Newsletter for Term 1 – Week 10

Reflecting on Term 1 . . .

It is hard to believe that we have reached the end of our first term. It has certainly been a jam-packed and rewarding start to the year, and I would like to sincerely thank our staff and families for the many ways you continue to go above and beyond in support of our students and school community.

A special thank you to the staff who supported our Year 6 students on camp. We look forward to sharing some of the highlights in our first newsletter next term but suffice to say our students had a wonderful time and created many lasting memories on their final Regency Park camp.

To our Prep students and families, congratulations on an outstanding start to your primary school journey. It has been a delight welcoming you all to our community. Seeing our Prep students at today’s Easter parade, confidently participating and proudly wearing their amazing Easter hats made in partnership with their Year 5 buddies, was a wonderful reflection of the progress made throughout the term.

Our Year 1 and 2 students also looked fantastic and embraced the occasion with enthusiasm.

A special thank you to our PTFA for all the organisation of our annual Easter Raffle. Congratulations to our lucky winners and thank you to all those who supported this fundraiser.

Harmony Day

Our school came alive with colour, music and connection as we celebrated Harmony Day.

In Auslan, students have explored what harmony means through the analogy of notes on a keyboard. They discovered that while we are all different, when we come together, we can “fit” and create something truly special as a community. Students also learnt the signs for “kind” and “friend,” reinforcing the importance of inclusion and respect.

These ideas were also brought to life in our music sessions, where students learnt to sing and sign, I Am Australian, We Are One, proudly performing it at our Harmony Day parade. The parade itself was a wonderful celebration of diversity, with students dressing in orange or wearing outfits and colours representing cultures they are connected to. Our Auslan captains Eloise, Stevie and Mackenzie spoke and signed confidently, our Year 6 students led the singing, and Kenho from Year 4 warmly welcomed everyone in Japanese.

Students across the school also enjoyed a special incursion from Cultural Infusion, where they experienced the energy and tradition of Japanese culture through Taiko drumming.

Throughout the week, classrooms were filled with Harmony Day themed activities, including the creation of a whole-school paper chain, symbolising that every student is an important and valued part of our community. This has made another powerful whole school display in our library.

And to top it all off students enjoyed a delicious sushi lunch with thanks to our PTFA! A big thank you to Gaylene Hawkins and Mike Meeking for their support in bringing the event together. It was a special celebration that highlighted the strength of our diverse and inclusive school community.

Installation of CCTV at our school

Regency Park Primary has decided to use a closed-circuit television (CCTV) system at our school. This has been discussed at school council and has been approved by the Department of Education.

Our school has an obligation to ensure the school environment is safe and secure, and fulfil our duty of care to students, staff and visitors.  The CCTV system will assist our school to fulfil these obligations and to prevent and manage other inappropriate behaviour on school grounds. CCTV will also provide enhanced capability to protect our school’s assets against vandalism and theft, something that we and neighbouring schools have been victim to previously.

We will follow Department of Education and Training policy requirements for the design, installation, management and use of the CCTV systems. This policy is available at: CCTV in Schools – Installation and Management.

We will also place a CCTV Privacy Notice on our school website with more information about our school’s use of CCTV once installed. All things going well, installation should be completed over the school holidays. If you have any questions, please contact Allyson Kocaj at allyson.kocaj@education.vic.gov.au

2026 School Council

We are very fortunate to have a highly active School Council that plays an important role in supporting the governance of our school and strengthening our connection with the wider school community. The committee meets regularly throughout the school year, working collaboratively to support the ongoing success and direction of our school.

This year, our School Council includes staff representatives Katreen McCoy, Kylie Middlemiss and Ionie Peitch, with myself serving as Executive Officer. Brooke Jones continues in her role as School Council President, alongside Kat Enlund as Vice President and Emma Hofmann as Treasurer. We are also grateful for the valued contribution of our other parent representatives Ryan Mackay, Sarah Francis, Jessie Lobley and Katie Travers, who bring important perspectives from our community.

We extend our thanks to Kim Roberts and Karen Mackenzie for their time and dedication on School Council. Your important contributions have supported our school community over the years and are greatly appreciated.

We look forward to sharing more information about our School Councillors with our community next term.

Starting Conversations

This year, the Primary and Secondary schools in the Knox network are pleased to offer families the opportunity to meet principals and school leaders from local government schools. This event will be held on Thursday 23 April from 5:30pm to 8:00pm at the Knox Civic Centre.

This is a valuable opportunity for families beginning to consider secondary school options, as well as those starting their primary school journey. We encourage you to share this information with anyone who may be beginning to explore their options at either stage of schooling.

Looking Ahead . . .

