Principal's Report
By Frank Catalano
Dear Members of the Glen Waverley Primary School Community,
Welcome to the final newsletter for the 2021 school year!
I must admit that I am really struggling to comprehend that we only have one week to go before the end of another school year! The question, “Where has the year gone?” comes to mind, however the harsh reality is that the years do come and go rather quickly.
As I reflect on the 2021 school year, it would be rather remiss not to mention the continued impact of Covid -19, particularly being in lockdown for an extensive period of time was difficult for most, if not everyone. However, I cannot express how proud I am of the entire Glen Waverley Primary School community with the manner in which we all worked together to ensure the children’s social, emotional and academic needs were met. Thank you everyone!
School Chess Team Update
Our school Chess Team has had a phenomenal year and after securing three State Championships in the following tournaments:
- Chess Victoria tournament organised by Chess Victoria and affiliated to the Australian Chess Federation (State and National Level)
- Kids Unlimited Chess tournaments (State and National Level) and the
- Northern Star Chess Tournaments (State only)
the children recently competed in the following National (Australian) Championships:
Kids Unlimited Chess Tournament
- Our school fielded two teams, one in the Primary Division (Years 4 to 6) and one in the Middle Years Division (Years 5 to 9)
- I am thrilled to report that both teams placed 1st in their respective divisions, hence both teams are National Champions!
- In terms of some individual performances:
Primary Division:
- Saheli (Year 1) was awarded the Most Improved player and
- Vidushi (Year 4) was awarded the highest scoring female award
Middle Years Division
- Rahul (Year 6) ranked 2nd
- Tejas (Year 6) ranked 3rd
Chess Victoria, Australia National Championships
To qualify for a national event in any sport or discipline is an unbelievable effort and for the second year in a row the children in our school chess team did so. At the end of two gruelling days of competition our school placed a very commendable 5th which is outstanding! Well, done and congratulations team!
As you would be aware, the children have had an amazing year which is a real credit to them, their families and their coaches; once again, well done children as we are all so very proud of you!
2022 Student Leaders
With the easing of restrictions, I was very pleased that on Monday we were able to host a very special assembly in order to announce the 2022 Student Leaders. The Year 5 children have undertaken a rigorous process, which culminated in the rest of the student body voting for their respective 2022 school leaders. Congratulations and a special well done to the following children and their families as it is an honour to be a school leader and represent your peers, teachers and our school community:
Position | Name |
| School Captains | Tiana and Nevin |
| School Vice-Captains | Nimmer and Daivik |
| Mitchell House Captains | Senudi and Reyansh S |
| Latrobe House Captains | Elissa and Reyansh V |
| Fawkner House Captains | Meher and Cardin |
| Hume House Captains | Vedanshi and Owen |
| Science Captains | Twisha and Hari |
| Digital Learning Captains | Revti, Shayan and Jonathan |
| Art Captains | Melody, Surya and Thesan |
| Music Captains | Ria, Eva and Reyansh S |
| Languages Captains | Anuram and Joshua |
| Library Captains | Mannroop, Kaesitha and Hishan |
| Environment Captains | Rujuta and Thimath |
| Peer Mediation Captains | Keeasha and Sean |
| CIS Captains | Kiara and Yuvan |
| Performing Arts Captains | Shavini and Senon |
| Student Voice Captains | Krisha and Akain |
Once again, congratulations to the above students and their families. I would also like to acknowledge the children who were not selected, thank you to all of you for your efforts and remember at our school, all Year 5 and 6 students are considered as leaders, and you will also be provided with opportunities to lead various school events.
Natalie Doyle, “Courage in Learning Award”
As you may be aware, last year our school community lost one of our Learning Assistants, Natalie Doyle, after a long battle with cancer. In order to honour Natalie’s passion and commitment for the children on the Program for Students with a Disability, our school commissioned the Natalie Doyle, Courage in Learning Award. I am extremely pleased to report that the recipient of this very special award is Mia (Year 6) who has made the most outstanding progress with her learning.
Mia is one of the children that Natalie supported, and it was incredibly special when Natalie’s children Taylor and Jordan attended the Year 6 Graduation to present the award. Taylor mentioned that Natalie would be incredibly proud of Mia and would be looking down on her with a smile from ear to ear!
Well done and congratulations Mia as we are all incredibly proud of you!!!
