From the Principal

Welcome to IPS

It's that time of year again. Time for students to get their boogie on!  Yes, that's right - our legendary school disco is on this Friday evening!

DJ Blanas Beats will be on the decks belting out your favourite tunes!

In order to attend, parents must make sure they have signed up and provided consent on the Compass Event.

Session 1

5:45 pm – 7:00 pm

Foundation – Grade 3

Session 2

7:15 pm – 8:30 pm

Grade 3 – Grade 6

Grade 3 students may attend either Session 1 or Session 2 (but not both).

Please note: We don't have room for parents to stay during the disco, but if you feel your child needs you to, then please contact the PFA and offer to volunteer for one of the sessions. Alternatively, you can volunteer via Parent Helper Roster by signing up on the IPS Disco Parent Helper Link

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher conferences will bel held on Wednesday 5th August between 12noon and finishing at 7.30pm.  This will be a curriculum day where students do not attend school.

Parents needing care for their children on that day will be able to make a booking with our Out of Hours School Care program that will be operating a day program.  

The parent teacher conferences will be available for you to book via Compass on Monday 27th July.  

Semester 2 Junior School Councillors

Junior School Councillors for semester 2 will be presented with their badges at assembly on Monday 27th July.

Families are welcome to attend.

3-6 House Athletics Round Up

Last Thursday over 280 students in years 3-6 travelled to Collingwood Athletics Track for the 2026 House Athletics Day. 

Students competed in 100m, 200m and 800m races, shot put, discus, high jump and long jump. 

Students gained house points for the positions they finished, and after a great day all points were calculated. 

The results were as follows

• 4th Place CONDER with 98 points
• 2nd Place Sutherland & McCubbin with 143 points
• 1st Place Ibbott with 156 points

A huge thanks to the teachers and parent helpers that made the day so successful.

Ibbott House Captain Alex P with the 3-6 House Athletics Trophy.

Congratulations Ibbott!

Foundation Enrolments for 2027

Important: Enrolments for Foundation 2027 must be submitted by 31st July 2026.

Please make sure you submit your enrolments for children beginning Foundation in 2027 by 31st July.  This helps us work out classes and staffing for the following year.

Assistant Principal - Nick King (Student Wellbeing)

The power of spending time with your family...

As I returned from a great time away with my family I, like many parents, asked myself how to keep this collective joy flowing through the school term in a sustainable (and affordable!) fashion...

Our time is the most valuable gift we can give our children and it’s key to their development, but in the hustle and bustle of modern life, it’s easy to overlook the importance of simply spending time together as a family and the positive impact that it has on our children. Evidence tell us that this impact:

Builds Self-Esteem: Children who spend time with their parents doing activities together build a sense of self-worth. When they feel valued by their parents, it makes them feel more positive about themselves. 

Encourages Communication: When you show your child that you want to spend time with them you are helping to create an environment that encourages open communication. You may only get a monosyllabic answer, but simply asking how your child’s school day was can make a big difference and may prompt them to open up about things that may be bothering them. 

Helps Emotional Intelligence: Children will develop better emotional intelligence by spending time with family, especially in emotionally challenging situations. Observing and being part of family dynamics can teach them how to empathise with others, manage emotions, and enhance their communication and social skills.

Lowers Risk of Behavioural Problems: When children receive positive attention for positive behaviour, they are more likely to want to continue those healthy patterns. Doing activities together as a family also provides an outlet for pent-up emotions that could otherwise lead to unhealthy decisions. 

Helps Children Academically: Spending time reading with your child or helping them with homework will create an environment that values studying and doing well at school. If your child feels comfortable coming to you for help with schoolwork, they are likely to do better academically.

Reduces Stress: Providing children with a sense of security, belonging, and unconditional love acts as a buffer against the stresses of everyday life. Whether it’s through shared laughter, comforting hugs, or words of encouragement, the bonds made during family time create a strong foundation on which children can build their self esteem and emotional resilience. 

Strengthens Family Bonds: Sharing everyday activities as a family helps to form strong emotional ties and thus these families are more likely to be able to collectively navigate challenges that may come their way. 

Helps With Friendships: If you set a good example for your child by making time to spend quality time together, they are more likely to adopt those behaviours in other relationships.

 Enhances Physical Health: With the right kinds of activities, spending time with family can positively impact a child's physical wellbeing.

Most importantly, family time is a great opportunity to simply have fun and enjoy each other’s company! It doesn’t have to be expensive or elaborate or pre-planned; my personal (and hopefully achievable), goal is to make sure dinner each evening at my house is shared, collaborative, distraction free and a time that we dedicate to each other.

Acting Assistant Principal - Liz Kennedy (Teaching & Learning)

Reading with your kids, at every age, builds connections that go far beyond the pages of a book.

