Principals' Message 

Hello Parents and Friends,

This week we have been celebrating Harmony Week at TPPS.  Harmony Week is the celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backgrounds. It’s about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. We have such a diverse and multicultural school community and this makes TPPS such a fantastic place to learn.  Today our students and staff wore something orange to celebrate Harmony Week. Everyone looked amazing!

Today, we had our first Coffee and Chat with the Principals and it was a fantastic morning.

We had over fifteen people in attendance and so many rich topics were discussed.  This included the launch of new House names, our new teaching and learning methods, student attendance, how we cater for different learning abilities in the classroom and so much more.  We did discuss an outstanding podcast that we recommend for parents to listen to.  The 'Sold a Story' podcast outlines what we have learned about reading instruction and this explains why we have made changes to our teaching and learning model at TPPS. This research has also led the Department of Education to introduce the Victorian Teaching and Learning Model 2.0 (VTLM2.0) .  We had such a rich discussion and Robyn and I felt so invigorated after the chat.

To learn about the VTML2.0 please click here and to access the 'Sold a Story' podcast please click here. 

Finally, next week is a planning week at TPPS.  During the week, teachers will take one full day together to plan for Term 2.  All Specialist classes will take place for each year level on their planning day.  

• Monday - Grades 1&2 
• Tuesday - Grades 3&4
• Wednesday - Specialists 
• Thursday - Grade Prep
• Friday - Grades 5&6 

New House Names at TPPS! 

We are excited to announce that TPPS will have new House names commencing from Term 2. 

The History of our current TPPS Houses 

For many years, our Houses have represented the early settlers of Templestowe.  The Chivers, Read, Unwin and Aumann families have a rich history in Templestowe and were some of the first European settlers in this area. 

John Chivers was a pioneer of this district and arrived at Templestowe in 1840. James Read arrived in Australia in 1844 and even before disembarking from the ship he had travelled upon from England, he met John Chivers as he had come on board seeking men to work for him on the land he had squatted on in Templestowe.  This meeting was the commencement of a friendship that lasted their entire lives. 

In August 1840, the Colonial Office announced that any person could select 5120 acres (8 square miles) at Port Phillip for the sum of £5120. On 17 March 1841, Frederic Wright Unwin, a Sydney solicitor, made a selection at Bulleen between the Yarra River and the Koonung Creek. This begun the Unwin family long association with the Templestowe area. 

August Heinrich Aumann married Emma Zerbe in the late 1800s and made their home in Tindals Road, Warrandyte.  This started their long association with the Templestowe area as they had children who would later continue the family business within this area. 

The Chivers, Read, Unwin and Aumann families worked hard clearing land for farms and orchards.  These families lived and toiled on this land for many years before it was sold for housing and the suburb of Templestowe we know today was established. We have proudly acknowledged these pioneering families at Templestowe Park PS and they will forever be an integral part of our rich learning community. 

New House Names

In 2024, the school investigated our House names and the rich history beside them.  While we thought they were outstanding, we wished for our Houses to represent the long history of our land and represent  the ever-changing TPPS community.  After great investigation and discussion, the school decided upon the following House names.  

The four House names are based on the four elements (earth, air, fire and water) that are considered fundamental to nature and life.  We have used ‘Sun’ instead of air.  Our House names are the elements that bring life to Templestowe Park PS. These elements represent everyone from different cultures, backgrounds and groups at TPPS.  

The House names are written in the language of the Wurundjeri people.  The Wurundjeri people are an Aboriginal people of the Woiwurrung language group, in the Kulin nation. They are the traditional owners of the Yarra River Valley, covering much of the present location of Melbourne and Templestowe. 

Each House has a native animal as its mascot. We believe that it will provide an Australian animal that our students can relate to.  It also brings some fun and enjoyment to our Houses. 

From the commencement of Term 2, our students will regularly meet in their House groups and undertake cross-age mentoring activities.  We will also collect House points under our new names and the students will represent their House during a range of academic, creative and sporting events. 

We are so excited to to launch these new House names at TPPS! 

Happy Persian New Year! 

We wish all our Persian families a Happy New Year! 

The festival of Nowruz is a celebration which goes back over 3,000 years, which makes it one of the oldest festivals in the world. It happens every year in the build up to the first day of spring, which varies between the 19th and 21st of March. This year, that's on Wednesday 20 March. Nowruz symbolises renewal and hope and it lasts for about two weeks. 

Some of our fantastic Persian parents set up a table in our office foyer with all the symbols of the Persian New Year.  It looks fantastic and it has taught us so much about the celebration. 

