Principal's Report
Dear Parents and Carers,
Farewell to 2022
At the end of another extraordinary year, I would like to sincerely thank every member of our community for working with the staff to attain the best possible results for our children.
I would like to thank our School Councillors, led by Jennifer Bittner, who contribute to the governance of the school and its strategic direction. Thanks must also go to the Parents & Friends Club, led by Betty Ciorciari and Sam Watson and the dedicated PFC Committee, for continuing to build the school spirit and our sense of community.
And finally, I would like to thank our dedicated and hardworking staff (Teachers, Admin, PSD staff, OSHC staff and Instrumental Music staff) who have worked so hard to develop programs and processes to ensure that every child had the opportunities to maximise their learning. Their professionalism and the high level of care shown to all of our students was highly valued and acknowledged by our community.
Year 6 Graduation
Over the last week of this school year, our Year 6 students celebrated the end of their primary education at Essex Heights. Thursday was a unique and truly marvellous day. This year, the Graduation Committee did an amazing job in organising all aspects of the day. The luncheon and the setup of the Hall was wonderful, and the evening ceremony and celebration was touching and inspiring. Our Year 6 students were once again the highlight of the show. As they leave Essex Heights for the last time today, we wish them every success in the future and implore them to always have EHPS close to their hearts. Finally, a huge thank you to the staff and all the parents who helped to make this week so special for the Graduating Class of 2022.
A visit from Santa
Last Friday, our Prep and Year 1 classes had an extraordinary visit from Santa! We were all so surprised that he took the time to deliver individual post cards to every Prep and Year 1 student. A few of the children actually “saw him”, oh so briefly, at the front of the school. The parcel of letters was found at the front of the school!! A few children also found reindeer hoof prints in the garden. The letters were so cold … they must have come from the North Pole!! The children were so lucky and happy to have Santa reply to the letters they had sent earlier in the year! How special!!
Semester 2 Reports
We notified you last week that your child’s Semester 2 report has been published and is accessible on Compass. We hope you enjoy reading all that your child has achieved this year. It is timely to remind families who are leaving EHPS to ensure that you copy your child’s report to an external source so that you have access to it after you leave.
Leaving EHPS
If your family circumstances change over the Summer school holiday period and your child will not be returning to EHPS in 2023, it is essential that you advise me in writing as soon as possible using the school email address – essex.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au – with the following details:
- Child’s name and 2022 class
- Date of last day at EHPS (Friday 20 December - last day of Term 4 2022 / 2022 school year)
- Name of the school your child is enrolled at
- Commencement date at new school (Friday 27 January 2023)
- The reason for leaving EHPS
- New contact details, e.g. address, phone number, email
Student absence at the start of 2023
If your child will be absent at the beginning of Term 1 in 2023, please ensure that you enter the appropriate attendance note on Compass for the day/days that they are absent. Please also email their teacher (via the link on Compass, or use school email if needed) to advise of your child’s absence at the start of the year.
2023 Staff
| Team/Area | Staff (Coordinators in bold) |
|---|---|
| Principal Team | George Perini Ina Kuehlich Elisha Cotterell |
| Prep | Kirsten Lightfoot Anita Dix & Verity Bright Melanie Siddans Amber Hardy Emily Zajc |
| Year 1 | Carolyn Wilson Shona Misso Simon Liao Emily O'Mahony |
| Year 2 | Renée Dare (Alicia Boles) Margaret Fitzpatrick Helen Broderick & Nikki Olsen |
| Year 3 | Kristi Lloyd Paula Hammond & Grace John Eric Zhang |
| Year 4 | Felicity O'Flynn Meldeen Pratiwi Alexandra O'Connor |
| Year 5 | Magdalene Lim Rowena Lin Olivia Rose |
| Year 6 | Carolyn Easdale Kelvin Tang (Amanda Tait) Grace Cordell (Aubrey Hudson) |
| Health & P.E. | Monique Hocking Alicia Boles |
| Indonesian | Amanda Tait Grace John |
| Music | Jessica Wynne Grace Cordell |
| Art | Aubrey Hudson |
| ArtSEL | Nikki Olsen |
| Support | Yogi Patel Natalie Zaibak Goretti Cheuk |
| Tutor Initiative | Marita Steward |
| Literacy Specialist | Renée Dare |
| Numeracy Specialist | Kelvin Tang |
And finally ...
To all those leaving our school community, all the best to you and your family as you start at your new school next year.
On behalf of all the staff, I would like to wish all families a safe and Merry Christmas, as well as a Happy New Year. For those families that do not celebrate Christmas, I hope that your families have safe and happy holidays.
I look forward to seeing you all well rested at the start of 2023.
Kindest regards,
George Perini
Principal