As we head into the term break, I wish all of our families a safe and enjoyable holidays and a well-earned rest. We look forward to welcoming everyone back on Monday 20^th of April for another exciting term ahead.

Every child. Every opportunity.
With courage and commitment,

Allyson Kocaj
Principal

Math Explorer Challenge – Learning Enrichment Program 

We are excited to share that selected Year 3 and 4 students will participate in the Math Explorer Challenge beginning in Term 2 .

The challenge involves 4 ‘competitions’ spread across the year which focus on students extending their mathematical skills and working collaboratively to problem solve the set tasks. We are looking forward to our students taking their math knowledge and application skills to the next level!

Prep

The Preps have had a wonderful start to their schooling journey.

It has been wonderful to see such independence already from the students as they enter in the mornings with a beaming smile ready to start their day. The students have been introduced to our new Phonics Program, Little Learners Love Literacy, and with this have met some funny alphabet characters; Sally Snake, Milo Monkey, Ben Bear and many more. We have had a Pyjama Day, the Police and Fire visits, Harmony Day and our Community Helper Dress Up Day. The students got to attend their first assembly and who can forget our first performance at Community Night. It’s been a busy term, with so much more to come in Term 2.

Year 1

Term 1 was an action-packed introduction to Year One. We settled into being independent learners who arrive at school ready to learn.

In the classroom, students have been practising their new phonics routines, using their segmenting, and blending skills during writing. We have increased our number knowledge by working with numbers up to 120 and the students have enjoyed using different materials to support their learning. Students learned about the importance of soil in our environment and discovered many garden treasures. We have appreciated our parent helpers and the extra encouragement they have given our students.

The Community Night was certainly a highlight and we were proud of the students’ enthusiastic performance of Jungle Boogie. Harmony Day was a wonderful celebration of our diversity and students thoroughly enjoyed our Taiko drumming incursion. We wish everyone a restful break and we will see you all again in Term 2!

Year 2

What a great way to start the year . . .

We loved getting to know each other throughout our Start Right Program and Proactivity has already been a highlight for the year. Our classrooms are filled with fun and learning about things like fiction and non-fiction texts, place value concepts and how to write narratives.

The Little Learners Love Literacy phonics lessons have been a great introduction to our learning, and our knowledge of sounds and spelling has greatly improved already. We loved learning all about healthy habits and our banana smoothies and fruit kebabs were delicious. Our ICT skills with computers have definitely improved lots already!

Finally, this term we all got to dress up in cultural outfits and bright orange to celebrate Harmony Day together, which included watching and participating in the amazing drumming incursion. We are looking forward to a great year together!

Year 3

What a fantastic start to the year we have had in Year 3!

The students were excited to return to school, reconnecting with one another and settling back into routines. Term 1 began with the Start Right program and Proactivity Sports, both of which were a great success. In Literacy, students explored persuasive and narrative writing. They have also been working hard to strengthen their reading and comprehension skills by selecting “good fit” books and building their independent reading stamina.

In Mathematics, we investigated 2D and 3D shapes before focusing on addition and subtraction. Students particularly enjoyed our measurement unit and had lots of fun participating in chance experiments. Our Inquiry topic, “Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes,” sparked great interest as students learned about inclusion, disabilities, and empathy. A highlight was the visit from Dorothy along with her guide dog, Maisie. Cross Country got hearts pumping, and Community Night was another memorable event—our songs were wonderful, and the jungle theme made it a fun-filled evening for everyone! Harmony Day was celebrated towards the end of the term, with students thoroughly engaged in a Japanese drumming incursion.

What a fun-filled Term 1 it has been for Year 3!

Year 4

The Year 4s have settled beautifully into their new routines and have enjoyed getting to know their peers and teacher. The year began with our Start Right program, including Proactivity, which helped us explore and demonstrate our Play is the Way values.

In English, students learned about narrative and persuasive structures and the language features that support each style of writing. They also strengthened their reading comprehension skills and their ability to analyse both texts and images. In Maths, we explored a wide range of concepts, including but not limited to decimals, 2D and 3D shapes, length and chance. Our Inquiry unit was a highlight this term. Students explored the many ways people can differ, including culture, personal experiences and diverse needs, and discussed how communities can be designed so everyone can participate and thrive.

It has been a wonderful Term 1, and we are excited for everything Term 2 will bring.

Guide Dog Incursion

This term, the Year 3s and 4s enjoyed a special visit from Dorothy and her Guide Dog, Maisie, from Guide Dogs Victoria. They spoke to the students about some of the challenges people who are blind or have low vision may face, and how guide dogs help them move around safely and confidently. This linked perfectly with our Inquiry unit, Walking in Someone Else’s Shoes.

