Principal's Message 

SCHOOL COUNCIL 

After our new School Council met for the first time on Tuesday evening, I am happy to report the following office bearers for 2024:-

• President – Mark Kennedy
• Vice-President – Dikesh Gandhi
• Treasurer – Daniel Raftis/Melissa Dawson
• Secretary – Meriden James

A big welcome to new parent members Ben Cameron, Melissa Dawson and Pam Jones who join Mark Kennedy, Daniel Raftis, Gareth Ross, Leah Bromage, Lindy Dowell, Dikesh Gandhi and Paul Wulfrun on this year’s council as well as staff members Narelle Cooper, Rachel Freene, Meriden James and Rhiana Macrae.

Congratulations to the duly elected representatives and we look forward to another year of solid and supportive leadership. I’m also pleased to announce that we also have a new PA President or Presidents I should say, with Elissa Harris and Jayde Fahie now taking on the role left vacant by Pam Jones.  Earlier at the meeting, the Annual Report of 2023 was presented and ratified and will be added to our Website by the end of the week. 

NAPLAN Progress: Our students in Years 3 and 5 have been actively engaged in the National Assessment Program tests, which play an important role in evaluating their literacy and numeracy skills. These assessments, aligned with the Victorian and Australian Curriculum, provide valuable insights into our students' academic progress and areas for growth. We eagerly anticipate the results and commend our students for their efforts this past week. To find out more about NAPLAN, visit www.nap.edu.au  

HARMONY WEEK

This week is Harmony Week Monday 18th – Sunday 24th March. What is Harmony Week? It is a time to celebrate Australian multiculturalism, and the successful integration of migrants into our community. Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world and we should celebrate this and work to maintain it. Harmony Week is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values. Our cultural diversity Australia is a vibrant and multicultural country — from the oldest continuous culture of our first Australians to the cultures of our newest arrivals from around the world. Our cultural diversity is one of our greatest strengths and is at the heart of who we are. It makes Australia a great place to live. An integrated multicultural Australia is an integral part of our national identity. All people who migrate to Australia bring with them some of their own cultural and religious traditions, as well as taking on many new traditions. Collectively, these traditions have enriched our nation. You can access Harmony week stories to share with your children at  https://www.harmony.gov.au/stories/story?storyId=118 

As part of our Harmony Week festivities, we are privileged to host the team from Footsteps, who will lead engaging workshops next Wednesday exploring cultural dances from around the world. This immersive experience not only celebrates our diverse heritage but also promotes cultural understanding and appreciation among our students. The sessions will be followed by a whole school assembly at 2:45pm where all classes will perform the dances they have learnt. We would love to see parents attend this assembly too. A big thank you to Robyn Milton from Footsteps and our Performing Arts Teacher Mrs Legge for coordinating this event.

Ramadan – March 11th to April 9th 

Ramadan is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. It is a time for spiritual purification and gratitude. Ramadan concludes with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, which culminates in a celebratory feast as families gather to mark the end of fasting. I wish all members of our school community that observe Ramadan, ‘Ramadan Mubarak’.

Persian New Year - Nowruz

This time of the year also is a time where we would like to acknowledge the Persian New Year - Nowruz. This is a celebration that is of importance to some of our families here at Yarra Road. This day is always spring equinox - marking the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.  The meaning of Nowruz can be broken into two words: now meaning "new" and ruz meaning "day." 

We love to learn, share and celebrate the diverse cultural celebrations of our Yarra Road Community. Please feel free to share yours via the Yarra Road email address.

ASSEMBLIES (Last week of term)

We will be holding two assemblies next week.

On Monday 25th at 9:05am on the top basketball court we will be presenting students with their certificates and present students from each class with their Junior School Captain badges.

On Thursday at 9:05 am on the top basketball court we will be having another assembly where we will draw the prizes for the Easter raffle. 

Thursday is also the last day of term 1, we will be concluding our school term at 2:30pm.

Have a great end to the week and an even better weekend.

Ken Darby

Principal

Ride to School Day

This year we will be participating in National Ride2School Day on Friday March 22nd. National Ride2School Day is the perfect opportunity for students and school communities across Australia to embrace a healthier start and to try riding and walking to school for themselves. Not only is active travel good for your health, it’s good for the environment too! Riding, walking, scooting or skating to school means there are fewer cars on the road. 

It's sure to be a fantastic day and we look forward to seeing you there.

Crazy Hair Day

On Monday 18th March, our school held a Crazy Hair Day. Most of the kids and teachers at Yarra Road put their hair up into many different hairstyles. Sadly, we didn't have a World Greatest Shave this year because there weren't enough volunteers to shave. But a huge shout out to Hunter Williams in Year 5 who shaved his hair at home and raised $80 dollars to donate. Amazing effort Hunter!

All the money will be donated to the Leukaemia Foundation. Which means it will help people with this awful cancer. There are lots of people in the world with Leukaemia so your gold coin donation will help those in need. With your help, our school raised $415 dollars. So, thanks to everyone at YRPS for donating money to the foundation and getting involved with some crazy hair fun!

Isla M and Scarlett F (JSC Captains)

Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund (CSEF)

If you hold a current Health Care Card you are eligible to apply for CSEF funding. Applications are now open. The link below will take you to the CSEF website and you will need to click on the first link, 'Camps, Sports, Excursions Fund application form 2024 (DOCS)', to apply.

If your application is successful, Yarra Road Primary School will receive $150 per student. These funds will be put onto your account and you can utilise them for any camps, excursions or incursions.

If you applied and were successful last year (2023), your funding will automatically roll over and you will not need to re-apply unless any of your details have changed.