Principal's Weekly Update
Learning, Community and Connection at School
It’s been a vibrant fortnight across our school community, filled with exciting learning experiences, community partnerships, and a shared sense of purpose.
Basketball Buzz!
We were thrilled to welcome Nick Smith, Engagement Coordinator from the South East Melbourne Phoenix Basketball Club, who ran an exciting basketball clinic with our children. A huge thank you to Nick for delivering such high-energy and engaging sessions. The courts were alive with enthusiasm, teamwork, and joy! The day was all about fun skills and drills, and Nick’s ability to connect with children of all ages made it a memorable experience. His encouraging and enthusiastic approach made every child feel confident and included, and he proved to be a fantastic role model throughout the day.
It was fantastic to see the children so engaged as they refined their basketball skills and there was definitely a renewed love for the sport! The children haven’t stopped talking about it, and we’re sure South East Melbourne Phoenix has gained a few new supporters in our APS community.
We’re so grateful for the opportunity and hope to welcome Nick back again soon!
Learning in the Garden
Our gardening program continues to be a favourite for many students. This week, Clare introduced students to the Indigenous seasonal calendar to support their understanding of plant life cycles, from seed to flower and the rhythms of nature. Meanwhile, our Prep students enjoyed a special session led by Sally (Daisy’s grandmother from PA), planting strawberries near the Prep building. These hands-on experiences sparked wonderful discussions about time and seasons, with children asking curious questions like, “How long is a couple of days?” and “When will it be summer?” It’s a powerful example of connecting rote learning with real-life understanding.
Community Support in Action
Our Year 6 leaders have been working hard behind the scenes, contacting local businesses to support school projects. As mentioned last week, Michelle from Town and Country kindly donated $100 towards new plants for our front entrance, and we hope to bring this project to life by the end of term.
Our Getting the Word Out Team has also secured a generous donation of marine plywood boards from Bunnings. These will be used to showcase student artwork on the walls of the Year 1 and 3/4C portables, bringing new attention and colour to our bike shelter area.
A big thank you to Gretchen (Indi’s mum, 5/6J) for the Bunnings connection, and to Adele (Maxwell’s mum, 1S) for volunteering to collect and deliver the boards to school.
Upcoming Events & News
- Welcome back Rochelle! We are delighted that Rochelle will return to school on Tuesday and resume her role as Co-Principal. Rochelle and I will continue our shared leadership arrangement from 2024, with Rochelle spending Wednesdays with her grandchildren.
- Prep Assembly – Our Prep students will be hosting assembly on Wednesday 12 June, 2:30–3:00pm, and Year 2 students will take the stage on Wednesday 25 June at the same time.
- Semester 1 Reports – Student reports will be released via COMPASS in the final week of term. These reports are designed to complement the Family Conferences held in Term 1, so there should be no surprises. An explanation will be provided to support you in reading and interpreting the report.
As always, thank you for your ongoing support in helping our children grow, learn and thrive.
Connie Apostolos
Assistant Principal