Oakleigh South Primary School
NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 7
13TH March, 2026
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there” — Theodore Roosevelt
Week 8 – Harmony Week
Monday 16th March
- NAPLAN Testing – Years 3 & 5
- Swimming Program – Year 1 & 2
Tuesday 17th March
- NAPLAN Testing – Years 3 & 5
- Swimming Program – Year 1 & 2
- Year 1-3 Assembly @ 2:45PM
Wednesday 18th March
- NAPLAN Testing – Years 3 & 5
- Swimming Program – Year 1 & 2
- Year 1-3 Assembly @ 2:45PM
Thursday 19th March
- NAPLAN Testing – Years 3 & 5
- Year 6 Interschool Sport
- Swimming Program – Year 1 & 2
- Year 1-3 Assembly @ 2:45PM
Friday 20th March
- NAPLAN Testing – Years 3 & 5
- Swimming Program – Year 1 & 2
- Year 1-3 Assembly @ 2:45PM
Week 9
Monday 23th March
- NAPLAN Testing – Years 3 & 5
- 3AP & 3MW Monash Sustainability incursion
Tuesday 24th March
- Beachside Division Swimming Carnival
- School Tour @ 9:30AM
- Whole School Assembly @ 2:45PM
- School Council Meeting @ 6PM
Wednesday 25th March
- World Maths Day
- Year 5 Deadly Kultja Incursion
- Prep Responsible Pet Ownership Incursion
Thursday 26th March
- VSSS Mass Dance Rehearsal- Round 1
- Year 6 Interschool Sport 2026
Friday 27th March
- Dino Day
- Year 1 Grandparents/Special Friends Day
- Halogen Youth Leadership Conference
It was a short week with the Monday public holiday, but a busy one.
The Year 3 and 5 students commenced NAPLAN testing and have done very well so far, considering the outages across Australia on Tuesday. All impacted students were able to complete the test successfully on Wednesday.
The Preps had a St John’s First Aid incursion, learning about basic first aid and life saving skills, including calling 000 when in danger.
A couple of reminders:
- parents are not to use the staff car park for 3.30pm pick up and 9.00am drop off, this is for staff exclusive use and Camp Australia drop off and pick up.
- parents should make appropriate arrangements to pick up their children from 3.30pm onwards, students should not be left unsupervised and waiting beyond 3.45pm for parents to pick them up.
- dogs are only permitted on the OSPS grounds during pick up and drop off and must be on a lead at all times.
- dogs should not be brought onto school grounds, including the ovals or courts during school lesson times, recess or lunchtime. Please also be mindful that your dog is on a lead during and near afterschool activities that are onsite at OSPS.
Year 1’s and 2’s are off to swimming next week and are very excited. Thank you to all the parent helpers who are volunteering.
Next week is Harmony Week with the OSPS dress up day being Monday 23 March.
Warm regards,
Nikki Virtuoso
Acting Principal
FREE WEBINAR: UNDERSTANDING ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION TO FOSTER RESILIENCE (PART I)
In recognition of our school’s commitment to student wellbeing through our partnership with SchoolTV, we are pleased to invite parents, carers, grandparents, school leaders and staff to attend an exclusive webinar, supporting both primary and secondary students.
WEBINAR: Understanding Anxiety and Depression to Foster Resilience (Part I)
DATE: Wednesday, 18 March 2026
TIME: 7:30 pm
This presentation forms part of a broader webinar series designed to strengthen mental health literacy across school communities. Join international experts Dr Emma Woodward and Dr Joe Stammeijer as they share valuable insights into recognising early signs of concern and practical approaches to supporting the wellbeing of young people.
Topics in this session will include:
- Understanding Anxiety and Depression
- Recognising Early Signs
- Supporting Neurodivergent Children
Participants can register by scanning the QR code featured on the promotional material, or the link below: https://oakleighsouthps.vic.schooltv.me/webinar/ec-understanding-anxiety-depression-part-I
BIGGEST CULTURAL LUNCHEON @OSPS MONDAY 23RD MARCH TO CELEBRATE HARMONY WEEK
Harmony Week – March 16-22
Harmony Week is the celebration that recognises our diversity and brings together Australians from all different backrounds. To celebrate the diverse cultures within our school community we will be hosting ‘The Biggest Cultural School Luncheon at OSPS on Monday 23 March.
