Oakleigh South Primary School
NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 21
24th July, 2026

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”  — Winston Churchill

Welcome back to Term 3! I hope all our students and families enjoyed a restful break and are feeling refreshed for another exciting term of learning and fun experiences. It has been wonderful to see our students return with enthusiasm and ready to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.

This term we will be sending home the school newsletter on a fortnightly basis.

A sincere thank you to all the parents and carers who attended our Parent-Teacher Meetings in week 1. These meetings are an important opportunity to strengthen the partnership between home and school, celebrate student achievements, and discuss goals for continued learning. Your support and involvement make a significant difference to your child’s education.

Last Thursday, our Year 5 students presented their Design, Creative and Critical Thinking unit on Adaptations, where they investigated how habitats change over time and the impact these changes have on living things. They demonstrated creativity, collaboration and problem solving throughout the unit and the expo provided an opportunity for students to share their knowledge, explain their thinking, and demonstrate the skills they have developed throughout this learning journey to their parents.

Last Friday, the Year 6 students proudly showcased their entrepreneurial skills during their Business Expo Day. As part of this learning experience, students developed business ideas, created products and services, and then marketed and sold them to their target audience. Throughout the project, they gained valuable skills in planning, teamwork, budgeting, communication, advertising and customer service—all while having a great deal of fun. Congratulations to our Year 6 students on a successful and engaging event.

The State Cross Country Championships were held last Thursday at Yarra Glen. Congratulations to Jack and Koby, who represented our school at this event. We are incredibly proud of their dedication, perseverance, and outstanding achievement in reaching the state level and their individual performances on the day. Well done Jack and Koby.

Today our Prep students celebrated 100 days of being at school. They dressed up as ‘old’ people pretending to be 100 years old and took part in fun activities relating to the number 100 and celebrated with a party!

Next week, the Year 5 and 6 students will have their 5-day swimming program at GESAC. Thank you to everyone who has supported this very valuable program.

As we begin another busy term, I look forward to seeing our students continue to challenge themselves, support one another, and make the most of the many learning opportunities ahead.

Warm regards,

Nikki Virtuoso
Acting Principal

MHIPS: MENTAL HEALTH IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS INITIATIVE AT OSPS

We are pleased to share that Helen Paroukas has been appointed as Oakleigh South Primary School’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader as part of the Victorian Government’s Mental Health in Primary Schools initiative.

Over the next 12 months, Helen will undertake comprehensive training and receive ongoing professional support to further strengthen our school’s whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing. This initiative aims to build staff capacity to identify and respond to students’ mental health needs, improve referral pathways for students requiring additional support, and implement evidence-based mental health and wellbeing strategies across the school.

NATIONAL EMERGENCY ALERT TEST, MONDAY 27 JULY

On Monday 27 July, the Australian Government will conduct a National Emergency Alert test.

During the test, many mobile phones across Australia will receive a test message with a loud alert sound. This is only a test.

Some children may find the loud noise unexpected or upsetting. To help students feel prepared, teachers will discuss the alert at school before it happens.

We encourage families to also talk with their child before Monday. Please read the attached social story together, which explains what the alert is and what to expect.

For more information, visit: https://www.ausalert.gov.au/community-resources/children-teens#ausalert-information-for-schools

Thank you for helping us prepare our students for this national test.

CELEBRATING NAIDOC WEEK

NAIDOC Week is a time for all Australians to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples while recognising the importance of connection, respect and reconciliation. This year’s theme, 50 Years of Deadly, marks 50 years of NAIDOC Week as a national week-long celebration, recognising five decades of strength, resilience, culture and community leadership. While NAIDOC’s origins date back much further to the Aboriginal rights movement, this milestone provides an opportunity to reflect on progress while continuing to learn from the world’s oldest living cultures.

This Special Report offers practical ideas and resources to help families celebrate NAIDOC Week together and continue meaningful conversations at home.

Here is the link to this topic: http://oakleighsouthps.vic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-celebrating-naidoc-week

BULLYING NO WAY WEEK, 17 TO 21 AUGUST

From 17 to 21 August, our school will be taking part in Bullying No Way Week, Australia’s national week of action to prevent bullying.

This year’s theme, Small Acts, Big Impact, reminds us that simple everyday actions can make a big difference. Including others, showing kindness, speaking up when something isn’t right, and treating everyone with respect all help create a school where every child feels safe, valued and included.

Throughout the week, students will participate in age-appropriate classroom activities that promote:

  • Respect and kindness
  • Inclusion and belonging
  • Positive friendships
  • Speaking up and seeking help
  • Safe and responsible behaviour, both at school and online.

Working together, we can help create a school community where everyone feels welcome, respected and supported.

SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB

Scholastic Book Club gives students the opportunity to discover exciting new books, explore their interests and build lifelong reading habits. With a wide range of affordable, age-appropriate titles, there is something for every reader to enjoy.

Why join Book Club?