2022 Staff Team
Next year we are expecting to commence the year with approximately 890 students and a 35-classroom model consisting of 5 classes at each year level. The 2022 Staff Team will consist of:
Year Level | Classroom Teachers | Support Staff (TSL) |
| Prep Team | Michelle Caruso, Lisa Baguley, Tracy Tsang, Samantha Chow and Aimee Scanlan | Ryo Sugihara |
| Year 1 Team | Clare Marotta, Samantha Dell’Aquila, Annie Mao, Gordon Gerada and Amanda Sierp, | Mel James and Anna Meng |
| Year 2 Team | Ben Stirling, Dilan Ratnayake, Kristy Smith, Alicia Bird and Kimielle D’Mello | Jason McCormick |
| Year 3 Team | Stacey Cupo, Blair Ippolito, Gemma Simmons, Peter Shen and Davin Mark | Anna Hardy |
| Year 4 Team | Christine Marotti, Dante Sciessere, James Dean, Samantha Stefanidis and Lauren Lee | Anna Meng |
| Year 5 Team | Yvette Gavalovic, Bianca Liburti, Trish Singh, Kimberley Stevenson and David Joyce | Lindy Tran |
| Year 6 Team | Lauren Anderson, Jessica Wood, Robert Lou, Angelique Gabriel, Riley Yousef and Ivana Krsteska. | Samantha Rich |
Specialist Programs:
- Visual Arts – Cherie Peele
- Languages – Shasha Guo, Esther Wang and Ying Li
- Music – Nadia Cecconello
- Physical Education – Jenna Sparkes and Glen Parker
- Performing Arts – Ben Clark
Innovation Programs
- STEAM – Anat Garzberg-Grant
- Digital Learning – Kylie Bailey
- Maths:
- Jackie Gilbert – Year 2
- Ben Welsh – Year 3 and
- Kathy Williams – Years 4, 5 and 6.
English (Writing)
- Sarah Donald – Year 2
- Arezou Javidi – Year 3
- Nicole Pryde – Year 4
- Ben Clark – Year 5 and
- Sue Coffey – Year 6.
Student Wellbeing:
- Ben Welsh and Kylie Bailey
Learning Assistants:
- Soula Lucas, Elizabeth Steinke, Vani Muregesan, Nicole Rowland, Sumungali Dissanayake, Karli Bell, Sabrina Aung and Wendy Wallace.
Education Support Staff:
- Business Manager – Julie Milward
- Office Manager – Kylie Sayer
- Administrative Assistant – Daniel Itsines
- Executive Assistant – Helen Hassiotis
- School Nurse – Tina Ludlow-Hoyer
- School Speech Pathologist – Grace Wong
- Library - Gurbiner Bhagat and Katheryn Stroud
- Maintenance Manager – Michael La Rosa
- School Employed Cleaner – Brian Hogan
- DET provided Computer Technician – Geng Li
Learning Specialists:
- Anat Garzberg-Grant – School-wide Operations and STEAM
- Sarah Donald – Curriculum and Pedagogical Development
- Samantha Stefanidis – English
- Peter Shen – Maths
- Trish Singh – Student Engagement in Learning (Science of Learning)
- Kylie Bailey - Digital Learning and
- Ivana Krsteska – Student Voice and Agency
Principal Class:
- Principal – Frank Catalano
- Assistant Principal Curriculum and Pedagogical Development: Roland Lewis
- Assistant Principal Student Wellbeing – Ben Welsh
- Assistant Principal: Data Literacy – Sue Coffey
Overall, I am exceptionally pleased with the 2022 staff team and am very confident that we will be able to provide a high-quality education for all of our students.
2022 School Accounts
I would like to thank the numerous families who have already settled their 2022 school account. We would really like to have as many accounts as possible paid before the end of the school year so families will be able to collect their stationary packs.
A few reminders to be aware of:
- Payments may be made at any time through Compass
- Stationary packs can be collected immediately from the school office
- If you prefer to settle your account in 2022, please do so by Friday 5th February
- Stationary packs can also be collected from Monday 24th January 2022
- Payment Plans: Please do not hesitate to see me if you would like to arrange a payment plan as these are totally confidential.
As mentioned throughout the course of the year, our school is able to continue to update facilities and provide the children with additional resources because of family contributions. A sincere thank you to the families who have settled their 2021 School Account and I look forward to your continued support in 2022 and beyond.
Student Reports
As a learning community it is extremely important that we value the children’s reports as they are a means of celebrating how much the children have grown socially, emotionally and academically throughout the year. The teaching staff have been working extremely hard to ensure your child’s report accurately reflects their current level of achievement and also their growth throughout the year.
The Semester Two student reports will be distributed via Compass on Friday 10th December.
Please ensure you have access to Compass and if you need any assistance, see Daniel, Kylie or Julie in the main office. Also, if you have any queries regarding your child’s report please see your child’s classroom teacher, Mr Lewis, Mrs Tomecek, Mrs Coffey or myself. Families are most welcome to arrange a time to meet with their child’s teacher if you would like to discuss the report.
End of year celebrations
Prep Prom
The Prep Prom was held on Thursday 9th December and, once again, what a fabulous school community event it was! Congratulations to the 2021 Prep children as not only were you brilliant but you also showed everyone just how much you have grown and developed throughout your first year of school!
A special thank you to our Prep Teachers (Mr. Sugihara, Mrs. Caruso, Ms. Scanlan, Ms. Tsang and Ms. Chow) for their fabulous organisation of the event and the numerous staff who assisted in various ways. Well done and congratulations everyone!
Year 6 Graduation
Well done to our Year 6 students for being outstanding role models throughout the year and congratulations on the wonderful celebration which was held last Thursday night.
