Principal Team's Report

What's been happening in Term 4?

As always, it has been a busy time at The Springs, with many events taking place and some amazing learning happening in all of our classrooms and Specialist areas.

I wanted to recognise two of our students, Yahya Ali and Ananya Rallabhandi, on representing our school at the Rotary Public Speaking competition. Speaking in front of an audience is an extremely daunting task, and these students did so with confidence. I was incredibly proud of their efforts at the competition, and I thank Teague Rook for the work he puts in with our Senior Public Speaking elective each year to build this important skill in our young people. 

Looking ahead... It's a busy end to the term!

As we move into the 'Silly Season', it's important to keep an eye on Compass and our Term 4 Calendar to keep up to date with all of the events, excursions and information coming out. We have a large number of excursion consent forms open on Compass, and we are, unfortunately, unable to extend payment deadlines once these events close. I am incredibly proud of the variety of experiences we offer our students, from surfing and sports, through to visits to the local Retirement Village and the opportunity to learn First Aid. 

Save the date - Community Christmas Celebration

Don't forget that we will be holding our Community Christmas Celebration on Wednesday, 3rd December, from 3:30 pm-5:00 pm on the basketball court. Lots of carol performances, the drawing of our Christmas Raffle, a sausage sizzle and icy-poles for sale. Bring the whole family along for an afternoon of fun!

SPRINGFEST'25

Read all about it in our next edition...!

World Teachers Day 2025

At Pakenham Springs, we are fortunate to have a fantastic crew of educators supporting our students in their learning and developmental growth. On Friday, 31st October, we celebrated all of our teachers on World Teachers Day, sharing a special morning tea and some little gifts and cards of appreciation. It's very easy to speak to the teacher when something goes wrong, but they rarely get a 'thank you' or an acknowledgement of the amazing job they do each and every day. Next time you see one of our fabulous teachers, please think about giving them a smile, a 'thank you' or letting them know they are appreciated. We are so lucky to have them!

End of Year student reports

Our end-of-year student Reports will be published on Compass on Friday, 12th December. Our teachers spend many hours conducting assessments and then writing detailed, personalised reports for all students. We urge you to read them carefully and share the content with your child. They are a fantastic way to celebrate the success of your child and to set some goals for the next year. If you have questions or concerns about your child's report, please feel free to make an appointment with the teacher to discuss this further. Appointments can be made by emailing the teacher directly through Compass. 

Have you checked out our new school Website?

Our school website has recently undergone a massive transformation and is now updated with current information, galleries of events, reminders and links to useful services and supports for families. It also houses the majority of our School Information publications, policies and Annual Reports - if you're looking for information, this is your first port of call. 

Head over to www.pakenhamsprings.vic.edu.au and check it out! We'd love any feedback or ideas on how to make this website even more amazing!

Hat Reminder - Compulsory for Term 4

Just a reminder that Term 4 is a compulsory hat term at Pakenham Springs. Not only is this a stated expectation in our Uniform Policy, but it is also an essential health and safety precaution that we all need to help instil in our young people. SunSmart hats help protect the sensitive skin on our faces and necks from getting sunburnt. Prolonged exposure to the sun's harmful rays can have a dangerous and sometimes fatal impact on the long-term health of students. 

We ask for your support in ensuring students have a SunSmart hat for Term 4. Please note that students will be required to sit in a sheltered area if they do not have an appropriate hat for break times. They may miss valuable learning opportunities in the outdoor environment, and they will be unable to attend any events or excursions if they do not have a SunSmart hat. 

This is not negotiable. The safety of our students is our number one priority.

Planning for 2026

We are well into our workforce and class structure planning for 2026. If you do not anticipate your child being at Pakenham Springs in 2026, please let us know immediately for planning purposes (this does not include our current Year 6 students). If you have a younger child who will be starting Prep next year and hasn't already submitted your enrolment forms, please visit the office immediately so that you do not miss important transition information.

Each year, we get many requests from parents regarding placing their child/ren in classes for the coming year. Class placements take many hours of discussion and take into account many different factors, including compatible groups of students (based on teachers' observations of how students learn together), balance of academic ability, the need for additional learning assistant support and an overall gender balance. Please note that requests for particular teachers, or requests not to have specific teachers, will not be considered, nor will requests for placing students with a certain 'friend' or keeping them away from a student they may have had problems within the past. If you believe you have information that should be considered when placing your child in a class for next year, please submit this in writing directly to the Principal at renee.cotterell@education.vic.gov.au.

Please see our Class Placement Policy for further information. Class Placement Policy 

Attendance Reminder

Daily school attendance is important for all children and young people to succeed in education and to ensure they don't fall behind both socially and developmentally. Children and young people who regularly attend school and complete Year 12 or an equivalent qualification have better health outcomes, better employment outcomes, and higher incomes across their lives. It is important that children develop habits of regular attendance at an early age.

School participation is important as it maximises life opportunities for children and young people by providing them with education and support networks. School helps people to develop important skills, knowledge and values which set them up for further learning and participation in their community.

If you need support in establishing regular school attendance patterns with your child/ren, please contact your classroom teacher or our office staff.

Communication with staff

Please remember that our staff are doing their best to provide a positive, safe and supportive educational environment for all members of the community. We understand that sometimes a parent or carer may require further information about an incident that has happened at school. This clarification must be done in a respectful manner. Our staff have the right to be safe at work, and any abuse or explicit language towards staff will not be tolerated. Please see the Department's Respectful Behaviours Within the School Community Policy for more information.

Supervision before school

Students are not to arrive at school until at least 8:30 am on school mornings.  Staff are not on supervision duty until 8:45 am - responsibility for the safety and supervision of students remains with the parent/carer until 8:45 am. Any student arriving before 8:30 am will be asked to sit at the office and wait. We ask for your support in this matter.  Likewise, under no circumstances are students allowed to leave the school grounds in the morning and go across to the shops.  Not only is this incredibly unsafe, with them crossing the busy Heritage BLVD road unsupervised, but a small number of students are also coming back having purchased items inappropriate for the school day.  

Please contact OSHClub if you need to organise care and supervision for your child/ren outside of 8:30 am - 3:30 pm.

Have a wonderful fortnight,

The PSPS Leadership Team