The department worked with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to update our bushfire risk methodology in line with the changes. There were minimal changes to the methodology and department policy because of the AFDRS.
The key changes outlined in the below graphic were implemented from the start of the 2023/2024 bushfire season:
- Extreme fire danger rating (FDR) under the AFDRS covers what used to be known as Severe and Extreme.
- Catastrophic fire danger represents the worst conditions (previously Code Red).
As a result, the triggers for pre-emptive relocation and closure on elevated fire danger days were adjusted slightly to reflect this new system.
- Category 1 and Category 2 schools will relocate, or close, in accordance with their pre-approved plan on a day forecast Extreme FDR for their LGA.
- Like before, all schools on the BARR (Category 1-3) and Category 4 list must close on a forecast Catastrophic FDR day in their weather district. Their buses will be cancelled. All other buses that travel through the Catastrophic FDR area will also be cancelled.
To find out more information visit: https://afdrs.com.au/
2025 Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey
The below information is a reminder copy from a Compass post sent to all families dated 15/08/2025.
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.
The following participation rate indicates community voice to date:
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 18th August to Friday 19th September 2025.
All families are invited to participate in the survey.
The survey will be conducted online, and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. The survey can be accessed at any convenient time on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones.
School Name: Upwey South Primary School
Campus Name: Upwey South Primary School
To complete a survey please refer to the log-in details available via Compass.
Foundation (Prep) welcome bags 2025 survey
Please be aware that the below is templated information from the Department of Education.
Each year, the Department of Education (DE) gives every Prep student attending a Victorian government school a bag full of goodies to celebrate this milestone in their education journey. The educational resources and information in the bags are aimed at helping Prep students and their families have a great start to the year.
DE is inviting parents and carers of current Prep students to complete a short survey about the 2025 Prep bags, by 11:59 pm on Sunday 26 October 2025.
Your feedback will help DE learn what families liked, and examine what can be improved in 2026. You can have your say at Prep bags 2025 evaluation survey.
The survey takes 5 to 10 minutes. It is voluntary. Responses are anonymous and will not be shared with third parties outside the department. For more information about this year’s Prep bags, refer to Prep bags.
Be SunSmart
SunSmart Hats are Compulsory from Monday September 1st onwards.
With sunny days becoming more frequent in Melbourne, we all need to be aware of the increasing risks of UV exposure as we head into warmer weather.
From the second last week in August, students and families are reminded annually that as a compulsory part of the school uniform from 1st September to 30th April of the following year, all students must wear a sun protective hat that shades the face, neck and ears for all outdoor activities. Hats may also be worn for all outdoor activities outside of the August to April time period, by parent or student choice.
As a part of our uniform policy, all students are required to wear an Upwey South Sunsmart hat when outside during school hours. Students may choose to wear their hat when travelling to and from school, however it is the responsibility of the student/family to make sure the hat is returned to school each day.
In preparation for September 1st, please be aware of the following conditions of enforcement:
- Students with ripped, tattered, damaged hats will be required to purchase/wear an undamaged hat.
- Students are not to share hats with people beyond their family.
- It is not acceptable for students to wear baseball caps or other style hats.
Hats may be purchased via the following methods:
- In-person from the school office during 8:30am- 4:00pm
- Bucket Hats- $18.00 Online ordering through Klad Sport available in S, M, L, XL
- Slouch Hats - $16.00 Online ordering through Klad Sport available in S, M, L, XL
Purchasing via Klad Sport: you can purchase your items online and choose delivery to your address or opt for in-store pickup. For in-store pickup, please contact the store beforehand via Hotline (03) 9558 5858 to confirm product availability.
Communicating with the Principal
We look forward to partnering with you in 2025, and welcome your input:
Damien Kitch
Principal
m: 0459 864 712