Principal's Message

Dear Parents/Carers,

Welcome back to the start of Term 2. All students have settled back into their class routines which has been pleasing to see and we are looking forward to another productive term ahead. I hope the holidays provided you and your family with some positive experiences and that families enjoyed a relaxing and wonderful break together.

Principal’s Award

Congratulations to Luca T in 5A on being awarded the Principal’s Citizenship Award for Term 1. Luca was chosen as the recipient of this award for being a positive member of our school and showing genuine excitement for others triumphs by complimenting them and building a genuine rapport. He has a true respect for everyone he encounters and understands the importance of his actions while taking into consideration how these will affect others. 

Parent Teacher Student Conferences (PTS) – Face to Face or Online

Each year in Term 2 and 4 we hold PTS Conferences to review student progress and set goals for the remainder of the year. Since the arrival of Covid-19 we have held conferences remotely. This year the default will be face-to face meetings with online as an option if you cannot attend in person. As always, we request that students attend the conferences with you.

Conferences will be held in the last week of term. Students will be dismissed at 12pm for the conferences on the Thursday.

• Wednesday 21st June – 3.50pm to 6.50pm
• Thursday 22nd June – 12.30 to 6.50pm

The Compass Conference Cycle will be published so you can make bookings closer to the event.

Annual Report to Community

Each year we are required to hold a public meeting where the Annual Report to Community is presented. This will be held on the evening of May 15 and I will provide further details in an upcoming Compass message. I encourage all members of our school community to attend.

Subcommittees

The work of School Council is undertaken via subcommittee meetings. School Councilors/Parent/Carer volunteers work within the subcommittee structure to support the school and the learning experience of all children. The subcommittees produce minutes about the work they are engaged with in their particular area of school operations. These are reported to School Council. The subcommittee also gives a report about their achievements at the Annual General Meeting. Meetings occur no more than once a month and the day/time of each of these meetings is flexible and negotiated between members.

Non School Council community members are welcome to support the work of these committees, if you are interested in joining or finding out more please send an email to the school: elsternwick.ps@education.vic.gov.au. 

Education Committee 

This group of parents/carers and teachers manage the process of creating and reviewing policies which guide the work of the school and respond to government requirements and initiatives. Education committee provides a means of informing the school community about the schools approach and structure to teaching and learning.

Promotion and Marketing Committee

This group of volunteers work together to ensure our school has a profile in the community and prospective families have EPS on top of their list of local schools. The team make recommendations to Council on aspects of marketing and community engagement and with an understanding of our unique school community, develop a strategy to enhance the marketing of EPS.

ANZAC Day

On Wednesday, 26th April students and staff at EPS showed their respects as we observed a minute's silence after listening to The Last Post on ANZAC Day. The staff followed up with various learning experiences in their classrooms to help our students understand the importance of the ANZAC Day holiday on April 25th.

2024 Prep enrolment

A reminder for all current families with children ready to start Prep next year to please complete an application form from our website. 

Pedestrian, bike, scooter safety

In assembly today we spoke to students about travelling to school safely reminding them to always cross at a crossing or traffic lights if there is one nearby, even if it is a little bit out of their way.  The school has engaged with bayside council in recent years in an effort to encourage additional safety measures, without success so far. If you do see or experience anything concerning, please contact the Bayside council directly to register your concern and also let the school know.

EPS Bike and Scooter Policy

In line with department guidelines and Vic Roads’ advice, it is school policy that students in Prep to Year 4 ride to school in the company of an adult as it is well recognised that young children have underdeveloped motor skills, peripheral vision and judgment. Students in Years 5 and 6 students may ride to school without adult supervision. Bicycles/scooters remain the responsibility of parents/carers and must be roadworthy. Students must wear a properly fitted helmet and are encouraged to wear a safety vest when riding a bicycle or scooter.

Traffic conditions are more congested at present with the New Street workers and our community now sharing available parking on Murphy Street. Please take care and drive safely around the school zone, it is easy to get frustrated when its difficult to find a park or someone has parked in the 2minute zone. Its always better to be safe so if you find yourself running a bit late please just call the school to let us know and we can direct students to the office until you arrive.

Have a great weekend,

Michael