Message from the Principal

Welcome to another edition of the Albanvale Newsletter. 

I know it hasn't been long since you heard from me. Hopefully you and your family have enjoyed your King's Birthday Long Weekend, which we've made extra long by holding our Curriculum/Student Free Day after.

Headstart - Free Pre-Prep School Program

Do you know a family with a child starting school in 2026? At APS, we believe every student should be given the opportunity to achieve excellence, which is why we offer our free pre-prep school program to any child starting school next year. Headstart is for students to begin accessing the Prep Curriculum before they begin school, focusing on phonics, writing, counting and school routines. 

Our data from this year indicates that students who fully participate in the 1-hour lesson each week for the duration of the program start prep approximately 1 term ahead of their age-based peers (on average).

Our expert team leading the program are highly adept at adjusting the learning to meet the needs of your child within a small group setting of up to 5 to ensure every student is catered for. This unique opportunity is free and available to any child who enrols to commence Prep at our school for next year, with sessions available every day of the week.

Contact us to get involved today and give your child a head start with their learning.

albanvale.ps@education.vic.gov.au 

Resorative Practices

On Tuesday, we hosted a curriculum day which focused on developing staff capability in leading a restorative culture at our school, led by Marion Walsh-Gay, who is an expert in this field. Our school has made significant progress in recent times in developing a shared and unified approach to bullying prevention, which is centred around fostering a culture that puts responsibility on all of us as individuals to consider the impact of our actions on others. By first recognising this, we can then understand the importance of restoring relationships and repairing harm when problems arise. This is one part of the puzzle toward our overall bullying prevention strategy which you will continue to hear more about over the coming months as continue to embed a safe and supportive learning environment for everyone.

Every Day Counts

As the weather gets colder we all want to spend that extra time snuggled up in bed. The coughs and colds start, and the lack of sun makes everything feel a little bit harder. Despite all of these wintery feelings we all need to remember that attending school every day is a priority. Our Junior School Improvement Team (JSIT), made up of students in Grade 3-6, have been looking at the data for school attendance and have a message for our whole school community.

School Tour and Enrolments for 2026.

We are in the process of planning and preparing for the 2026 school year, and more than ever, we are receiving requests for school tours. If someone you know is eager to join our community for 2026, please encourage them to contact our office by phone or email to organise a tour or pre-enrol. We have limited spaces for students outside of our school zone across all year levels in 2026, including for those looking to join us in Prep next year. 

Thank you for helping us Achieve Excellence, Together.