A special thank you to our fabulous Year 6 Teachers (Mrs. Anderson, Ms. Lui, Mrs Baguley, Ms. Wood and Ms. Fisher) for their fabulous organisation of the event and the numerous staff who assisted in various ways. Well done and congratulations everyone!
Below is an overview of the awards presented and also numerous photos for everyone to enjoy!
| Award | Recipients |
| Trish Perry - Academic Excellence | Pratiti and Arnav |
| Lion’s Club Global Citizenship Award | Amaya and Jaden |
| Music | Mihika and Isaac |
| Multimedia | Oneja and Nevin |
| Languages | Diti and Karthik |
| Art | Sureja and Jordan |
| Performing Arts | Liyana and Anirudh |
| Sport | Anuki and Bryle |
Camp Australia - SMILE All-rounder (attitude and behaviour) | Afsheen and Shan |
School Council Award Attitude and Persistence | Isabella and Sevin |
| Steam Award | Birti and Jack |
| Natalie Doyle – Courage in Learning Award | Mia |
2021 Yearbook
I am hopeful that the 2021 Yearbook will be distributed by the time this newsletter is published as I look forward to seeing the delight in the children’s eyes as they read it from ‘cover to cover’ and then feverishly obtain autographs. The Year Books are a wonderful memento of the marvellous achievements throughout the year, something which I know the children really look forward to receiving and also keeping for many years to come.
Thank you to Mrs Bailey and Ms Rich for leading the 2021 Yearbook process and congratulations to the following Year 6 children who had their front cover design published this year:
- 6A – Ella and Jack
- 6B – Liyana, Saseni, Diti and Thinuli
- 6C – Tenu
- 6E – Hridhika
School Holiday Vacation Care Program
Once again Camp Australia have organised a wonderful school holiday program which consists of a number of exciting activities. This year the program will be implemented as follows:
- Monday 20th to Friday 24th December 2021 and from
- Monday 10th to Friday 28th January 2022.
Please be aware that all families are entitled to a 50% rebate on the total cost plus a further discount depending on the family income. To book your child, access the Before and After School Care link on our website or at www.campaustralia.com.au
End of Term Awards
In Term Four we have to break protocol and announce the recipients of our end of term awards because if we don’t the children will not be recognised in the school newsletter.
Congratulations to the following children who have been selected to receive the Term Four Kiwanis Club Terrific Kids award:
Hasan – Year Prep
Congratulations Hasan you have shown wonderful success this term and should be commended for embodying the qualities of a ‘TERRIFIC Kid’ – Thoughtful, Enthusiastic, Respectful, Responsible, Inclusive, Friendly, Inquisitive, Capable and Respectful. Hasan is a caring and thoughtful individual who offers a helping hand to his peers. He uses encouraging words such as ‘You’re doing a great job’ when he sees that his peers need some encouragement. Hasan demonstrates respect by applying whole body listening during class discussions and group work and listens attentively. He often shows enthusiasm in his learning especially when we do hands on tasks such as measuring water for our capacity unit. Hasan delves deeper into his curiosities through asking questions to find out more about a particular topic and can transfer his prior knowledge to make a meaningful connection. You have been a joy to have in Prep C Hasan. Keep up the fabulous learning!
Adrisha – Year 2
Adrisha is a conscientious and exceptionally hard-working student who consistently demonstrates the school values of respect, initiative, integrity and global empathy. Throughout the year, Adrisha has taken on challenges with a growth mindset full of positivity, optimism and enthusiasm which has seen her grow in confidence in her own abilities and step outside her comfort zone showing her confidence and independence. She sets herself achievable goals and ravishes in her learning successes feeling proud of her own accomplishments. Adrisha contributes to the class discussions to further her understanding and academic and personal growth. She is a kind-hearted and respectful student making her the exceptional and worthy recipient to receive the Kiwanis Award. Congratulations, Adrisha.
Dulansa – Year 4
Dulansa is an outstanding learner who always strives for excellence. She has shown incredible independence and a passion for learning throughout the entire year. Dulansa always demonstrates our School Values with pride and is able to articulate her thinking about the learning beautifully. She is a goal getter and constantly strives towards working on and achieving her goals by creating thorough goal reflections. Dulansa is a valued member of 4B as she is kind, thoughtful and helpful. She constantly looks out for her peers and is always willing to lend a helping hand or a listening ear when needed. I am so incredibly proud of you, Dulansa, and I hope that you feel a huge sense of pride for all that you have achieved this term and year. Your achievements are something to be celebrated! Congratulations on receiving the Kiwani’s Award for Term Four, Dulansa!
