Principal's Report

HERRRby Extravaganza Fair

Our School Fair was a wonderfully happy and enjoyable occasion for our school community. Even a few heavy rain showers couldn’t dampen the spirits! Everyone in attendance was treated to a wide variety of ways to spend their HERRRby Bucks and their time, including buying books, scooters and bikes, shopping at the delicious cake stall, creating terrariums and other craft items, bidding in the Silent Auction, enjoying a meal from the barbecue or grabbing a welcome coffee. The Year Level Side Show Alley activities and the Reptile Show were extremely popular with the children, as were all the rides.

The Fair Planning Committee was supported by many dedicated Gardenvale parents, teachers, students and friends. We cannot thank you enough for the tremendous hard work, time and energy you poured into ensuring another successful community event for our wonderful school.

From the early hours of Saturday morning through to late Sunday afternoon, countless volunteer parents and staff helped bring the Fair Committee’s plans to life.

A special thank you goes to the entertainment team; Tom Pitts, Casey Galinksy, Kid Crazy, The Jets, our School Choirs and the GGT participants, for keeping us entertained throughout the day. We must also acknowledge Nathan Grant, Tyler Travasikis, and our School Captains, Francis, Yasmine, Grace and Milla, for bravely facing the icy waters of the dunking machine!

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to the success of the Fair. Every bit of help,  baking a cake, donating a prize, assisting with set-up, buying a raffle ticket, attending the event, or staying to pack up, all adds up and makes a significant difference. Events like this simply do not happen or run smoothly without a huge amount of hard work behind the scenes.

A massive thank you to our tireless, hardworking and superbly organised Fair Committee. They have spent more than two years preparing for this event, and their efforts truly shone on the day. Later in this newsletter, Robyn Krawitz acknowledges many of the parents involved in the various Fair activities, including the incredible Silent Auction.  I would also like to personally thank Robyn, Hugh Maguire and Deb Putt — the best organising team in the business — for the countless hours they dedicated to bringing this special event to our school.

Finally, THANK YOU all for your incredible support of these outstanding Gardenvale community events! 

School Concert Tonight

A reminder that the Concert will start at 7.00pm and children are to be seated with their teacher and class by 6.45pm. Children may like to bring a drink of water and a jacket, but no phones or food! Families are most welcome to come along from 5.30pm (when the gates will open), bring a picnic rug and food and enjoy some free time before the concert. 

Please note for the concert there will be areas for picnic rugs behind the students, then chairs of any description (even beach chairs with very short legs) behind the rugs and also a designated section for people taking photos. We are really trying to cater so that everyone can view and enjoy the concert in a respectful environment! We also ask everyone if they could please take home their own rubbish at then end of the concert. The weather should be perfect and we are looking for forward to a great night! 

Billy Cart Grand Prix 

We wish our Year 6’s all the best for the Annual Year 6 Billy Cart Grand Prix this Friday, another very special Gardenvale event!  After 6 weeks of impressive team building, billy carts have been produced, team names decided upon and costumes designed.  This event provides an ideal opportunity for the whole school to come together and cheer on each of the teams. It will be great to see the way the Year 6 students work together and support each other through the good times and even when the wheels fall off or go flat! Thank you to all of the teachers, parents and grandparents that have made this event possible and support the day in any way!

Class Placements

Our teaching staff are currently finalising class placements for next year. They are best positioned to make informed decisions, with a clear understanding of each child’s learning needs and future goals. We encourage families to trust the thoughtful and thorough processes we have in place at Gardenvale, as we are committed to supporting the educational wellbeing of every student.

Below are some helpful tips for parents from Professor Judith Locke — clinical psychologist, former teacher and school counsellor — on how to talk with your child about the upcoming school year.

• If your child is anxious about starting a new class with unfamiliar people, do listen to them talk about their fears, but normalise them (“A lot of people feel worried about starting something new”), and then talk about their past strengths in facing tricky things and your confidence that they will cope with this challenge. 

• When they come home from their first day at a new activity, keep your questions broad, “How was it?” not, “Did you make a friend today?” or “Is Sam in your class?” This won’t put unnecessary pressure on them or suggest things in which they should be disappointed. 

• Keep your and your child’s expectations realistic. It is highly unlikely that they will form close friendships in the early days of a new school year, particularly in early primary. How often have you started a new job and come home from your first day to announce, “I made my new best friend today”? 

Bayside Dance Off

We were very proud of seven Gardenvale students - Malia, Sophie, Lisa, Skylar, Tali, Danielle and Freya - who represented our school in the Bayside Dance Off. The girls had a wonderful time performing their original dance piece and thoroughly enjoyed being part of the competition.

End of Year Reports 

End of Year Student Reports will be available on COMPASS by 4.00pm. on Wednesday 17th December.  If your child is in Year 6 or leaving at the end of the year please ensure you download all your school reports before Friday 19 December. Your Compass access will cease from this date.

See you at the concert!

Janine Hall