Students loved learning how guide dogs are trained, how they work with their handlers and why trust is so important. Dorothy shared stories from her own life, helping the children understand what daily life can look like for someone with a vision impairment and the supports that help them be independent. The visit sparked lots of thoughtful questions and great conversations back in the classroom!

Year 5

This term has been incredibly exciting in Year 5.

We have written persuasive and narrative texts, focusing on text structure and using figurative language to enhance our writing and engage the reader. Our reading focus has varied from author’s purpose to inferential comprehension; looking at different ways that author’s share their ideas and make meaning. A particular focus in the second half of the term was on visualisation, and how imagery is used to set the scene in a story or develop a character.

In maths our learning focus started with place value and then extended into decimals, making connections between discrete numbers and applying decimals in real world applications such as measurement.

Despite the tricky interruptions during NAPLAN, our Year 5s have continued to show their incredible resilience and determination in all their learning and their growing leadership skills through their buddy interactions. We are ready for holidays and very much looking forward to an equally productive Term 2.

Year 6

It has been a busy and exciting end to the term for our Year 6 students.

A highlight was our recent visit to Mordialloc Life Saving Club for Water Safety Day. Students learned valuable skills including CPR and basic first aid and developed their understanding of how to stay safe in and around water.

They also enjoyed a range of beach activities such as running and wading in the water, sand sprint races, beach flags, relays, and practising rescue techniques using flotation devices.

It was a fantastic hands on experience that built both confidence and teamwork.

Camp Weekaway was another major highlight, with students spending three action packed days participating in a variety of activities. Rotations included zip lining, initiatives, canoeing, archery, laser tag, and navigating the maze, all of which encouraged resilience, collaboration and problem-solving.

Evenings were a chance to relax and connect, with students enjoying delicious dinners of pasta bake and pizza. A standout experience was Bush Day, where students embraced the outdoors through damper making and hut building.

Camp provided wonderful opportunities for students to challenge themselves, build independence and create lasting memories with their friends.

Auslan & Cultural Studies – Ms Hawkins

What a fantastic start to the year we have had in Auslan. The students have amazed me with their enthusiasm and willingness to engage in learning Auslan. So many have remembered signs from last year and have worked hard to learn more this term.

In Prep the students have been learning how to greet each other in sign language, while the Year 1 and 2 classes have been working on signs for school items and practising spelling with the Auslan alphabet. Year 3 and 4 students have completed work around the Winter Olympics, as well as learning the signs for opposite words – for example big/small, day/night. In Years 5 and 6 the have been learning signs for success and linking these to the Winter Olympics. They have also been learning the signs expressing time, such as the days of the week, yesterday, today and tomorrow.

The term was topped off with an amazing Harmony Day parade and the whole school signing the song, “I am Australian.” Come and visit the library to see the fantastic paper chain representing each student and how we all belong together!

Finally, a huge shout out to the Auslan Captains – Stevie, Eloise and Mackenzie – for doing an amazing job this term.

Health & Physical Education – Mr Pearce 

This term in Sport and Physical Education has been exciting and busy.

Our Prep students focused on expectations and developed fundamental catching and throwing skills. Other year levels participated in the Jump Rope for Heart program, learning a range of skills with both short and long ropes, with students continuing to practise during recess and lunch.

The Regency Park Runners Club for Year 3 – 6 has begun on Tuesday and Thursday mornings, with excellent attendance. We also competed in district swimming, where four students progressed to divisional event and three reached the Eastern Regional Championships.

Looking ahead to Term 2, students will take part in district cross country, girls AFL, and interschool sport for Year 6.

Music & Performing Arts – Mr Meeking

Term One has been a fantastic start to the year in our music program, with students across all year levels showing enthusiasm, progress, and a growing love of music.
Within the classroom:

• Year 6 students have excelled in learning basic guitar chords and songs. Both school, Year 6 bands have made impressive progress, dedicating one lunchtime each week to expanding their repertoire—with rewarding results already shining through.
• Year 5 students approached the ukulele with great enthusiasm, quickly developing confidence and skill on the instrument.
• Year 4 students have risen to the challenge of tackling more complex songs and chord progressions on the keyboard.
• Year 3 students have made a strong start on the keyboard, learning basic chords and songs while playing along to backing tracks.
• Year 2 students have enjoyed learning new rhythms and musical notes using the glockenspiels.
• Year 1 students have been enthusiastically developing their rhythm-reading skills and enjoying hands-on music-making.
• Prep students have eagerly embraced a new repertoire of songs and dances, learning about steady beat and no beat in music.