We hope that all our Persian families have a very Happy New Year! 

School Council 2025 

The first meeting of the 2025 School Council was held on Wednesday; we are pleased to announce the following office bearers.

President – Shalina Navaratnam

Vice President – Peter Manolakos

Treasurer – Amy Gunzburg

Congratulations to our new School Council leaders! 

 At our first meeting we looked at the year ahead noting that there is plenty in store for the Templestowe Park community in 2025.  We will keep you updated on the work of the School Council.

Prep 2026 Information Evening

We warmly invite prospective Prep 2026 Parents and Carers to our Prep 2026 Information Night on Thursday 3 April.  The information session will take place in the Library and will cover topics such as school readiness, the Prep curriculum and everything else TPPS has to offer. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions. 

Please contact the school office to register your interest in attending.   

2026 Prep Enrolments 

We are undertaking many tours for Prep 2026.  For families that are interested in enrolling their child in Prep at Templestowe Park in 2026, please see the process below and our school website for further information.  2026 Prep enrolments open Tuesday 22 April (first day of Term 2). 

How to enrol at Templestowe Park PS

• Contact our school office on 9846 2700 to book a school tour with our Principal or Assistant Principals.
• Submit an Expression of Interest EOI if you would like to receive updates from Templestowe Park about enrolment news and our numerous transition programs.
• Digital enrolments for Prep 2026 open on Tuesday 22 April 2025.  Please click here to submit your digital enrolment after Tuesday 22 April 2025.
• Submit an enrolment application for Prep 2026 by Friday 25 July 2025.
• You will be notified of the outcome of your application between Monday 28 July and Friday 8 August 2025. If you receive an enrolment offer, you should accept the offer by Friday 22 August 2025. Please note – all in zone student enrolments will be immediately accepted on receipt of student enrolment.
• We will invite families to participate in our Prep 2026 Transition programs.
• Prep students will commence school on Wednesday 28 January 2026.

For further information from the Department of Education about enrolling in Prep for 2026 please click here. 

Student Free Day – Tuesday 22 April (First day of Term 2) 

The school has planned to have a Student Free Day on Tuesday 22 April.  This is the first day of Term 2.  On this day all staff will undertake First Aid and CPR training.  This training is a requirement under our Occupational Health and Safety obligations. 

The first week of Term 2 will now only be two school days as there is Easter Monday and ANZAC Day on Friday. 

TeamKids will be offering full day care for families that require it.  Please click here to make a booking. 

Parking and Road Safety around TPPS 

We have recently had more complaints from local residents and the school community

about parents parking across driveways, within Manningham Council green spaces and undertaking illegal U-turns during pick up time after school. 

The Manningham Council and Police have been notified and they will be undertaking regular patrols and issuing fines for any illegal activity.

We strongly encourage families to use the Greek Orthodox Church as a parking spot. The Church have kindly allowed the school to use their carpark at drop off and pick up time. This a short 350m walk from the Church Rd entry to the school. Parents are encouraged to park and walk from there if they would like to meet their children within the school grounds.

2025 Parent Payments

You will notice on your Compass Newsfeed, under Course Confirmation, that the 2025 Parent Payments are available to be paid.  The process on how to pay the charges is outlined in the 2025 TPPS Parent Payment letter on Compass. 

Thank you to those families who have made contributions thus far.  These contributions provide our students with workbooks, stationery, online subscriptions,  classroom and specialist materials, educational support, facilities, grounds and opportunities that we simply could not offer without your support. TPPS includes all student resources in Parent Payments rather than having parents pay for them above this payment. 

If you have any further queries, please contact the school office. 

Principals’ Award - Isaac Z 

Isaac has shown an incredible amount of resilience and strength this year, and we want to

take a moment to recognise him for that. Isaac had to undergo surgery recently. It's never easy to go through something like that, but Isaac handled it with such courage and determination. He faced a difficult situation with maturity beyond his years, and that alone deserves a round of applause. What really stands out is Isaac’s attitude after his recovery. Not only did he bounce back, but he came back to school with a positive mindset, ready to continue learning and engaging with all of us. His smile, his energy, and his willingness to contribute to class have inspired 5K. Isaac, you’ve shown us that no matter what challenges life throws our way, we can always rise above them with a positive attitude. Your strength has been truly inspiring to your classmates and teachers, you truly deserve this award. 

Have a fantastic weekend! 

Mark Roberts                       Brian Cleary                                        Robyn Twyford 

PRINCIPAL                           ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL                  ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL