Principal's Message

Hello Hillsmeade families!

Here we are at the end of Term 3 already!

There has been a lot happening throughout this term and it has been great to see our school spirit in full swing!

RUOK Day

Last Thursday our school put a lot of effort into acknowledging the importance of RUOK Day. The day started with a free pancake breakfast for students and all staff wearing RUOK Day merchandise to promote it's importance. Students were then involved in a range of classroom based activities to encourage discussion and awareness of checking in with each other and looking after ourselves. At recess students were able to participate in a massive chalk drawing project on the basketball courts, followed by a staff vs students soccer match at lunchtime. It was such an important day for us and I loved hearing students running up to staff and each other asking "RUOK?"

Footy Day

Footy Day is this Friday 16th September. This is a day to dress up in your favourite footy team colours, with footy encompassing all codes including soccer, NRL and rugby union. A parade for students and staff will be held during the day and weather permitting, there will be a staff vs students AFL match at lunchtime. As this is the last day of term, school will have an early finish time of 2.30pm.

VSSS Performance

On Saturday 10th September, Mr Hill and I, amongst other staff and families, were lucky enough to attend the Victorian State Schools Spectacular at John Cain Arena. It has been so wonderful watching the staff and students prepare for the event, but it was even better to see all their hard work come to life!

Our students danced with great passion and enthusiasm and the smiles on their faces were enormous! Needless to say, it was a very proud moment watching our students perform with so many other schools from across the state.

A huge thank you to Ms Scott, Ms Collins, Ms Keller and Ms Karac for giving up their time to prepare our students and then accompany them for 12 hours on Saturday as they performed in both shows.  Without the dedication of our staff, events like this would not be possible, so we are very grateful for the time and effort you put in to this event.

A special thanks also to the families for helping with transport and ensuring your children were ready to go!

BYOD 2023

In 2023 we will see the resurgence of the Bring Your Own Device program at Hillsmeade PS. Mr Singh is busily preparing the documentation to ensure families are well prepared ahead of time and information sessions will be provided. The BYOD program will be for students in years 4-6 and we will accept iPads, tablets or laptops, but please wait for further information from the school before heading out and purchasing anything new!

School Uniform

We have been discussing school uniform at all levels across the school, including school council. As of Term 4 there will be some updates to the uniform that we have on offer. A new style of broad brim hat will be available for purchase that will have our school's logo and we are updating items on the list such as the t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt and shorts. As soon as more information is available, including photos, I will provide these to the community. However, it is important you are aware that this is what we have approved moving forward, so you don't need to rush out and buy anything just yet. I would like to mention that these new items will be phased in over a period of time and not mandated until after 2023. Current school uniform items are still available and acceptable for 2023. More information to come in Term 4.

Holidays and Term 4

Term 4 is just around the corner and as we head into holidays I would like to encourage everyone to take the time to rest and recuperate for a big Term 4 ahead. This year term 4 is just over 11 weeks long. Throughout the term there are many events and activities planned, which can be seen in our calendar in the newsletter and on Compass. We will keep families informed, however please keep your eye on Compass to stay up to date with the latest information. 

A reminder that the two Curriculum Days we have booked for Term 4 are Monday 28th November and Tuesday 20th December. OSHC will be available 28/11 but not available on 20/12.

Our End of Year Extravaganza will be held on Friday 16th December between 9 - 11am, so please place the date in your diaries. This will be an event that encompasses Christmas celebrations, year 6 farewell and other items to signify the end of a fantastic year. 

Also, please be aware that assemblies in Term 4 will be held on the 'odd' weeks, commencing Friday week 1. Feel free to come along to assembly and celebrate the successes of our school community.

Staff Farewell

I'd like to wish Tiffany Candy all the best as she commences her maternity leave at the start of Term 4. We may be lucky enough to see Miss Candy for a few days next term, however I am excited to announce that the teacher replacing Miss Candy for Term 4 will be Ms Sophie Strickland. Sophie will be spending some time in the classroom with Miss Candy and her students over the next few days and then formally take the reigns day one next term. Good luck Tiff and welcome Sophie.

I look forward to hearing all the student's holiday stories at the start of next term and wish you all a safe and restful break.