Coco – 6D
Coco has taken the challenges of the year in her stride. She meets every challenge with a positive attitude and high respect for others. She demonstrates a deep care and empathy towards others and is happy to collaborate with anyone. Despite having English as an Additional Language, Coco always strives to contribute her thoughts and ideas and participate to her fullest no matter the learning. She is persistent and strives for her best in everything she does. Not only that, she encourages those around her to aim for their best as well. Her kindness extends beyond her friendship group to anyone she comes across. She guides and encourages others with patience and empathy that allows everyone to feel welcome and accepted. Her actions enable our school to work as a community and feel like a welcoming place for all. Coco’s effort and willingness to learn has gone from strength to strength this year, this is evident with her improved confidence in sharing her love for reading, listening and speaking in English. You should be proud of the efforts you have made and the growth you have shown. With your bright smile and “can do” spirit, you are a positive role model for not only our class but our whole school community. Well done. May you continue to find success in all you do!
Once again, a special thank you to the Kiwanis Club of Glen Waverley for having the fortitude to implement this program and for supporting our school. The children will receive a certificate, trophy and also a $20 book voucher.
Term 4 Principal Learning Awards
Congratulations to the following students who will receive the Principal Learning Award for this term.
| Name | Class | Reason |
| Jacob | Prep A | Congratulations Jacob! You are an inquisitive student who displays deep curiosity for everything around you. When there is something you want to know more about, you actively seek answers by asking a friend or teacher. It has been wonderful to see you confidently contribute your thoughts and ideas with the class such as explaining your strategy to accurately demonstrate sharing in Mathematics. Your motivation towards learning has flourished this term once school returned to onsite learning. You have demonstrated persistence to complete your writing and applied feedback from your teacher to improve on it. Your friendly nature has seen you broaden your friendships throughout the year. You have made close friends with, not only the students in your class, but from other classes as well! Well done for a fantastic year and I hope you keep up the amazing learning! |
| Vidhi | Prep B | Vidhi has relished returning to school, connecting with her peers and teacher. Her infectious personality infuses enthusiasm in others and with this, excitement for every day of school to begin. She demonstrates leadership qualities to her peers as she diligently organises herself efficiently to begin independent learning. Through her efforts and persistence, Vidhi achieved pleasing results, completing her work with pride and surpassing her personal goals. Pleasingly, she seeks feed forward to make improvements or to go deeper with her learning and then makes every effort to apply the new skill. Vidhi shows kindness and respect towards her peers daily by being courteous and polite and readily offers assistance to her peers, sharing resources and assisting them with packing. Well, done Vidhi we are so proud you are a member of Prep B and GWPS! |
| Aaditya | Prep C | Aaditya is a dedicated and hardworking learner who demonstrates our school values of integrity and respect. He is a well-mannered and honest learner, who has built positive relationships amongst his peers. Aaditya has made great progress in all areas of his learning, especially in reading. He has built confidence in chunking unfamiliar words and identifying punctuation marks to build on his fluency. Aaditya has shown consistency in his learning by uploading it onto seesaw which was particularly evident during Learning from Home. Aaditya’s confidence shines through during group work as he engages in discussions and takes initiative to start the conversation. Congratulations Aaditya on a wonderful term and for being an amazing role model to our class. All the best for 2022. |
| Sineysha | Prep D | Sineysha is a highly motivated and enthusiastic learner in Prep D. Her dedication in learning this term has been nothing short of impressive as she approached each task with a ‘have a go attitude’. Sineysha always completes her tasks in a timely manner and seeks teacher feedback with positive intentions. This allowed her to apply feedforward to her learning. She used her initiative to ask the teacher for challenges to extend herself in her learning, especially in Writing. Sineysha it was wonderful to see the growth you have made in your narrative writing, using interesting sentence starters, adjectives and verbs. Sineysha’s determination and attitude towards learning has been incredible. Well done Sineysha! |
| Aaradhya | Prep E | Congratulations Aaradhya! This Semester you have consistently shown engagement in all areas of learning. When reading the play ‘Best Friends’ you used expression when playing the character ‘The Wind’. You projected your voice and helped a peer with her lines. You applied persistence in your learning to ensure you complete your tasks to the best of your ability. While learning from home you happily participated in class discussion, and it was wonderful to see your excitement when we did a new ‘how to draw’ task especially the Halloween haunted house. You showed patience and respect during learning time and demonstrated whole body listening at all times. Well done for completing Prep and a fantastic term. Keep up the amazing learning in Year One! |
| Amaya | 1A | Amaya is an inquisitive and reflective learner who is confident to clarify and deepen her learning during class collaborations. She has a positive mindset towards school, completing her learning tasks to a high standard. Amaya acknowledges that “Mistakes are part of learning,” and is not hindered when challenged, in fact she becomes more motivated enabling her to problem solve and find solutions. Congratulations and well done Amaya! |
