Principal's Message

Being Safe Online - Please Read

As our students grow up, they are faced with many challenges, including being a responsible online citizen.

We have become aware that there are many students from our school accessing websites and applications (apps) that are not permitted for primary school age children. 

Apps such as TikTok, Snapchat and Messenger are not suitable for students under 13 years of age, and in fact in Australia it will soon be law that children under the age of 16 will not be permitted to use such apps.

I ask you as the parent or carer of your child to please consider if your child should be using and accessing these apps and sites. 

At school we are often asked to deal with cases of cyber bullying, which occur online and mostly outside of school hours. These situations are almost always over these apps that are not appropriate for primary aged students to use. 

Please consider:

Are you aware if your child is online?

Do you know what they are doing, if they are online?

Do they have time away from their devices? Where does the device go when they are sleeping?

Did you know that there is a feature of TikTok where you can scroll through live feeds, where users of all ages are sending out a direct live stream of absolutely anything from anywhere in the world and your child can access this?

It is such a scary thought what they could be exposed to, especially at such a young age.

All of these questions are so vital as without adult supervision and assistance, students are left to navigate the online world alone. And that can be a very unsafe place to be.

We have also seen the creation of fake TikTok accounts that have the Hillsmeade name and logo in them. This is not ok. Please talk to your children about being safe online and not creating accounts with names of businesses or other people. Keep them accountable to their actions and interactions online.

So please, talk to your children. If you determine they can use these apps then please monitor them so carefully. 

I also want to be very clear that these apps are not allowed at school and are absolutely not to be used at school.

We will continue to do our best to educate our Hillsmeade students about being safe online, however this is a team effort and we all need to work together to help our children in the online world.

Please see Mr Singh's page in this newsletter for further advice in this area.

Mothers and Special Others Brekky!

What a morning we had!! The sun was shining, the food was plentiful and there was such a positive and happy vibe around the school. Thank you to everyone that came along and we hope that you enjoyed the delicious treats that were available and time with your loved ones.

Days like this are such an important way to engage with our fabulous wider school community and it's an absolute delight to see the Hillsmeade family all come together. We look forward to our next whole school celebration with you all!

Reminder: Curriculum Day Tuesday 20th May - NO SCHOOL for students

Students are not to attend on this day as staff will be participating in assessment and reporting professional learning.

OSHC will be available - please contact TeamKids if you require assistance. You can access this service via email info@teamkids.com.au or call 1300 035 000 and press #1 if you have any questions.

Prep Enrolments for 2026 - places are filling fast!!

Have you been for a school tour? Have you applied online? Please remember you have until the 25th of July to ensure you have applied for a place at Hillsmeade PS for next year.

We ask that you also please pass this message on to families and friends with school age children, who may not know about the new deadline created by the Department of Education.

Applications for enrolment are available by completing this online application form.

CLICK HERE to book a school tour! 

Save the Dates - Term 2

• Monday 19th - Friday 23rd May - Education Week
• Tuesday 20th May - Curriculum Day
• Tuesday 27th May - Yr 2 Melbourne Museum excursion
• Monday 9th June - King's Bday public holiday
• Thursday 12th June - Years 4-6 Athletics Carnival
• Friday 27th June - Yr 6 Market Day
• Friday 4th July - Term 2 ends 2.30pm