Message from the Principal 

TERM 1 – THANK YOU

As we come to the end of Term 1, I would like to take a moment to thank our Greenhills Primary School families for a wonderful start to the year. It has been a busy and productive term filled with learning, growth, and connection across all year levels.

Well done to our students for showing great enthusiasm in their classrooms, building strong foundations in their learning and embracing new challenges with confidence. It has been fantastic to see classrooms full of curiosity, collaboration, and persistence as students continue to develop their skills.

We also extend our appreciation to our families for your ongoing support. The strong partnership between home and school plays such an important role in each child’s success, and we are grateful for the way you engage with and support our community.

We have a rich history and culture of strong parent contribution and involvement, and this term has been no exception. A GREAT example of this was our Student Agency Conferences yesterday and of course 24 families attending our Term 1 Meet with the Principal Team Webex, a big turnout at our Term 1 Working Bee, lots of helpers at our Parent Association BBQ last week and of course those parents that attended Year 6 Camp.

One of the biggest bright lights through this term has been evident in the positive, calm and encouraging and growth mindset of our staff team. The staff have been working hard to ensure that all students are connected, curious and challenged. This started with our very first “red carpet” entry into the school on the first day and has continued every day since.

I would like to use this newsletter to formally thank each one of the Greenhills Primary School staff for their professionalism, dedication and commitment to not only the learning, but also the wellbeing and welfare of every student. As our prin team mentioned at a recent staff briefing that we have every week – “we have the right people on our staff bus and we are moving in the right direction”!

I would also like to say a special thank you and acknowledge the work of Janine Hough and Brad Ryan. We are so lucky to have Janine and Brad as part of our Principal Team. They both serve our school community with selflessness, passion, commitment and genuine care. Janine and Brad drop everything to help students, staff, teaching teams and families and this takes an incredible amount of energy and time. When you see them (and you always can because they are always out and highly visible)– give them a thumbs up and smile! 

It’s always hard to pick a highlight but for this term…. but for me it was continuing our work around our High Impact Learner Agency Traits (HILAT’s). This term our Year 1-6’s have been focusing on “Being Persistent” and this work is really starting to have an impact.

Persistence is a key learning habit that supports students to build resilience, problem-solve, and take risks in their learning. Throughout the term, students have been encouraged to stay engaged, learn from mistakes, and understand that progress often comes from effort over time rather than immediate success. By strengthening persistence, we are helping students to develop confidence in their abilities and a mindset that values growth, effort, and determination—skills that will support them well beyond the classroom.

CONGRATULATIONS FRANCESCA – VICTORIAN SCHOOLS SPORTS AWARDS

Last week I had the privilege to attend the Victorian School Sport Awards with one of our previous students Francesca and her parents. We are incredibly proud to celebrate Francesca’s outstanding achievement at these awards, where she was honoured with a Sporting Blue Award. This prestigious recognition acknowledges her selection to represent Victoria at the Soccer National Schools Championships, as well as her exemplary sportsmanship, fairness, and leadership both on and off the field. Francesca consistently demonstrates our G.R.E.A.T. values we strive to instil in all our students, showing dedication, humility, and a strong team spirit. She is a wonderful role model within our local school community, and we congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition. 

 PA BBQ

A big shout out to our Parent Association Team for last Friday’s End of Term BBQ!! It was just a wonderful feeling having parents, carers and friends still enjoying the event in the colder weather and wind. Building our sense of community and connection is what our PA is all about and what a GREAT job they are doing. We also raised close to $1,000 which will be spent on purchasing some more mini whiteboard resources across the school. 

Mini whiteboards are a powerful and simple tool used in classrooms to actively engage every student in the learning process. They allow students to quickly record their thinking, practise new skills, and respond to questions in real time. This gives teachers immediate insight into student understanding, making it easier to check for misconceptions, adjust teaching, and provide timely feedback.

Using mini whiteboards also encourages all students to participate, not just those who feel confident putting their hand up. It creates a low-pressure environment where mistakes are part of learning, helping to build confidence and persistence. Students can easily erase and improve their work, reinforcing the idea that learning is a process. Overall, mini whiteboards support high levels of engagement, promote active thinking, and help ensure every student is involved in every lesson.

A big thankyou to Mel & Josh Lucas for co-ordinating the event and thank you to everyone who helped.

AN AMAZING BOOKFAIR 

A big shout out to Jen Ellis for organizing our Bookfair this week. It was wonderful that so many families took a moment during our Student Agency Conferences to come and check it out and because of your support we raised nearly $1,900. This means that we have already been able to purchase $1,300 in new books with around $600 still to spend.

This is an awesome result and it will help us to maintain our well-resourced library. This is something we are very passionate about and proud of. 

ANZAC DAY

Each ANZAC Day, the Greensborough RSL Sub-Branch invite our school to attend the ANZAC Day Memorial Service on the 25th of April. The Service will be held at the Greensborough War memorial Park, 203 Henry Street, Greensborough commencing at 9.15am and concluding around 10am. This year our school will also be involved in the march to the service. This starts at 8.45am from outside the Greensborough RSL. If your family is attending, it would be GREAT for them to wear Greenhills School uniform as a mark of respect. Those students who attend will also be able to lay a wreath on behalf of our school community. 

HAPPY EASTER AND SAFE HOLIDAYS

As we head into the holiday break, we hope all families enjoy a well-earned rest and take the opportunity to spend time together. We encourage students to keep reading (more on this next term!), stay active, and enjoy the break.

We look forward to welcoming everyone back for Term 2, refreshed and ready for another exciting term of learning.

Thank you again for a fantastic Term 1.

James Penson,

Principal.