| Aliyan | 1B | Aliyan Mustafovski of 1B has received our Term Four 2021, Principal’s Learning Award! Aliyan demonstrated unwavering persistence, in the way he approached his learning and overcame challenges. By striving towards his learning goals and taking onboard his teacher’s feedback, he was able to build spelling skills and confidence as a writer. Aliyan was incredibly proud when he independently authored a ‘Ben Ten’ narrative spanning an entire page. During the term, he began to ask clarifying questions and actively seeking teacher support, with greater frequency, which grew his independence within the classroom. Aliyan chose to take more risks within the classroom, by sharing his thoughts during discussions and collaborating with a wider group of peers. Congratulations Aliyan and all the best for 2022! |
| Harley | 1C | Harley Sandhu of 1C is receiving The Term Four Principal’s Learning Award. He continuously demonstrates all our school values and expectations during classroom learning, as well as social break times. Harley radiates his respectful attitude within the school grounds, as he ensures that he uses his manners in every encounter with peers and teachers. It is wonderful to see him develop and mature as a responsible learner, who takes an immense pride in his learning. Harley proactively uses anchor charts in the classroom as a reference point to guide himself through any learning challenges. Additionally, he actively seeks feedback and feedforward to deepen his level of understanding within the success criteria. Furthermore, Harley has monumentally grown his confidence by participating in classroom discussions, through contributing his ideas and adding on to his peers. Congratulations on a term filled with growth and accomplishments! |
| Shayana | 1D | Shayana demonstrated excellent growth in her confidence throughout Term Four. It was fantastic to see her seamlessly transition back to onsite learning, as she radiated confidence and beamed with pride. Shayana now consistently applies a range of the ‘Talk Moves’ during class discussions to eagerly share her thoughts and opinions. During learning tasks, she utilised positive self-talk to develop her Growth Mindset and face challenge in the Productive Struggle. Through applying a range of strategies, Shayana demonstrated newfound confidence to drive improvement in her learning. Congratulations on a fantastic learning journey, Shayana. It was wonderful to see you flourish. Keep up the fantastic effort! |
| Eva | 1E | Eva is a pleasure to have in class, she is always ready to learn and not afraid to challenge herself in learning. Eva confidently shares her thinking and is passionate about being kind and generous to others, often thinking of their feelings before her own. She willingly helps her peers and will always provide support when it is needed, whether in learning or when a peer is upset. Eva shows respect both in class and when we were Learning from Home by always ensuring she raises her hand to speak and waits her turn. |
| Janhavi | 2A | Janhavi is a conscientious and hard working student who consistently displays the school values of Initiative, Respect, Integrity and Global Empathy in her actions. She always utilises her learning opportunities efficiently and effectively, demonstrating excellence in all areas of the curriculum and her social and emotional growth. Janhavi models an exemplary attitude towards her education and relationships shown by being respectful, assisting others when they needed support and showing gratitude to her teachers and peers. She is full of enthusiasm and optimism and brings out the best in others by encouraging and motivating them to achieve their potential. Janhavi is an exceptional and worthy recipient of the Principal’s Learning Award. Congratulations, Janhavi. |
| Daysha | 2B | The Principal's Learning Award for 2B is awarded to Daysha Daulagala. Daysha is a courteous and respectful learner who demonstrates resilience and persistence in her learning. She is a highly regarded member of our class community who has become more confident in her interactions and presentation of her learning as the year has progressed. Daysha treats her peers with empathy and a high level of respect, consistently using polite manners when conversing. It has been a pleasure teaching Daysha this term and I am excited to see her continued development, both academically and personally. |
| Ishaan | 2C | Congratulations to Ishaan Rao, who is 2C’s very deserving Principal’s Learning Award winner for this term. Ishaan you have had so much success with learning to collaborate with empathy this year, you should be very proud. You take on feedback and feedforward in a mature manner and show resilience in the face of academic and general challenges. Your learning is detailed and thoughtful. Keep up the incredible efforts, you’re a learning superstar! |
| Arya | 2D | This Principal’s Learning Award is presented to Arya for her initiative and growth in learning. Arya, you demonstrate awareness for your environment and others around you. You are instantly able to lend a hand, organise your environment, or show you are ready for learning. Your initiative ensures that your time is always used effectively, as seen in the growth in learning you have shown. It has been a pleasure to read your interesting, informative and creative writing pieces and listen to you explain the strategies you use to solve problems in Mathematics. Keep up the fantastic work, Arya. |
| Mahaan | 2E | Congratulations to Mahaan on receiving this term’s Principal's Learning Award. Throughout Term Four he has displayed a positive and growth mindset upon returning to onsite learning. He has demonstrated a deeper understanding of taking on feedback and then implementing it immediately to enhance his learning tasks. It has been wonderful to see your confidence flourish over the last few weeks as you share learning, thoughts and ideas with your teams. Mahaan you have continuously demonstrated the YCDI keys of Reliance and Persistence when diving into a challenge and learning a new concept. Keep up the positive and friendly attitude and Well done! |
| Thien | 3A | Congratulations Thien Phu on a brilliant term of learning! You have shown growth in your confidence over the last year and displayed resilience in your learning both during Learning from Home and when returning to school. You’re always willing to trial new strategies in your learning journey which demonstrates your dedication and enthusiasm of utilising our 2021 Foci of Explore New Possibilities. You always demonstrate persistence in your learning and great initiative when asking questions to ensure you deeply understand learning tasks. Keep up the incredible efforts Thien Phu. I wish you all the best for Year Four and your future endeavours. Continue to reach high all the way up to that Eureka stage to succeed in your goals! |
