Principal's report

Dear Parents/Carers

Keeping Our Students Safe at EPS

The safety and wellbeing of our students is our highest priority. I want to share some of the measures we have in place to ensure that every child feels safe, supported, and secure while at school.

EPS is continually reviewing and strengthening our practices in line with the Child Safe Standards. This includes having robust procedures to ensure suitable people work with children, supervising staff and volunteers, and support them to understand and uphold their responsibilities when it comes to student safety.

We have also made several practical and visible enhancements to improve safety across the school:

• Active Supervision: We have increased staff presence on yard duty at the beginning and end of the school day, as well as during student break times, to support positive interactions and quickly address any concerns.
• Community Collaboration: We’re working closely with Bayside City Council and local police to continue advocating for safer traffic conditions around our school. 
• Emergency Preparedness: We regularly practise emergency evacuation and lockdown procedures so that staff and students are well prepared to respond calmly and confidently in the event of an emergency.
• Protocols and Vigilance: We respond to concerns swiftly, and we maintain a culture of openness where students, staff and families are encouraged to speak up about anything that doesn’t feel right.
• Student Awareness: Safety remains a regular and important topic in classrooms and at our whole-school assemblies, helping students understand how to keep themselves and others safe.

Creating a safe learning environment is a shared responsibility. We value the support of our families in reinforcing messages around safety, respectful behaviour, and looking out for one another.

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or suggestions.

Staffing Update

Thank You Bruce

Last week we farewelled our wonderful Maintenance and Grounds person, Bruce Murphy, who has been a valued member of the EPS community for the past three years. Bruce took great pride in keeping our school grounds safe, tidy and looking their best, and we are incredibly grateful for his hard work and dedication.

Bruce secured a new role at Keysborough Secondary College, which is much closer to home for him. While we are sad to see him go, we’re pleased that he has found an opportunity that suits him so well.

On behalf of the entire Elsternwick Primary School community, we thank Bruce for all he has done and wish him every success in his new role. He will be greatly missed!

Welcome Sarah Hamilton

We’re very pleased to welcome Sarah Hamilton to Elsternwick Primary School as our newest Integration Aide. Sarah will be working across the school to support students with their learning and engagement, with a particular focus in the Prep area.

She brings a kind and supportive approach to her work and is already building positive relationships with students and staff. We’re excited to have her on board and look forward to the valuable contribution she will make to our school community.

Welcome to EPS, Sarah!

Farewell and Best Wishes to Gemma Wall

This week we say goodbye to Gemma Wall, who worked in the Prep team last year and has been supporting students this term through the Tutor Learning Program.

Gemma is heading off to England to live and work for the remainder of the year — and possibly longer. We thank her for all her efforts and the positive impact she’s had during her time at EPS.

We wish Gemma all the very best for this exciting new chapter and look forward to hearing about her experiences abroad.

Congratulations and Farewell to Cheryl Clarke

We extend our warmest congratulations to Cheryl Clarke on her retirement (again!) after an incredible contribution to Elsternwick Primary School over many years.

Cheryl came out of retirement last year to take on the role of Leading Teacher – English, and we were so fortunate to have her expertise, passion, and leadership once again. Throughout her time at EPS, Cheryl has been a fantastic mentor and coach to staff, always focused on building collective capacity and improving outcomes for students.

Her vision for whole-school improvement in literacy has been nothing short of inspiring. Over the past seven years, under Cheryl’s leadership, not only have our students achieved outstanding outcomes, but they have also developed a genuine love of reading and writing — something truly special and beyond what I’ve seen in any other school.

Cheryl leaves behind a strong legacy, and her impact will be felt for many years to come. We thank her for everything she has given to EPS and wish her all the best in her (second!) retirement.

School Council 

Our School Council at EPS has broad representation, including parents/carers, staff, and community members. The School Council plays a key role in setting and monitoring the school’s strategic direction, ensuring our vision and values are reflected in decision-making.

This year, four parent/carer positions became vacant on School Council. Following the nomination process, we are pleased to congratulate the following representatives who will join the EPS School Council in 2025:

• Belinda Hutchinson (mother of Harriet 5A & Eloise 3A) and Kristy DeGeorge (mother of Isabella 3B), newly appointed to the parent category
• Meg Hondromatidis (mother of Zach 2B & Cleo PC), re-elected to the parent category
• Chris Simmonds (father of Chloe 5/6A & Mia 2C), re-elected to the community member category
• Rachel Steele (teacher of PA), newly appointed to the DET category
• Maddy McBurnie (teacher of 3C) and Leanne Williams (Assistant Principal), re-elected to the DET category

They will join our continuing members:

• Bec Miller (mother of Rafael 4B & Elke 3A)
• Eliza Solly (teacher of 3A)
• Jessie Rosengarten (mother of Riley 4A & Dylan 2A)
• Mitch Tucker (father of Matilda 2B)
• Sarah Wade (mother of Harry 2C & Jack PA)
• Michael Portaro (Principal)

The following members will take on the office bearer roles in 2025:

• President: Mitch Tucker
• Vice President: To be confirmed
• Executive Officer: Michael Portaro
• Treasurer: Chris Simmonds
• Minute Taker: Eliza Solly

School Council meets twice a term. We look forward to sharing updates with the community about key agenda items and discussions in the weeks ahead.

NAPLAN 2025

Our Year 3 and 5 students recently completed their NAPLAN assessments, and I want to take a moment to acknowledge their tremendous effort and positive attitude throughout the process. These assessments provide a snapshot of how students are progressing in essential literacy and numeracy skills that are developed over time as part of their everyday learning.

NAPLAN is not about passing or failing — it’s one piece of the puzzle that helps us understand how students are tracking against national benchmarks. The data we receive allows us to identify areas of strength and areas where we can provide additional support, helping us tailor our teaching to meet the needs of all learners.

I’m incredibly proud of the way our students approached the assessments with maturity and confidence, and I’d like to thank our dedicated staff for guiding and supporting them every step of the way — both academically and emotionally.

As always, our focus remains on creating a learning environment where every student feels supported, challenged, and empowered to grow in all areas of their development.

Preps

We’re incredibly proud of how well our Foundation (Prep) students have settled into school life. Starting school is a big milestone, and it’s been wonderful to see our youngest learners approach this new chapter with such enthusiasm, curiosity, and confidence.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who played a part in making this transition so smooth. To the staff who supported the Prep transition program in Term 4 last year — your efforts laid a strong foundation. To our fantastic Prep teaching team this year — thank you for the care, creativity, and calm you bring to the classroom every day. And of course, to the families and carers — we appreciate the love and preparation you’ve given your children to set them up for success.

Most importantly, congratulations to our Prep students themselves for the positive way they’ve embraced school life. We look forward to watching them continue to grow and thrive throughout the year.

Census Day 2025

Last month, all government schools across Victoria participated in Census Day — a key date in the school calendar when official student enrolment numbers are confirmed for the year.

We’re pleased to share that Elsternwick Primary School has a confirmed enrolment of 468 students in 2025. These numbers play an important role in shaping our planning, staffing, and resources to best support our students and programs throughout the year.

Leave

For the first two weeks of Term Two, I will be taking a short leave of absence. During this time, Leanne Williams will be stepping into the role of Acting Principal, ensuring the continued smooth operation of the school and upholding our shared vision and values.

Have a wonderful term break,

Michael