Principal's Message
2026 NEWSLETTER – APRIL
From the Principal – ANZAC DAY
ANZAC Day is a significant national occasion in Australia and New Zealand, where we pause to remember and honour the service and sacrifice of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZACs), as well as all who have served in conflicts, peacekeeping missions and times of war. It is a day of reflection, gratitude and remembrance, marked by ceremonies and quiet acknowledgement across communities.
At Gray Street, ANZAC Day strongly aligns with our schools values of Relationships, Respect and Resilience. We show respect as we honour those who served and the sacrifices made for freedoms we enjoy today. We strengthen relationships through shared remembrance within our school and wider community, recognising the importance of coming together. We also reflect on the resilience demonstrated by our ANZACs – courage, perseverance and mateship in the face of great adversity and being away from home and family. These qualities continue to inspire our students.
I thank Harvey and Olivia, our School Captains, for leading our school through a short Service for our school today. Harvey and Olivia spoke of the courage, mateship, resilience of our ANZACs and how these attributes are still important in our school today. They spoke of the courage to try something new, the mateship of including others and helping our friends, and the resilience we need to keep going when things are hard.
Tomorrow our students are invited to further reflect on this part of Australian History through attending the Hamiton ANZAC day march and service. Details about this were sent out yesterday via XUNO, however a general reminder that students are to meet Mrs Harms, our School Captains and myself at 9:50am on the bottom court ready for the parade which will form up at 10:00.
Lest We Forget
COMING UP IN MAY
Come and Try Days – Baimbridge, Monivae and Good Shepherd
This term, Year 5 and Year 6 students have the opportunity to participate in Come and Try Days at Baimbridge, Monivae and Good Shepherd. These sessions are a valuable part of our transition program, giving students the chance to experience aspects of secondary school in a supportive environment. Such experiences help build confidence, familiarity, and excitement as students prepare for the move to secondary school.
The Monivae, Come and Try Day for Year 6 students will be held on Tuesday, April 28, and for Year 5 students on Tuesday, May 5. Please contact Monivae directly to arrange your child’s participation. Come and Try Days at Good Shepherd College for Years 5 and 6 are being held across each term, with this term’s happening on Wednesday May 20th. Please inform our school or your child’s teacher if your child will be attending so we can mark their attendance accordingly.
The opportunity for all year 5 students to attend Baimbridge College will take place later this term on Tuesday, June 23. This will be a compulsory day for all Year 5 students.
Cross Country – Thursday 30th April
Students in Years 3–6 will be attending the Cross-Country event at the lake next Thursday. Mr Kelson has shared full details via Xuno, including arrangements for the day. While running may not be every student’s favourite activity (yet), all students are encouraged to participate and complete the course at their own pace. The weather forecast for next week continues to be warm, which should make for a pleasant, yet potentially slightly challenging, running conditions. Following this event some students will then be selected to participate at the District Cross County, also held at the lake, the following week on Thursday 7th May.
Division Aths – Friday 1st May
Students who qualified at last term’s District Athletics will be representing our school at the Division Athletics Carnival. The event will be held on Friday, 1st May at Brauerander Park in Warrnambool. Please note that parents are required to arrange transport to and from the event for their child. The 20 students attending qualified by finishing first or second in a running event, or first in a field event or relay at the district level. We wish these students a great day and congratulate them on earning this opportunity. Their selection reflects not only their interest in sport, but also their skill, effort and positive approach.
Grip Conference – Monday 4th May
On Monday 4th, our School Captains and Student Voice Leaders will attend the GRIP Leadership Conference in Mt Gambier, accompanied by Mrs Langley. This conference offers a valuable opportunity for students to further develop their understanding of leadership. Across the day, students will consider what they hope to achieve in their roles this year, both individually and as a collective group. This work will help shape a clear and purposeful direction for student activities across the school this year. We look forward to seeing how our student leaders bring these ideas back and into action.
2027 Prep Information Night and Open Day/Prep Tours
In Week 3, all Hamilton Government Primary Schools will host group tours and a parent information evening to support families in making informed choices about their child’s primary school as they transition from kindergarten. Our Information Night will take place on Monday, 4th May at 6:30pm, followed by our Open Day on Tuesday, 5th May. Group tours on this day will be held at 9:30am, 11:30am and 2:15pm. We warmly invite families with a child starting school in 2027 to attend these sessions. We look forward to welcoming these families and sharing what makes our school such a great place.
Mother’s Day Afternoon and Activities- Friday 8th May
Last year’s Mother’s Day event was a great success, with many mums and special people enjoying time in classrooms alongside their children. It was a wonderful celebration of connection and community. This year, we are once again pleased to offer this opportunity. Each year level team will open their doors for mums and special people from 2:15 – 3:00. Following this, families are invited to attend the Bake Sale, which will open from 3:00 – 4:00 for purchases.
Gray Street Bake Sale – Friday May 8th
We are excited to once again be hosting our Mother’s Day Bake Sale. Last year’s event was a great success, and we were incredibly grateful for the generous contributions from our school community. Donations extended well beyond baked goods, including items such as flowers and preserves. Information regarding donations and volunteering will be shared by our School Council Fundraising Lead, Bec Doheny. We thank Bec for her ongoing and invaluable work in the fundraising space. Her efforts continue to not only support important school projects, such as the upgraded mud kitchen area, but also to strengthen connections and build positive relationships with our families and wider school community.
Half Day Stop Work – Tuesday 12th May
The Australian Education Union (AEU) has announced industrial action in the form of a regional half-day stop work on Tuesday, 12th May. On this day, AEU members will have the opportunity to attend a rally in Warrnambool to advocate for improved conditions for teachers and schools. Further information regarding the year levels impacted by the stop work will be communicated closer to the date. However, it is expected that arrangements will be similar to our previous stop work action day. The key difference this time is that the stop work will occur in the morning only, with staff returning to duty in the afternoon. We appreciate families’ understanding as we navigate this period and will continue to provide updates as they become available.
Other Information
Term 2 Staffing Changes- Ms Brown, Mrs Jessica Smith and Miss Paton
This term we have three staff taking small amounts of leave. Ms Emma Brown is currently on two weeks LSL and will return in Week 3 on Monday 4th May. Our Art program is being delivered by Mr Ben Stephens. Mrs Jessica Smith will be absent for the next four weeks from Monday 4th May as she completes a teaching placement at Hamilton North PS as part of her further studies. Mrs Dickson will extend her workdays for this period, except for the Mondays which Mrs Kelson will cover. Mrs Georgie Paton is also taking LSL in Weeks 4 and 5, from Monday 11th May through to Friday 22nd May. Mrs Ben Stphens will teach Year 5/6C for these two weeks.
Drop Off and Pick up Reminders
With the crossing works now completed, I would like to remind parents of our drop off and pick up procedures. Families may choose to use the “Drop and Go” zones located in Kennedy Street. Alternatively, parents are welcome to park and use the supervised pedestrian crossings to collect their children. We ask families to be mindful when parking in surrounding residential streets to ensure driveways are not blocked or obstructed at any time. Maintaining positive relationships with our residential neighbours is important to our school community, and we appreciate families’ courtesy and consideration in helping to support this.
Mud Kitchen Upgrade
During the holiday break Mrs Riddle and Mrs Doheny, with the help of Mr & Mrs Brabham, made repairs to the timber border in the newly developed Mud Kitchen Area, adjacent to the sand pit near the 1/2 building. A new batch of sand has also been delivered this week and students are already enjoying the new and larger space. We have also been able to source a water tank thanks to a very kind donation by Hamilton Farm Supplies. This tank will allow students to use the water from this tank to wash sand and dirt from their hands, instead of in the troughs that frequently blocked the pipes!
Student Teachers
Next week we welcome Abbey Hill and Ben Starkie to Gray Street Primary School as they undertake their second-year teaching placements as preservice teachers. Miss Hill will be working in the 3/4 area with Mrs Harms, while Mr Starkie will be working in the 5/6 area with Mr Stephens and Mrs McGinley. We wish them both a terrific two-week placement with us and look forward to supporting their learning and development during their time at our school.
2027 Enrolments – Kinder to Prep and Year 6 to Year 7
This term, government schools are now able to distribute and accept enrolment forms for students beginning Prep in 2027. We thank parents who have already begun making enquires regarding these forms, which will be available in Week 3 during the week of our school tours.
For our Year 6 students transitioning to Year 7, an information pack has been sent home regarding secondary school placement. This form must be completed and returned to the office by Friday, 8th May.
Swimming
At the end of last term, information regarding our swimming program was shared with families. A reminder forms and payment are due on Friday 8th May 8th. It is our expectation that all students from Prep to Year 6 will participate in swimming lessons as swimming is part of the Victorian Curriculum. For our Prep students, the program focuses on building familiarity while also developing foundational water skills. In Years 1 to 4, the emphasis is on developing key swimming skills to support children to be safe and confident in the water. In Years 5 and 6, the program continues to build on skill development, with a stronger focus on water safety. We value the importance of this program in supporting student confidence, competence, and safety in aquatic environments.
Volunteering at school
We value the support of our parents, carers and volunteers. When attending the school to volunteer, work with students or assist in any capacity, all visitors are required to enter via the front administrative office. Upon arrival, please sign in and enter your current Working With Children Check details.
Thank you for your cooperation in supporting a safe and secure environment for all students.
Report Writing Day
A Reminder to parents that Friday 5th June is a School Council Approved Report Writing Day. No students are required at school on this day.