| Sahana | 3B | Congratulations on being an outstanding learner in 3B this term, Sahana. It has been wonderful to always see you come to class with a positive attitude and a readiness to learn. Your thoughtful ideas are not only expressed in an articulate manner, but your ability to build onto other people’s ideas showcases your excellent listening and critical thinking skills. In addition, you are kind and respectful to your peers, and you demonstrate the school value of initiative by helping others without being asked. It has been an absolute pleasure to teach you this term in 3B and keep up the terrific effort in Year Four and beyond, Sahana! |
| David | 3C | Congratulations David, for a fantastic term of learning in Grade Three! David has proven himself to be a rigorous learner, who is always engaged in his learning and demonstrates active participation in all classroom discussions. He is also a compassionate learner, who showcases the You Can Do It Keys to Success of Confidence, Resilience and Getting Along. This is exemplified through his whole body listening, when others are speaking and also outside in the yard, when engaging with his classmates and peers. David also likes to challenge himself in his learning, in order to grasp all the knowledge he can. He is constantly asking questions about his learning in the classroom, which shows that he is eager to educate himself. Keep up the wonderful efforts, David! 😊 |
| Hunar | 3D | Hunar has demonstrated superb effort in her learning consistently throughout the year, regardless of the learning environment. The quality of her learning evidently shows the commitment she has put in both at school and during Learning from Home. She is a diligent learner who tries her hardest at everything she does and proactively seeks clarification when needed. Hunar is also an excellent learning partner as she can work and learn collaboratively with anyone in the class as well as lead a small group discussion. Congratulation on your effort and achievement this year Hunar! |
| Riyon | 3E | Well done on a really fantastic term, Riyon! It has been wonderful to see you put in 100% effort into your learning in all subject areas. You have grown in confidence so much this year, it has been great to see you willingly contribute more of your thoughts and ideas to class discussions regularly. I admire how respectful you are to your peers each day, by actively listening to them, cheering them on and being positive, whilst encouraging others to do the same. It has been a pleasure to teach you this year, Riyon. I wish you all the best for Year Four! |
| Tharini | 4A | Thank you Thari, for always displaying courtesy, respect and kindness in our community. Your work continues to be of an exceptionally high standard. You consistently strive towards being an incredibly self-regulated learner by challenging yourself, having a growth mindset and powering through with persistence. You debate with confidence and always apply deep thought, creativity, pride and passion when presenting your learning. Your video content on Professor Stephen Hawkin’s addressing Reduced Inequalities during LFH 6.1 was highly engaging, impactful and informative. You have proven yourself to be an outstanding role model of integrity, initiative, global empathy and striving for excellence this year. Congratulations Thari! |
| Ava | 4B | Congratulations on receiving the Principal’s Learning Award, Ava! You consistently demonstrate the GWPS School Values which shows how much you value and take pride in your school. You are such a thoughtful, caring and kind member of 4B. I am extremely impressed by your approach to life and learning and it has been wonderful to see your confidence blossom as the year has progressed. Thank you for always applying your personal best to everything that you do. I know that I can count on you to assist your peers and demonstrate to others how to do the right thing. You are an incredible role model! I am very proud of you and I hope that you feel a sense of pride for all that you have achieved this year. Keep up the wonderful work, Ava! Congratulations. |
| Atiksh | 4C | What a fabulous first year of learning Atiksh has had at GWPS! He has thrived in all areas by applying learned strategies to a variety of situations. Atiksh is creative in his thinking and learning and takes extreme pride in the presentation of his pieces. He is always committed to applying his best effort to everything he does, striving for accuracy and success. The way Atiksh approaches challenges with a growth mindset and persistence, is something to be admired. Congratulations on a fantastic term of learning Atiksh! I wish you the best of luck for year five, I know you will achieve wonderful things! |
| Seyansa | 4D | Seyansa has been a fantastic learner in 4D throughout this term and brings joy to everything that she does. Seyansa has taken on the challenge of returning to the classroom from Learning from Home. She brought a positive attitude and implemented a growth mindset. Seyansa shared her thinking in an effective manner and has been able to represent the School Values of Respect and Integrity in all aspects of her learning. Congratulations Seyansa and well done! |
| Saumya | 4E | Saumya has been a phenomenal learner in 4E this term, exhibiting enthusiasm and persistence towards all areas of her learning journey. She embraces challenges with a positive and open attitude and has a strong commitment to applying a wide variety of strategies in every stage of the Learning Pit. Saumya has a strong sense of fairness and equality and this shines through when she interacts, collaborates and shares with her classmates. Well done and congratulations Saumya! |
| Thien | 5A | This Principals Learning Award is proudly presented to Thien An! Thien An has shown immense growth during this term. He has been able to positively adjust to the changing learning environment from online to face-to-face. He has demonstrated resilience and self-regulation on numerous occasions. Thien An has also attempted his learning and listened to instructions. When returning into the classroom after Learning from Home, Thien An was able to implement strategies to reconnect with his peers and teacher. Over the term, he has developed the motivation to work towards his learning goals to create a positive impact on his learning journey. Thien An has been increasingly displaying focused listening to both his peers and teacher. Well Done Thien An on an incredible year and good luck for Year Six! |
