Principal's Report

Celebrating the successes of 2021

This is the final newsletter for 2021. The days seem to have dragged, but the year has flown by with the many challenges and events now blurred in a memory of two years of living and working under COVID.

I am very grateful for the supportive community at Valkstone. We have encouraged each other through the lows and celebrated the successes, sharing both tears and laughter.

On Thursday evening, 118 Year 6 students will graduate from Valkstone and reminisce on their time with us before venturing to the larger secondary settings. We are proud of their progress and their individual and collective achievements whilst celebrating this significant milestone. 

We will celebrate the end the school year with an Assembly on the oval at 1:00 p.m. 

Parents are welcome to attend but MUST wear a mask, remain in the designated area and maintain physical distance.

Dismissal on Friday will be at 1:30 p.m.

Valkstone Staff 2022

Principal -                          Mrs Marilyn Koolstra               

Assistant Principal -      Mrs Angela Dawson

Business Manager -      Mrs Julie Caswell

Office Staff -                      Mrs Leanne Scott, Mrs Shona Elford and Ms Mary Ann Farren

O.S.H.C. Co-ordinator - Mrs Debbie Russell

Prep -     Mrs Alyce Collins, Miss Ali Dodd, Mrs Erin Goodman, and Mrs Chantelle Sinclair

Year 1 -  Mrs Whitney Coyle,  Mrs Robyn Howard/Mrs Amanda Sheppard, Mrs Kate Smith,                  and Miss Emily Stump

Year 2  - Mrs Rachel Joyce,  Ms Chrissy Lauriola, Mr Tom Paturzo and 

                 Mrs Cara Glen/Mrs Bernadette Shepherd.

Year 3 - Mrs Julie Kilpatrick/Ms Mel Kemper, Ms Brittany Meyerowitz, Miss Jess Scott and                 Mr Matt Ware

Year 4 - Mrs Heidi Amos, Mr Ian Bahn, Miss Hannah King and Miss Hannah Southin

Year 5 - Miss Jo Fiddler, Mrs Maria Flaherty, Mr Paul Maczohan/Ms Tash Maskell

                and Miss Jess Williams

Year 6 - Mrs Camille Alvarez, Mr Josh Hargreaves, Miss Kate Newey and 

                Ms Sarah Paletu'a

Maths and English Support 

Mrs Helen Blandy, Mrs Carrie White, Mrs Fiona Rouch and Miss Sandra Ferguson

Student Wellbeing

Mrs Heather Venn and Mrs Julie Kilpatrick

Education Support Staff

Mrs Sue Green, Mrs Irene Griff,  Mrs Karen Jones, Mrs Dianne Moncrieff,

Mrs Michelle Waudby and Miss Melissa Fonias

Art -                                         Miss Jen Kaucic  & Mrs Kylie Marshall     

Music -                                   Ms Jenn Darling & Miss Steph McDonald

P.E. & Sport -                        Mrs Kate Walker & Mrs Kate Savigny       

EAL -                                        Mrs Kylie Marshall

L.O.T.E. -                                 Muldeary Sensei & Steph Sensei                    

ICT -                                         Mrs Kylie Kidd & Mrs. Kate Savigny                 

Multimedia -                         Mr Zach McMahon     

Library Technician -           Miss Melissa Fonias

ICT Support -                        Mr Kevin Jong 

Grounds maintenance -   Mr Peter Caswell   

Uniform Shop -                    Ms Karen Wright             

Student Leaders 2022

School Captains                Yael Lasnitski  and  Kynan Koolstra

House Captains

Acacia                                    Copper Neal                Elise Dong     

Banksia                                  Emily Van Oosten       Jaden Leshetz      

Grevillea                                Kabir Sabnani              Clementine Wilson

Waratah                                 Campbell Black           Bailey King

Leadership Team           

                                                 Jemma Wittels               Zlatan Simonov

                                                 James Quiney                Audrey Powell

                                                 Sophie Haynes              Olivia Davies

                                                 Chanya Mapitiya           Sophie Wein

Our student leaders have been elected by their peers and teachers for consistently demonstrating honesty, fairness, inclusion, respect, cooperation, tolerance and appreciation of differences as well as kindness. I wish them well in their roles next year.                                                          

QR codes and visitors to schools

As per current state and Department of Education requirements, visitors and volunteers working on site at school must check in using Service Victoria QR codes. Parents who enter school buildings when on site must check in with the Service Victoria QR codes. Masks are also required in school settings.

Vaccination requirements for parents, carers and adult visitors

All parents and carers attending schools, including for drop-off and pick-up, must adhere to physical distancing, face mask requirements, respiratory etiquette and good hygiene.

Parents, carers and other adult visitors not performing work are required to show evidence of vaccination when entering a school building. This includes for the purpose of activities such as school tours and kindergarten transition programs. 

Parents, carers and other adult visitors attending a gathering at school, such as a fete, school play or graduation ceremony, whether indoors or outdoors, need to show evidence of vaccination on arrival. Masks are also required.

COVID vaccinations for 5 -11 year old children

Attached is a letter from Department of Education with advice about COVID vaccinations for primary school students

Parent Payments 2022

School Council has approved the parent payments for 2022 according to DET guidelines.

The information  about payments for each year level will be on our website. Contributions cover curriculum, building and library fund. Extra-curricula activities such as excursions and camps are user-pay. No payments are required until next year.