One of the major highlights of the term was our Community Night, where students from across the whole school, worked incredibly hard to bring the Jungle Jam theme to life. The evening was filled with energy, creativity, and confident performances.

• Prep students opened the concert with Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, delighting the audience with fantastic actions and enthusiasm.
• Year 1 followed with a high-energy performance of Jungle Boogie, complete with great dance moves.
• Year 2 performed The Lion Sleeps Tonight, perfectly capturing the jungle theme.
• Year 3 impressed with their confident and rhythmic performance of Dance Monkey.
• Year 4 lifted the energy even higher with a powerful rendition of Roar.
• Year 5 brought excitement and strong rhythmic movement to the stage with Jungle Drum.
• Year 6 closed the concert with an energetic performance of Eye of the Tiger, ending the show on a high.

A big thank you to all the teachers who supported rehearsals and helped students feel confident performing on stage. Your encouragement and dedication played a huge role in making the night such a success. We look forward to another exciting term of music-making ahead!

S.T.E.M. (Sciences, Technology, Engineering, Math) – Mrs McGowan

It is hard to believe that we have reached the end of our first term. It has certainly been a jam-packed and rewarding start to the year, and I would like to sincerely thank our staff and families for the many ways.

Prep students explored their five senses this term which included feeling cloud dough that they’d made, smelling some test tubes and tickling their taste buds! Year 1 and 2 students discovered the world of minibeasts, learning about their importance with a Soil Safari incursion, searching our school yard for creepy, crawly creatures and creating their own fact files about a chosen minibeast.

Year 3 and 4 students learnt all about ecosystems and living things within our school, analysing their habitats and conducting a scientific investigation. Year 5 and 6 students also did biology, with a focus on microorganisms. They learnt what they are, whether or not they are harmful or helpful, and how to classify organisms according to their physical characteristics.

Visual Art & Design – Mr Wheelton

It’s been full steam ahead in the Art room as we learn about different artists, create art displays and continue to explore art concepts in Term 1.

Prep students have been practising cutting and pasting, drawing shapes and working with colours as they make collages and “Colour Monster” art pieces. Year 1 and 2 students have been focusing on shadow puppets with some movement and articulation, as they supported their learning about Minibeasts through their STEM lessons.

Year 3 and 4 have been developing their drawing ability, training their observational skills and creating images in the likeness of real objects to support scientific drawings and diagrams. In the senior year levels, Year 5 and 6 students worked with a brief and used a design process in their visual diaries to create their own paint palettes out of ceramic clay, with the intention to use these for future paint lessons.

It has been a very positive start to the year as students continue to develop being independent artists. Wishing everyone a safe school break!

During our last Assembly on Friday 27th March

We found out why these students received Play Is The Way Awards

TERM 1 – Dates to Remember

April

THURSDAY 2

LAST DAY OF TERM 1

Happy Holidays Everyone!

TERM 2 – Dates to Remember

April

MONDAY 20
SELECTED STUDENTS Victorian State School Spectacular Hub Rehearsal #2, at Fairhills Secondary College – 9:00am – 3:30pm

TUESDAY 21
EARLY BIRD SALE at the Lamont Book Fair in the Library – 3:30pm – 4:00pm

WEDNESDAY 22
MORNING SALES at the Lamont Book Fair in the Library – 8:30am – 9:00am
AFTERNOON SALES at the Lamont Book Fair in the Library – 3:30pm – 4:00pm
YEAR 6 LEADERS ANZAC Service – 10:45am – 12:30pm
WHOLE SCHOOL EVENT Zooper Doopers on Sale at Lunchtime – 1:00pm – until sold out

YEARS 1- 2 Jump Rope for Heart: Jump Off Day – 1:50pm – 2:20pm
YEARS 3- 4 Jump Rope for Heart: Jump Off Day – 2:20pm – 2:50pm
YEARS 5- 6 Jump Rope for Heart: Jump Off Day – 2:50pm – 3:20pm

THURSDAY 23
MORNING SALES at the Lamont Book Fair in the Library – 8:30am – 9:00am
AFTERNOON SALES at the Lamont Book Fair in the Library – 3:30pm – 4:00pm

FRIDAY 24
MORNING SALES at the Lamont Book Fair in the Library – 8:30am – 9:00am
ASSEMBLY including Academic Awards in the Hall – 9:00am – 9:30am
AFTERNOON SALES at the Lamont Book Fair in the Library – 3:30pm – 4:00pm

MONDAY 27
MORNING SALES at the Lamont Book Fair in the Library – 8:30am – 9:00am
PREP PMP Program in the Hall – 1:30pm – 3:30pm
LAST CHANCE SALE at the Lamont Book Fair in the Library – 3:30pm – 4:00pm