| Kultaranpreet | 5B | Preet has demonstrated tremendous persistence when learning throughout the term. She delves into the Learning Pit to overcome challenges she is faced with. Preet consistently strives for her best and finds strengths within her own learning. She works studiously towards her goals, always reflecting on her progress and strategies that have assisted her. Congratulations on this wonderful achievement. Keep up the effort to pursue all learning opportunities offered to you, Preet. |
| Vihas | 5C | This Principals Learning Award is proudly presented to Vihas! Vihas lives and breathes our school values throughout every interaction he has. He is a true role model to everyone around him and draws others towards him with his relentless empathy. Vihas always leans into his productive struggle, asks questions to clarify his metacognition and seeks feedback and feedforward to clarify his thinking. Like a true agent of learning, Vihas will always find ways to analyse his own learning, collaborate with others and then share Feedforward for himself and class for future learning opportunities. Vihas lives life with a truly kind heart, seeking to help others and always puts their needs ahead of his own. He exemplifies global citizenship and should be very proud of all that he has achieved. I can’t wait to see Vihas continue to grow throughout his learning journey at GWPS and beyond! |
| Nethuli | 5D | Nethuli has demonstrated a tremendous increase of confidence in new and unfamiliar situations this year. She is a happy and enthusiastic learner who has faced all challenges with a positive attitude. Nethuli has a great working relationship with others; she is continuously kind and sensitive to those who may have different thoughts and opinions. She is a fantastic role model for her peers as she always enjoys school and demonstrates appropriate ways to behave in all situations. Congratulations on this wonderful achievement, Nethuli. Keep up the wonderful effort of trying your best and displaying a responsibility towards your learning. |
| Imansa | 5E | Imansa is a kind and considerate classmate who takes great pride in her learning. She always shows great respect and empathy toward her peers, teachers and self and possesses an awareness of those who might need a helping hand. Her positive attitude and approach to learning is infectious, she leads by example in and out of the classroom. She is a frequent collaborator and communicator, making her a trusted member of the classroom community. Congratulations on a fantastic achievement, you should be proud of what you have achieved this year. |
| Henish | 6A | Quiet and determined, Hensish continually demonstrates a love of learning both in and outside of school hours. He is dedicated to stretching his knowledge in every area and has been a role model to our learning community. He has a keen sense of humour and at times surprises his teacher with his out of the box answers, quick wit and ability to see things from a different perspective. At his very heart, he is a kind, selfless and outstanding member of our school community. Despite being a high achiever, Henish never boasts or shows off. He is humble and down to earth and is always willing to help others extend their thinking. It has been an honour to be your teacher for not one but two years, and I feel very privileged to be a part of your learning journey. I wish you all the best in your future successes. |
| Japneet | 6B | Congratulations Japneet for this term’s Principal’s Learning Award. Every day you have brought laughter, smiles and joy into the classroom. Your friendly and kind nature has enabled you to be so inclusive to everyone around you. You take initiative to see what the gaps are in the classroom, and always ask to help where needed. Your enthusiasm towards all learning areas has allowed you show so much growth over this year. Continue to be the kind and caring person you are to everyone you come across. Good luck for the future and all the best, Japneet! |
| Oneja | 6C | Throughout Term Four, Oneja has embraced returning to school exceptionally well. She has deliberately challenged herself through Film Innovation and generated connections with a wide group of peers in our class. It is clear she always follows the school values of Respect, Integrity, Initiative and Global Empathy. She demonstrates this in a range of ways, from regularly uploading her learning to collaborating with others. It has been a privilege to watch how Oneja has taken control of her learning through questioning and self-reflection, while always putting in maximum effort. Congratulations Oneja, you should be incredibly proud of how you’ve approached and directed your education this term. |
| Fabbiha | 6D | Congratulations Fabbiha, for your continued contribution of positivity during your final term in Year Six. You are to be commended for your sensational effort in all areas of your learning. You constantly act in a respectful manner through your talk moves during class discussions, turn-taking and active listening when collaborating with others. The engagement and effort you place into your learning is to be commended. You continually display empathy to those around you; especially going out of your way to include and welcome those outside your friendship group. Your teacher and peers are impressed by your improved confidence and ‘can do’ attitude throughout the year. This term you have constantly demonstrated your caring nature, positivity and organisation across all areas of your learning. 6D is incredibly fortunate to have a respectful, motivated and collaborative learner like you. We wish you continued success in your future. |
| Karthik | 6E | Congratulations Karthik, for your continual contribution of positivity in your final year of Primary School. You consistently act in a respectful manner and display empathy to those around you. Your teacher and peers are impressed by your participation and collaboration in class; sharing your ideas and insights with the other learners or explaining learning and tasks to your classmates. Throughout the year you have constantly demonstrated your high level of organisation while juggling your various learning commitments. 6E is incredibly lucky to have a persistent, motivated and collaborative learner like you. I wish you all the best as you transition into High School. Well done, Karthik! |
Goodbye to some of our friends
As the end of the school year draws closer, we will be saying goodbye to a number of students who are moving out of the area. We wish them all the best in their new schools and hope that they keep in close contact with their Glen Waverley Primary School friends for many years to come.