One of my favourite memories is my son as a toddler, "reading" a simple board book to me, upside down, and clearly committed to memory, but reciting every page as if he really were reading. Most days we couldn't leave the house without a Thomas the Tank or Mr Men book tucked into my handbag.

Primary school brought daily readers, shared by both kids on the train ride home. At night there always had to be a bedtime story, or ten. As they moved into novels, the conversations grew richer, chatting about characters and why the book was often way better than the movie (yes, I was that mum who insisted on reading the book first). A trip to the bookshop was as exciting as a trip to the toy store. Reading together was also a way for me to check in on their decoding and comprehension along the way.

Along the way, I learned that building a love of reading mattered just as much as the reading itself. Letting them choose their own books, even the ones I wasn't sure about, meant reading felt like their thing, not a chore handed down by mum. Re-reading old favourites a hundred times over, letting them see me curled up with my own book, and never rushing them past a page they wanted to linger on, all helped reading feel like something to look forward to, not a task to tick off.

I still miss those days of Hairy Maclary and The Magic Hat, curled up on the couch, on the bus, or the pleading for just one more bedtime story. I'll treasure the connections that reading together has built over the years... as well as, our very well-loved library collection.

2026 Prime Minister's Spelling School Round 

All students from years 3-6 are eligible to enter this online spelling Bee.  If you would like your child to take part in this teacher supervised, online spelling bee, please see the Compass Event to give consent.

https://www.spelling-bee.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Spelling-Bee-flyer.pdf

Student Wellbeing

Talking the Talk

Our school subscribes to Talking The Talk Healthy Sexuality Education.

There are many resources to help parents and carers keep up with important conversations with your child.

If you missed the Parent Information Session last night, you can access the Talking The Talk Virtual Classroom parent platform here:

•     First time logging in? Our School’s Initial parent sign up link is here: https://www.talkingthetalksexed.com.au/offers/suvNEjyF?coupon_code=IVPSPAR156

•     Subsequent Log ins: https://www.talkingthetalksexed.com.au/login

•     Download your free parent conversations Guide Ebook from the parent platform (link above) and then listen to Vanessa explain it to you on her Healthy Sexuality Conversations Podcast: https://www.talkingthetalksexed.com.au/blog/talking-the-talk-healthy-conversations-episode-14

National Test of AusAlert

We’ve been advised that a national test of AusAlert will happen across Australia on Monday 27 July at 2 pm. 

AusAlert is a new, national emergency warning system. It sends warning messages to compatible mobile devices during emergencies, to keep people informed so they can act quickly. The Australian Government plans to launch AusAlert in October 2026. 

On Monday 27 July at 2 pm, all compatible mobile devices will receive a Critical Alert. Compatible mobile devices include phones, tablets, smart watches, safety watches and some vehicle devices. These will vibrate and make a loud, siren-like warning sound for about 10 seconds. This will happen even if they are on silent or do not disturb. The message will clearly state that it is a test. No action is required from the test. 

To minimise disruption, student phones and smart devices should always be switched off and stored securely with a teacher during the school day. Students who use their mobile phone as part of a documented exception can continue to do so. If appropriate, they can turn their phone off during the test. 

You may also wish to let your child know that if they see or hear the alert, school staff will support them. You can learn more at AusAlert: children and teens. Information is also available in other languages. 

Safe phones 

AusAlert may increase risk for people experiencing violence, especially if they live with someone who uses violence. Alerts may expose safety devices. 

If you or someone you know has a hidden device, the best way to stay safe during the test is to: 

• turn offyour mobile device or put it in aeroplane mode 
• keep your device off or in aeroplane mode for 24 hours. 

Silent mode and do not disturb will not stop the alert. 

For more information, please refer to the Staying safe with AusAlert page. 

ICAS

Please note that ICAS entries for Ivanhoe Primary School have closed as of Friday July 10th.

 If you are yet to have enrolled your child in the ICAS assessments through our school portal, they will not be able to participate in ICAS assessments at IPS this year. If you are wanting to enrol your child in ICAS external to IPS, please contact ICAS directly at ICAS 2026 – Registration

Finally

Last week Mr Bull began the soft launch of the IPS Run Club.  It has proved so popular that it will now be taking place every morning before school from 8.45am to 9.00am.  

It has been fantastic to see so many students enthusiastically participating in our Morning Run Club. 

Starting the day with physical activity is a wonderful way to build healthy habits, improve fitness, and strengthen friendships across the school. Regular exercise also supports students' wellbeing by boosting energy, improving concentration, and helping them feel calm and focused. By beginning the day with movement, students arrive in the classroom feeling refreshed, engaged, and ready to learn, setting a positive tone for the day ahead.

Thank you for your continued support.

Pam Wright

Co Principal

http://www.ivanhoeps.vic.edu.au/ 

We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Victoria and pay respect to the ongoing living cultures of First Peoples.