We warmly invite all students to bring a plate of food to share, representing their family’s culture or heritage. Please be aware that all food is nut-free and food is labelled with ingredients. This is an opportunity for our students to learn about and appreciate the many cultures that make up our school community. All students are welcome to wear their traditional cultural clothing or a touch of orange. See flyer attached for further information.
For more information: https://www.harmony.gov.au/
THANK YOU – KEEP THE DONATIONS COMING
A wonderful community member recently visited the Keysborough Depot and returned 119 cans and bottles, requesting that the funds go to OSPS! We often receive notifications about deposits made to our school, so keep them coming.
There are three ways you can recycle your cans, bottles, and containers to help us fundraise. OSPS receives 10c per item, with all funds going towards sustainability projects at the school:
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Oakleigh South Primary School – Purple Bins at the Year 3 Village
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Oakleigh Depot – 37–41 Oxford St, Oakleigh, in the OSPS bin onsite
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Any Return-It Depot or Kiosk – donate to OSPS by scanning the barcode (see image)
Thank you for helping us make a difference while caring for the environment!
HARMONY DAY COOKIES
As part of our Harmony Day celebrations, Parent Group have teamed up with a local bakery and will be offering Harmony Day themed cookies for $4. These cookies will be distributed on Wednesday, 25 March.
Please see Compass to Order.
Please note cookie orders will close at 12pm, Wednesday, 18 March.
Please contact Parent Group at osparentgroup67@gmail.com with any questions.
FOODBANK HOME PACKS
Home food packs for school holidays
Remember to order home food packs in advance for the school holidays, for families who may need additional support over the school holiday period.
Contact Helen Paroukas to ensure you receive your food pack in time for the holidays. Send an email to: helen.paroukas@education.vic.gov.au
STUDENT PERFORMANCES TO CELEBRATE HARMONY WEEK
Harmony Week March 16-22
It is that time of the year again, when some of our wonderful students perform at our whole-school assembly to celebrate their cultural background, showcasing the rich diversity within our community.
We are inviting any OSPS student who would like to perform at our Cultural Assembly which will be held on Tuesday 24th March, to get involved. Students may wish to sing, dance, or play a musical instrument that reflects their culture or heritage. Mr Michael Mietzcke will be supporting interested students and providing time at school for rehearsals.
If your child would like to participate, please email helen.paroukas@education.vic.gov.au to express your interest.
We look forward to celebrating the rich diversity of our school community together.
EASTER HAT PARADE
Our much loved Prep to Year 2 Easter Hat Parade will be celebrated on Thursday 2nd April (last day of Term 1).
Please start designing and creating your hats at home – be as fun, creative or crazy as you like!
Our parade will be held at 9.00am on the Junior Tiger Turf area with each grade dancing around the ‘catwalk’, singing songs and capping off a fabulous Term 1 before we hop into the school holidays! Parents & carers are welcome to hop along and take photos.
If you have any questions, please speak to your classroom teacher.
We can’t wait to see every bunny’s masterpieces!
OSPS ANNUAL EASTER RAFFLE
STATE SCHOOLS’ RELIEF (SSR) – PREP UNIFORM SUPPORT
Families who are CSEF recipients may also be eligible for State Schools’ Relief Prep Uniform Package support.
Eligible Prep students can receive:
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2 uniform tops (polo shirt, shirt or summer dress)
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1 uniform bottom (pants, trackpants, trousers or shorts)
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1 outerwear item (puffer jacket)
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1 pair of school shoes
Please note: PE items (i.e. School House tops) are not included. If SSR cannot supply a logoed item, an $85 voucher will be provided for use at the school’s preferred uniform supplier. Half shoe sizes are not available – use the shoe size guide on the SSR website.
Order your Prep uniform here: 2026 Prep Uniform Packs For CSEF Recipients Order Form
CAMPS, SPORTS & EXCURSIONS FUND (CSEF)
The Victorian Government provides the CSEF to help eligible families with the cost of school camps, sports and excursions.
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Eligible families hold a valid means-tested concession card (special consideration category also exists).
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Primary students receive $400, paid directly to the school to support activity costs.
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Applications are open until the end of Term 2, with payments commencing from 1 March.
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Families who were eligible in previous years may not need to reapply, unless you have a Prep student starting.