We are also saying goodbye to some of our staff who will be working in other schools. Naturally we thank you for being part of the Glen Waverley PS community, strongly encourage you to keep in contact and sincerely wish you well with your future endeavours.
In closing, I would like to bid a fond farewell to our fabulous team of Year 6 students. This year the Year 6 students have set a fine example and have led the school with a true sense of commitment, sincerity and pride. I am absolutely thrilled with the leadership of all our Year 6 students particularly our 2021 School Captains Mihika, Jash, Hridika and Manula who all must be congratulated for their outstanding leadership commitment, endeavour and qualities. I look forward to seeing and hearing all about the Year 6 students’ successes as they progress through their secondary education and beyond.
I would also like to wish every Year 6 student the very best in the years ahead and remind them that “once you are a part of the Glen Waverley PS family, you are always a part of the Glen Waverley PS family”. I strongly encourage all of you to come back and visit us!
Also, a sincere thank you to our wonderful team of parents who have helped with many and varied events and programs throughout the year. On behalf of the staff, I would like to thank every single parent for their support, assistance and encouragement as we have made our way through the year. Team spirit, trust, loyalty and integrity are part of what makes Glen Waverley such a fabulous school. It is great, that our parents are willing to support their children, the staff and the professional judgements that are made to ensure that our school provides the very best learning environment for their children. As you know our team of staff certainly give their heart and soul to their job and their passion for education is evident. I would like to thank the numerous parents who provide us with support and feedback and for also realising that at times our job is not easy. We have a fabulous school community who are generous with the time and effort they give to nurturing, assisting and encouraging all that we do at Glen Waverley.
Naturally it would be rather remiss of me not to mention our extremely hard-working staff. The teachers and support staff at Glen Waverley are relentless in their quest to make our school the best school possible. Thank you one and all!
Principal Awards
Congratulations to the following students who have received a Principal’s Award recently:
Prep B
- Kisal, Vinaiy, Ritisha, Vidhi, Sam and Senoli for their ability to analyse text
Prep D
- Sineyisha for receiving a certificate from Helen O’Grady Drama school
Prep E
- Sophie and Chenaya for making huge improvements with their writing
1A
- Saheli, Krish, Isa, Veer and Dion T for writing very clever diamanté poems
1B
- Kalana for writing an amazing narrative titled, ‘The Next Reality”
- Ronith, Parivan and Sayoon for being really responsible members of our school community
1E
- Grace and Sarah for writing very descriptive poems
2A
- Aseli, Akeesha, Minaya and Evin for showing me how they have followed instructions to create origami
- Akeesha also for receiving a certificate from Helen O’Grady Drama school
3A
- Shaya and Kyra for writing the most amazing narratives that had me in the edge of my seat! Well done girls as your writing and improvement is outstanding!!!
3B
- Mahi for being a fabulous helper
3E
- David for making the most amazing progress with his learning. When he came to our school at the beginning of the year he was able to speak, read and write very little English, now his English skills are fantastic!
- Neervi for being a very supportive friend
- Tania, Neervi, Zarah, Seeret and Ana for their outstanding organisation of the Salvation Army Christmas Appeal
- Sithmi for achieving the Girls Guide Junior Baden Powell (Junior BP award) and also for receiving a certificate from the Australia Music Examination Board for completing the Preliminary Violin Practical exam with Honours
- Vinari for working so hard to improve in all areas of the curriculum
- Ana also for being a fabulous helper
4B
- Ofeli, Arnold, Reyansh and Savinu for crafting extremely deep and intelligent poems for the Platypus writing competition
5C
- Zach for writing an extremely elaborate piece about the body’s immune system
- Ronald for being an extremely supportive friend
- Ben for receiving a trophy from the Helen O’Grady Drama School for attending and completing 500 lessons – well done Ben, this is amazing!!!
Final day of school arrangements Friday 17th December
A reminder that we will finish school at 1:30 on Friday 17th December; as a result, the students will not need their lunch unless they will be attending After School Care which will commence at 1:30pm. Please ensure your child has a snack for the day. Due to the early finishing time, lunch orders will not be available on this day.
2022 Return Dates
- Year 1-6 students will return to school on Monday 31st January and
- Foundation (Prep) students will begin on Tuesday 1st February.
Happy holidays everyone. I sincerely wish all members of the Glen Waverley Primary School community the very best throughout the forthcoming summer break. To those members of our school community who celebrate Christmas, Merry Christmas to you all.
Please stay safe and enjoy your time with family and friends.
Take care and I look forward to seeing everybody in 2022!
Frank Catalano
Principal