Dear Families,

Welcome back to Term 4 at Albanvale Primary School. We were so excited to have you all back last week. As I write this on Thursday the sun is shining (and actually emitting heat!) and doesn't it make a difference to the day?

Although all our families have had two weeks off the school routine, life at Albanvale Primary School never stops. If you have visited the school for drop off or pick up you may have noticed our Art Room has had a refresh. The finishing touches are still being applied but know this renewed space allows for the creativity within our students to flourish in their Visual Art classes. The area around the Prep classrooms is also being modified to provide a central area for all of our teaching supplies, as well as an update to the staff room. This allows the school to update the current staff room area to open up a new classroom and ensure we are providing the best learning spaces for our students.

I would like to officially welcome two new staff members to our team: Tim Rouse and John Azzopardi. Tim joins us as our Performing Arts teacher and has already got the kids enthralled with his beatboxing skills. Students from Grade 3 to Grade 6 also had the opportunity to opt into small group instrumental lessons (keyboard, guitar and drums) with Mr Rouse, starting today. Many of you may have seen John around the school over the past few years performing maintenance on our facilities. We are incredibly happy he has decided to join us on a permanent basis. Make sure you say hi and welcome Mr Azzopardi when you see him at the gates and around the school.

There was another special arrival over the school holidays. Our PE teacher, Daniel Suarez and his wife, Marli, welcomed baby Leia. They are all healthy and happy, spending time in their baby bubble and we look forward to welcoming Mr Suarez back in early November.

Swimming

Over the next few weeks our Prep to Year 5 students will be involved in the intensive swimming program at Paul Sadler in Hillside. Thank you to all our families who have already completed the form and provided consent. You can still do this through Compass. Every student must attend swimming as part of our curriculum and commitment to water safety. Please ensure all of your child's belongings are clearly labelled with their name. We also ask students to come dressed with their bathers underneath their school uniform on swimming days to make our transitions smoother on the day.

Term 4 SunSmart in School

SunSmart Policy has come into play at all Victorian schools. This means all students must wear a wide-brimmed hat to school for all outside activities, be it playing in the yard, excursions or PE. You can read more about Albanvale's SunSmart Policy further in the newsletter. I'm aware, like all school uniforms, there is a tendency for hats to get misplaced so please make sure they are clearly labelled with your child's name

LPN - Helping Students Succeed Through Tutoring

As I mentioned last newsletter, it is with great excitement that I share with you a brand new opportunity for our Albanvale families. Starting in Term 4, LPN Tutoring services will commence small group tutoring lessons in English and Mathematics for students in Grades 2 and up. All lessons will be held after school hours in the Enrichment Learning building and are designed for students wanting additional practice and support, as well as those looking to extend even further. The owners of LPN are Albanvale PS Alumni who are looking to give back to the community that played a big role in shaping their success. They are offering a special discounted rate for any student enrolled at our school. Families interested in enrolling their child are encouraged to contact Linh on 0411 711 824 today, as places are limited.

2026 Planning

We are getting to the time of the year when we begin planning for 2026. We would appreciate if you could inform our office at the soonest time if your child is leaving the school at the end of this year. This will support us in ensuring we can organise a thorough transition process for your child with their new school, and also begin contacting families who have expressed interest in joining us next year.

Right now, there are limited spaces available in most year levels for students wanting to join our school in 2026. If you know of someone wanting to join us next year, please encourage them to contact us right away.

Little Learners Academy

Many of you may be aware of our Head Start Program, where we prepare our Preps-To-Be with all the skills they need to get the most of school when they start Prep. In 2026 we are taking the next step, providing an enhancement to your child's existing Kindergarten program. Pre-school aged children will have access to up to 30 hours of structured, play-based learning every week in a specially designed Pre-Prep Program. You can find out more about the program in the newsletter, or on our website. If it is something you would be interested in for your child entering 4-year-old kinder I encourage you to submit your interest as soon as possible.

Thank you for helping us Achieve Excellence, Together.

Mr. Uzunovski

Principal

Cobras Skills and Drills