May

FRIDAY 1
SELECTED YEAR 6 STUDENTS Peer Support Training Program in the Hall – 9:15am – 3:30pm

MONDAY 4
PREP PMP Program in the Hall – 1:30pm – 3:30pm

WEDNESDAY 6
YEAR 3 & 4 Math Explorer Challenge – 9:00am – 3:30pm

THURSDAY 7
ASSEMBLY including PITW Awards – 9:00am – 9:30am

WEDNESDAY 8
SELECTED STUDENTS District Cross Country– 9:15am – 2:30pm
PREP Mother’s Day Afternoon – 2:00pm – 3:15pm

MONDAY 11
PREP PMP Program in the Hall – 1:30pm – 3:30pm

WEDNESDAY 13
YEAR 3 – 6 House Athletics – 9:15am – 3:30pm

FRIDAY 15
SELECTED STUDENTS District Cross Country, Back-up Day – 9:15am – 2:30pm

MONDAY 18 – FRIDAY 22
WHOLE SCHOOL EVENTS Education Week

THURSDAY 21
SELECTED STUDENTS FROM YEAR 5 & 6 Girls Divisional AFL – 9:00am – 3:30pm

FRIDAY 22
YEAR 5 & 6 Interschool Sports – 9:00am – 3:30pm
PREP A Taste Of Prep – 9:15am – 10:00am

MONDAY 25
SELECTED STUDENTS Victorian State School Spectacular Hub Rehearsal #3, at Fairhills Secondary College – 9:00am – 3:30pm

WEDNESDAY 27
SELECTED STUDENTS Divisional Cross Country– 9:00am – 2:30pm

THURSDAY 28
ASSEMBLY including Academic Awards in the Hall – 9:00am – 9:30am

FRIDAY 29
YEAR 5 & 6 Interschool Sports – 9:00am – 3:30pm

WHOLE SCHOOL EVENT: LAMONT BOOK FAIR – TERM 2 – Tuesday 21st – Tuesday 28^th APRIL

Term 2 kicks off with our annual LAMONT BOOK FAIR

which also introduces our 2026 Premier’s Reading Challenge

that will run throughout the year until September.

The BOOK FAIR brings the bookstore to our school providing students with the opportunity

to put their pocket money to use buying books they enjoy, using their math money skills in their purchasing,

and supports our school library in the process. The sale will be open both BEFORE and AFTER SCHOOL 

during this time, starting with our EARLY BIRD SALE on Tuesday 21st APRIL from 3:30pm – 4pm.

Do not worry if you cannot make the Early Bird Sale, Mrs Brown and the LAMONT Team constantly replenish stock throughout the Book Fair.

Our BOOK FAIR also offers numerous way to pay for your purchases:

we will accept, CASH PAYMENTS, EFTPOS, and ONLINE ORDERS throughout the FAIR.

There is also the opportunity for anyone who spends $10.00 or more

to go into the Prep – Year 2 Student Draw, Year 3 – Year 6 Student Draw or Our Community Raffle Draw

with the chance to WIN even more fantastic books – come and be in it, you just might win it!

WHOLE SCHOOL EVENT – TERM 2 – Tuesday 21st APRIL – Tuesday 4^th SEPTEMBER

WHOLE SCHOOL EVENT: JUMP ROPE FOR HEART – Wednesday 22^nd APRIL

2027 Prep Enrolments

Do you have a child starting Prep in 2027? Please contact the school office to receive updates on the enrolment process and key dates. We look forward to welcoming your child to our school community.

Annual Privacy Reminder For Our School Community

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ privacy policy and the Schools’ privacy collection notice.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students policy, describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn.

We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Google Workspace for Education safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Google Workspace for Education, please contact the school.

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ privacy policy: information for parents.

Punctuality in consent & payments on COMPASS

Thank you to all of our families who have already paid their family contributions. Please see our Business Manager, if you would like to undertake a payment plan for upcoming school costs.
Please note payments for the majority of school events/excursions will be processed via COMPASS.

Throughout the year there are many payments to be made for excursions, camps and swimming. It is very important that these payments are paid by the due date.

All events that require permission and payment will need to be made by the due date if you wish your child to participate.

Only in very extreme circumstances will we be able to process payments after this date, even if the excursion has not yet happened.

Unfortunately, this means your child misses out on the event.

From experience I know that parents can be quite upset when this occurs, so I ask you to be aware of this process and ensure that consent and payments are made via COMPASS on time.

If you have trouble accessing COMPASS or completing payments, please see our office staff who can assist you with the process.

Current Consent & Payment Requests include: