Principal's Report

The 2026 ‘Refresh Button’

Our two curriculum days at the start of the year were the catalyst for the refresh we are now experiencing in 2026 – most notably the calm, orderly classrooms evident across the school. This is the result of teachers establishing high, consistent, and clearly communicated expectations in a supportive way, enabling students to become more engaged, focused, and challenged in their learning.

To support the work in the classroom, the school set six implementation goals  (outlined below) designed to improve our structures and communications. The implementation of these goals has strengthened communication and cohesion, contributing to the positive energy we are all experiencing.

Update – Yard Redevelopment

The school has been working closely with Jeavons, the landscape architects overseeing the yard redevelopment project. 

Jeavons has now completed the tender process and appointed a contractor to commence works later this year. We are currently awaiting VSBA approval of this appointment; once received, we will be able to share the project timeline.

Breakfast Success

After the bitter cold of the previous day, we were treated to blue skies for our annual Mother’s Day/Special Person breakfast. A huge shout-out to our volunteers for signing up and showing up – breakfast goodies were served, raffle tickets sold, cups washed, coffee consumed and most importantly, there was a lovely vibe of families hanging out, chatting and connecting. These mornings always bring such a lovely buzz of connectedness, making the celebration (and the early start!) feel absolutely worth it.

And the winner is…

Congratulations to Renee, mum of Charlie, who won the raffle for the hamper of goodies – enjoy! Thank you to everyone who participated in our raffle.

Fundraising

This celebratory breakfast was our first fundraising event of the year and the first opportunity for us to put funds towards our $100,000 yard redevelopment goal. 

We are excited to announce that we raised $1150 in the raffle and $850 in baked treats and coffee, bringing it to a total of $2000. It’s the first – of many steps – towards our total fundraising amount.

Welcome Emily King

This week we welcome Emily King to FPS for a four-week internship. Emily is Assistant Principal at Ashley Park Primary School in Doreen, and is completing this internship as part of her involvement in the Unlocking Potential mentorship program.

Introduction from Emily

My name is Emily King and I feel very fortunate to be undertaking my internship at Fairfield Primary School as part of the Unlocking Potential: Principal Preparation Course through the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership. During this time, I will be mentored by Paul and I am very much looking forward to learning from his leadership and the work of the broader school community.

 

I am currently an Assistant Principal at Ashley Park Primary School, where I have been in the role for the past five years. I have worked in education for more than 20 years, across a range of school settings in both Melbourne’s northern and western suburbs, as well as spending two years teaching in London. Ashley Park is a relatively new school located in a growth corridor in Melbourne’s north-east, which has provided me with valuable experience in establishing systems, building culture, and supporting a rapidly expanding community.

 

I am excited by the opportunity to experience the context of an established school like Fairfield Primary School. Through this internship, I am aiming to deepen my understanding of sustainable school improvement, strengthen my instructional leadership and learn more about how strong community connections contribute to student success in an established setting. I also look forward to learning alongside staff and students, contributing where I can and gaining insights that will support my ongoing growth as a school leader.

Introduction from Emily’s Principal, Keren Barro

I'd like to take the opportunity to thank you for welcoming Emily King, my Assistant Principal for her internship for the next four weeks. I'm really appreciative of Paul Wallace for agreeing to mentor her as part of the Unlocking Potential Program offered through the Victorian Academy of Leadership. Mentors are highly regarded and selected for the skills and knowledge they can offer aspiring principals. Emily has worked in the Whittlesea Network for many years and this provides her the opportunity to experience a different principal's leadership in a different school in a different network.

 

Paul has extended an invitation for me to visit while Emily is there which will be an opportunity for me to see my old primary school as I was fortunate to have attended Fairfield Primary from Grade 4 to 6 quite a few years ago now.

 

I am looking forward to hearing about all of the wonderful things that Emily has learned from Paul and your school. 

Student Attitude Survey (AtoSS)

Later this term our Year 4– 6 students will be completing the AtoSS. Please see below information provided by the Department of Education.

The AtoSS is a voluntary student survey offered by the Department of Education every year to help schools and the department understand students' experiences of school. Students are asked their thoughts and feelings about their school, their learning, relationships with other students, resilience, bullying, health and wellbeing, physical activity, and life in general.

Your child will be invited to complete the survey online during class time using a secure online survey tool. We are not “testing” your child. Please note:

• Students can choose if they want to take part, skip questions they don’t want to answer, and can stop doing the survey at any time.
• There are different versions of the survey to let all students take part.
• The survey will take around 20 – 40 minutes to complete.
• A teacher will give your child a unique login to complete the survey. This unique student login is an assigned identifier that will be used by the department to link data for analysis and research only. 

Your child’s school will only get reports about groups of students. Information about individual students and the student answers data file is not shared with schools.

This survey is voluntary. If you do NOT want your child to do the survey, please opt out by emailing the school office school before the survey starts on Monday 1 June.

Learn to Swim Program

Our Learn to Swim program, for students from Foundation and Years 1 & 2, will commence in a couple of weeks with the Foundation cohort being the first to venture off to the pool. This year, all lessons will be conducted at the Northcote Aquatic Centre. 

Foundation program

• Students will participate in eight swimming lessons over four weeks. 
• Lessons will be held on Wednesdays and Thursdays. 
• The program commences Wednesday 27 May. 

Year 1 & 2 program

• Students will participate in eight swimming lessons over two weeks. 
• Lessons will be held from Monday to Thursday each week. 

• The program commences Monday 31 August.

   

Considering our Neighbours

As a school, we very much value our local neighbours and residents – many are past and current (and possibly future) families. 

In turn, the school also has a role in being good neighbours and we kindly ask parents who drive to school to be mindful when parking. Please follow all parking rules and avoid blocking driveways. Unfortunately, a neighbour’s car was dented last week – likely during pick‑up – and no details were left. We’d love to help resolve this for them, so if you were involved, please contact the school.

Thank you for reading, and enjoy the rest of your week.

Paul Wallace

Principal