Wrapping Up Celebrations of Education Week 2026!
Last week was a fantastic opportunity to embrace the annual Education Week, and this year’s theme of ‘Showcase your School’ certainly lived up to its name.
Our Education Week celebrations kicked off on Monday with a special Education Week-themed assembly. Representatives from each year level spoke with great enthusiasm about the many different things they value about our school. From special places around the school, to ELOs, Gizmo and our Intergenerational Program, it is very clear that there is a great sense of pride in our school and that our motto of “Every Child, Every Opportunity” truly comes to life each day. Our State School Spectacular dancers also put on an incredible show, and their hard work was evident. We look forward to being treated to further performances.
Our Open Afternoon was a highlight for many families, with students and staff engaging in fun and interactive activities that provided a glimpse into the joy of learning at our school. Our specialist teachers also opened up a range of exciting opportunities throughout the week for students and families to enjoy.
We thank the many families who joined in the celebrations and our staff for warmly opening their classrooms and learning spaces to our community.
2026 Victorian State Schools Spectacular – 2nd Hub Event
On Monday, the State Schools Spectacular Team headed to Fairhills High School for the final time.
We worked with lead dance teacher, Hara, and her assistant, Chloe, to finish learning all of the dances, including the new one ‘Blue’ from start to finish. I could not be prouder of how well these students represented Regency Park, consistently listening, asking questions and following along. They really gave it their all and I am
sure will continue to do so until the final performance in August.
Our next excursion is to Heathmont NETS on Friday 7th August for the Mega Hub Rehearsal with full costumes and props. Exciting times ahead . . .
CERES Incursion with the Regency Rangers
Last week the Regency Rangers participated in an engaging sustainability incursion run by CERES that explored waste, recycling, and the exciting introduction of the Victorian Container Deposit Scheme (CDS Vic) into our school community.
‘We learned about the difference between linear waste models and circular waste models. If a system is linear, it follows the pattern of products being used once and then thrown away into landfill. A circular model is much better for the environment because it focuses on reusing, recycling, and repurposing materials to reduce landfill and protect our environment for the future.’
‘We all worked together to combine ideas and began setting sustainability and fundraising goals for our school’s CDS program. We thought about ways to encourage container collection within our community and discussed how funds raised could support future school projects and environmental programs.’
A major focus of the incursion was the Victorian CDS program, which allows eligible drink containers to be returned for a 10-cent refund. We explored how participating in CDS Vic can both benefit the environment and support our school through fundraising opportunities.
The Regency Rangers are very excited to begin our CDS fundraising journey and look forward to working together with students, families and the wider community to reduce waste, recycle responsibly, and make a positive impact — one container at a time! Stay tuned for how you can get involved…
ELO’s – Extended Learning Opportunities
Throughout Term 2, the Year 1 and 2 students have been participating in Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs) across the classrooms.
This has been a fantastic opportunity for students to engage in a range of activities, from gardening to dancing and much more! Over the three sessions, students from both year levels have built new friendships and connections with their peers.
For our final session, students will have the opportunity to showcase what they have learned and created during our ELO Showcase!
Dancing Divas
We are dancing the night away with our choreographed routine! Students have been working together to create a one-minute dance performance to present to the other Year 1 and 2 students.
Gardening Gurus
Lots has been happening in the vegetable garden, and we can’t wait to see all our hard work begin to grow! We have worked together to weed the garden and plant seedlings.
Mini Market Makers
We have been designing and creating our own products to sell to our peers at the ELO Showcase! Students will be able to choose from Pokémon cards, bracelets, wish rings, and pet rocks.
Dynamic Drawing
We have been exploring the artistic style of Cubism and creating our own Cubist-inspired artworks. Students have also developed their drawing skills by designing and illustrating unique mythical creatures, using oil pastels to creatively bring their ideas to life.
Collage Crew
In Collage Crew, we have been layering different materials to create images. We have explored how texture can change shape and add depth to our artwork.
Lego Legends
Have you ever wondered how you would be rescued out on the Great Barrier Reef? Take a look at the rescue boats we have been designing and building using Lego!
Puppet Performers
We are bringing classic stories to life through puppets, sets, and video! What will happen to the wombat after it is captured by the dingo?
Our Intergenerational Program
This year our Intergenerational Program continues and our ‘Gran-friends’ are currently working with Ms Cairns and 2C. Three of our gran-friends have been able to return and it has been exciting seeing our students eagerly welcome Ron, Sue and Cheryl into their class. It is a fabulous program for everyone and brings so much joy to both the kids and adults.
The program runs for an hour each week for six weeks in the same classroom. Later in the year, our gran-friends will return for another six-week block. The students enjoy getting to know our gran-friends and have been amazed at some of the stories they have heard about how school and life used to be! The children also spend time in a small group each week with one of our visiting adults. They have learnt about drawing techniques, created craft and art works, built things and played games. The children and the adults alike have benefited from the sessions, both in their understanding, empathy and acceptance of a different generation.
Our gran-friends are welcomed to other school events and have come along to our community night, and even last year’s production. This year we have invited them to have morning teas with the staff, as well as a special catch up with the students they got to know last year. We are excited to see how this program will continue to grow and evolve.
A Wonderful Walk to School Day!
- Lila, Prep K
- Logan, 2R
- Nika, 4G
- Xavier, 4G
Student Free Days
We have now scheduled the remaining student-free days for the 2026 school year.
The newly scheduled dates are:
- Friday 31 July
- Monday 19 October
These days will provide an opportunity for staff to engage in professional learning aligned with our Annual Implementation Plan goals and priorities for the year. These dates are in addition to the student-free days already communicated to families:
- Tuesday 9 June – Common Professional Practice Day
- Friday 20 November – to support Assessment and Reporting
These are the final student-free days scheduled for the 2026 school year. We are still in the early stages of planning for our new OSHC service; however, we are hopeful that for the Term 4 student-free day we will be able to offer vacation care through our new TeamKids service, with further information to follow.
2026 Swimming Program Dates
Please see below the dates for our swimming program this year:
- Years 1 and 2 – Term 3, Weeks 5 and 6 (10th – 21st August)
- Years 3 and 4 – Term 4, Weeks 1 and 2 (5th – 16th October)
- Year 5 and Prep – Term 4, Weeks 3 and 4 (20th – 30th October)
We look forward to students participating in this valuable program and building their confidence and skills in the water.
Consent and payment information for the program will be published on Compass closer to the time.
Taste of Prep – A Wonderful Start to School Readiness 
Last week, we were delighted to welcome many prospective Prep families to our Taste of Prep session. Children and their families enjoyed spending time in our learning spaces, participating in engaging activities alongside our current Prep teachers and beginning to build confidence and excitement about starting school.
These sessions provide families with a valuable opportunity to experience what Prep looks like at Regency Park and help children become familiar with the classroom setting in a fun and supportive way. Due to the high levels of interest in our first session, we are excited to offer an additional Taste of Prep session on Friday 5th June from 9:15am – 10:00am.
Families are invited to stay with their child and participate in a hands-on activity led by our Prep teachers. Please note: this upcoming session is a repeat of last week’s program, so families who attended previously do not need to book again. We look forward to welcoming more future Prep students and families to Regency Park.
Every Child. Every Opportunity.
With courage and commitment,
Allyson Kocaj
Principal