📖 Carefully curated collections of quality children’s books
🌏 A wide variety of titles from Australia and around the world
💚 Books available from as little as $3
🏡 A convenient way to grow your home library and encourage regular reading

How to order

Families can order online through Scholastic LOOP:

  1. Log in or create a new account at LOOP.
  2. Follow the prompts to set up your child’s profile.
  3. Select ORDER, choose our school and the current Book Club Issue.
  4. Select your child’s name and enter the item numbers from the catalogue.
  5. Complete payment via credit card (a 1% surcharge applies to card payments).

Every Book Club purchase helps our school! 15% of every order is returned to us as Scholastic Rewards, which we can use to purchase valuable books and learning resources for our classrooms.

Thank you for supporting a love of reading and helping us continue to build a strong reading culture at our school. 💚

SHARE THE DIGNITY

Oakleigh South Parent Group is proud to support Share the Dignity this August, a campaign dedicated to providing essential sanitary items to women and girls in need, including those experiencing homelessness or escaping domestic violence.

A collection bin will be located at the Office from the beginning of Term 3, and we warmly welcome donations of the following items:

  • Pads & tampons
  • Period underwear
  • Incontinence pads
  • Menstrual cups

Donations will be accepted throughout August. Together, we can help restore dignity to those who need it most.

Thank you for your support!

SCHOOL CROSSING, PARKING & ROAD SAFETY REMINDERS

The City of Monash has asked us to share the attached information about safety around school crossings.

Council parking officers regularly attend schools in the area to help ensure vehicles are parking safely and legally. Families are reminded to please follow all traffic and parking signage near the school, and to take extra care around crossings during drop-off and pick-up times.

Thank you for supporting safe travel to and from school for all members of our community.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT: CONGRATULATIONS KANE!

A big congratulations to Kane from 3JM, who recently competed in the Nuna Cheltenham Club Short Course Championships held at MSAC on 21 June.

Competing in the Male 8 Years age group, Kane achieved fantastic results, including:

🥇 Gold Medal – 100m Individual Medley
🥈 Silver Medal – 50m Butterfly
🥉 Bronze Medal – 50m Backstroke

We are incredibly proud of Kane’s dedication, commitment and hard work in developing his swimming skills.

Congratulations on this wonderful achievement, Kane!

LUNCH ORDER PROVIDERS

We are pleased to confirm the following lunch order options for our school community in 2025: TK Tuckshop and Classroom Cuisine will be available on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, while Subway will be available on Tuesday and Thursday.

CLASSROOM CUISINE: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Register and order at www.classroomcuisine.com.au
All orders must be placed by 8:30am the morning of delivery.

TK TUCKSHOP: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Register at https://app.spriggyschools.com.au/login
Download the Spriggy Schools app from your app store.
All orders need to be placed by 7pm for the full menu or 8:00am the morning of delivery for a restricted menu.

SUBWAY: Tuesday and Thursday

Register and place your order at https://app.canteenhub.com.au
All orders need to be placed by 8.00am the day of delivery.

BE A GEM AT HOME

Practising mindfulness helps us slow down, focus on the present moment and become more aware of our thoughts, feelings and surroundings in a calm and balanced way. Rather than getting caught up in worries about the past or future, mindfulness encourages us to pause and pay attention to what is happening right now.

Research shows that regularly practising mindfulness can help strengthen emotional regulation, focus and overall wellbeing. Even a few mindful moments each day can make a positive difference. Taking time to practise mindfulness can:

  • improve focus and concentration
  • support emotional regulation
  • reduce stress and feelings of overwhelm
  • promote calmness and relaxation
  • encourage self-awareness and empathy
  • support positive mental health and wellbeing.

Encouraging children to practise mindfulness at home is a simple and meaningful way to help build resilience, confidence and emotional wellbeing.

Below is a wonderful mindfulness activity and a GEM Chats conversation prompt that you may like to try together at home.

Camp Australia offers independent before- and after-school care (7:00 AM–8:45 AM and 3:30 PM–6:00 PM) in a safe, fun, and engaging environment. We recommend families register and book to ensure support in case of emergencies or last minute change-of-plans. More info and enrolment: campaustralia.com.au

We host a range of after-school programs and activities run by external providers here at OSPS. These programs operate independently from the school and are offered directly to families by the providers. All advertisements for these activities can be found in the OSPS Facility User Group section of our notice board and newsletters.

For any enquiries or to enrol, please contact the program providers directly.

KEYBOARD LESSON AVAILABILITY

A small number of vacancies are now available:

  • Wednesday: 4 PM
  • Friday: 3:30 PM or 4 PM

Please email perryvlahos33@gmail.com to book your preferred time.

Disclaimer: The organisations advertised in this newsletter are not affiliated with and have no relationship to Oakleigh South Primary School. The publishing of these advertisements does not imply endorsement or recommendation of these products or services by the school. They are provided as a community service.

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