Apply here: CSEF Application Form 2026
For enquiries, contact Carlyn at carlyn.backers@education.vic.gov.au
SCHOOL CROSSING & PARKING SAFETY
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.
Oakleigh South Primary School
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.
SENIOR VALUED STUDENT AWARDS
YEAR 1 VALUED STUDENT AWARDS
Daphne – 4AS
(Excellence)
For producing work of the highest quality in all her tasks through focused and persistent effort.
Ryan – 4AS
(Integrity)
For being responsible and doing the right thing, even when no one is looking.
Alba – 4CG
(Resilience)
For showing great persistence in all her school tasks and always trying her best. Great job, Alba!
Tom – 4CG
(Excellence)
For displaying strong reading comprehension strategies in both independent and group reading tasks. Great job!
Radmehr – 4CG
(Excellence)
For a beautifully written and well-rehearsed Student Voice speech that reflected our school values perfectly.
Heyan – 4CR
(Excellence)
For upholding the school values and being voted as 4CR’s Student Voice Representative. Congratulations, Heyan!
Daniel – 4CR
(Excellence)
For immersing himself in his books to reach his AR target of 200 points. An awesome effort, Daniel!
Tommy – 4ML
(Excellence)
For always using neat formatting and completing tasks to the best of his ability.
Ellie – 4ML
(Excellence)
For consistently presenting neat bookwork and completing tasks to a high standard. Keep up the wonderful work!
Ethan – 4WW
(Excellence)
For checking in, asking questions and making sure he stays on task. You’re amazing, Ethan!
Asha – 4WW
(Excellence)
For using wonderful description to bring her narratives to life. We love reading them, keep it up!
Kelly Kai Li – 4ZB
(Excellence)
For always completing her work to a high standard and demonstrating a growth mindset.
Nethraa – 4ZB
(Excellence)
For consistently striving to complete her tasks to a high standard.
James – 4ZB
(Respect)
For always showing respect and care towards his classmates and teacher during learning time.
YEAR 2 VALUED STUDENT AWARDS
Atakan – 5KM
(Respect)
For regularly checking in on his peers and treating everyone with kindness.
Sofia – 5KM
(Excellence)
For a fantastic start to Year 5 and bringing a positive attitude to all tasks. It’s a joy to have you in 5KM!
Ava – 5LG
(Excellence)
For putting 100% effort into everything she does. Ava, you are a terrific student!
Ethan – 5LG
(Working Together)
For being incredibly helpful and supportive to his classmates and friends. Ethan, you are a star!
Ella – 5MJ
(Integrity)
For always striving to be her best self. Keep up the amazing work, Ella!
Niko – 5MJ
(Working Together)
For contributing thoughtful responses during class discussions. Well done, Niko!
Keyon – 5MS
(Excellence)
For demonstrating a positive ‘can do’ attitude and working hard to reach his academic learning goals.
Thea – 5MS
(Respect)
For being a responsible and reliable member of 5MS. Thea, you are a wonderful role model to your peers!
Pranil – 5MS
(Integrity)
For presenting himself as a brilliant role model and being voted as our Student Voice representative. Congratulations!
Advith – 5NH
(Integrity)
For exceptional honesty and integrity after finding and returning a large sum of money at school.
Vihana – 5NH
(Working Together)
For showing true teamwork by helping a friend through a tough time.
Siddhika – 5NH
(Working Together)
For showing true teamwork by helping a friend through a tough time.
Aria – 5PR
(Excellence)
For making a fabulous start to the year and putting 100% effort into everything she does. You’re a star, Aria!
Devan – 5PR
(Respect)
For always being a kind and caring classmate and showing respect to everyone around him. You’re amazing, Devan!
YEAR 3 VALUED STUDENT AWARDS
Tanisha – 6CM
(Working Together)
For constantly being a helpful, reliable and committed class member. Thank you, Tanisha!
Luka – 6CM
(Resilience)
For approaching challenging tasks with a positive attitude and a true growth mindset. You are awesome, Luka!
Will – 6MH
(Excellence)
For demonstrating a strong commitment to improving his reading and achieving his AR goal. Well done!
Maggie – 6MH
(Respect)
For showing respect to others and looking out for classmates and teachers. Excellent effort.
Lily – 6NM
(Excellence)
For her ongoing determination to achieve her personal best every day in 6NM.
Emma – 6NM
(Integrity)
For being recognised as a swimming captain, a well-deserved achievement for someone who consistently shows leadership around the school.
Anika – 6SM
(Excellence)
For working hard to achieve her AR goal and consistently giving her best effort in all classroom tasks.
Yug – 6SM
(Respect)
For always displaying respect towards his teachers and classmates. You are a valued member of 6SM, Yug!
Annabel – 6SM
(Excellence)
For settling back into OSPS with enthusiasm, a smile and a positive attitude. You’re a star, Annabel!
Eli – 6SS
(Excellence)
For putting incredible effort into his reading and achieving his AR target!
Ava – 6SS
(Respect)
For always showing great manners and bringing positivity to the classroom. Keep up your wonderful enthusiasm!
Madeline – 6SS
(Excellence)
For giving her best effort when completing all classroom tasks. Well done on your great start to Year 6!
THE RESILIENCE PROJECT
Since 2022, OSPS has partnered with The Resilience Project to support student wellbeing from Foundation to Year 6 through the Inspire Program. The curriculum, designed by teachers for teachers, aligns with Victorian and Australian Curriculum standards in Personal and Social Capabilities and Health and Physical Education.
The program focuses on four key strategies to build resilience and happiness:
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- Gratitude: The act of being thankful and appreciating what you have in life.
- Empathy: The capacity to understand and feel what another person is feeling.
- Mindfulness: The practice of attention regulation.
- Emotional Literacy: The ability to understand and express our feelings.
Each week, students participate in formal lessons and complete entries in their Resilience Student Journals. Activities include gratitude posters, mindfulness colouring, and emotion-matching exercises. As a Partnership School, OSPS integrates The Resilience Project’s wellbeing curriculum across the whole school community.
There are many ways to support your child’s mental health at home.
For more information, visit: The Resilience Project – At Home
Introductory Parent Video: TRP Family Launch
Access the Parent Hub (no login required): Resilience Project Parent Hub
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING IN YEAR ONE?
Integrated Studies is an engaging part of our learning program where students explore big ideas by connecting different subject areas such as history, social learning, and inquiry. This semester, students participated in our ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ unit that focused on building positive relationships, where they learnt about how to be a good friend, how to treat others with kindness and respect, and how to apologise when problems occur. Through discussions, role-play, and class activities, students practised important social skills that help build a caring and supportive classroom community.
The Year 1s have also explored our ‘Time After Time’ unit, where they have been learning about the past and how life has changed over time. They have compared toys from the past and present and investigated how transport, playgrounds, schools, clothing, shops, and family activities have changed across generations. This unit helped students develop an understanding of history and encouraged them to think about how everyday life has evolved over time. To celebrate the end of the unit, children will invite and perform for their grandparents here at school!
LITERACY CORNER
This term in Writing, students created their own individual writing goals and have been working hard towards achieving them. We have been learning how to construct a narrative, focusing on characters, setting and simple story structure. Students wrote imaginative stories using a picture prompt of a penguin in the cold Arctic, which sparked some wonderful creativity. We have also begun exploring descriptive writing, encouraging students to add detail and paint a clear picture for their reader.
THE RESILIENCE PROJECT – GEM
Gratitude:
We are grateful for all the exciting activities our teachers have planned as we learn about each other and explore the past and how life has changed over time.
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING IN DIGITECH?
YEAR 1
Students in Year 1 have put a lot of work into their Word files this term. They’ve been learning to open new files, and made basic introductions followed up by recounts of their weekends and other similar texts. After all this hard work, they’ve been saving their work in their OSPS class folders. It’s not easy, but it’s been an incredible effort to use a keyboard, mouse and navigate through to the class file.
YEAR 3
A lot of great work has been done by Year 3 students in understanding how to collaborate effectively using the Google Drive platform. A Design Thinking task challenged students to identify an area within the school and create a persuasive text on a Google Slide in poster form. Students were able to transfer images, store and share files and simultaneously work on the same document.
YEAR 5
We’ve started off the year by programming Spike robots to use colour and distance sensors and to react to objects on set paths. Everyone worked hard on these tasks and were even able to create codes using all the sensors! Most recently we’ve been exploring binary numbers and how they relate to computers. Students have been converting decimals and also words to binary values.
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.
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.
