Oakleigh South Primary School
NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 18
13th June, 2025

“Children learn more from who you are than what you teach.” — Unknown

IMPORTANT DATES

Issue 18 – 13th June 2025

 

Tuesday 17th June
• Year 4–6 Assembly (2:45PM)

Wednesday 18th June
• Region Cross Country Championships

Thursday 19th June
• VSSS Dance Rehearsal – Hall
• Senior Choir – Hall (3:45PM)

Tuesday 24th June
• Prep to Year 3 Assembly (2:45PM)

Thursday 26th June
• Bentleigh District Winter Sport Finals
• Senior Choir – Hall (3:45PM)

Friday 27th June
• Prep Portraits For Sale – OSPS Prep Art Show

Wednesday 2nd July
• VSSS Mass Choir Hub Rehearsal – Hall
• Year 4 Production – The Jungle Book Kids (Cast 1) – (6:30PM)

Thursday 3rd July
• Senior Choir – Hall (3:45PM)
• Year 4 Production – The Jungle Book Kids (Cast 2) – (6:30PM)

Friday 4th July
• Whole School Assembly (1:50PM)
• End Term 2 Early Dismissal (2:30PM)

 

PRINCIPAL’S REPORT

This Tuesday the 17th June, we will be hosting the last school tour for the year. If you know of any families that are considering coming to our school in 2026, please mention this to them. It will begin at 9.30am in the school hall.

On Wednesday, we will be sending two students, Jack and Koby to the Regional Cross Country Championships. We wish both boys lots of good luck, I’m sure they will run their absolute best.

Year 1 are looking forward to the Twisted Science incursion next Wednesday and Thursday. As well as learning lots of scientific information, they’re sure to have the best time.

Another friendly reminder for parents not to use the staff carpark at any time. With the cold wet weather we are now experiencing, there are many parents dropping their children in the staff carpark. This is a safety hazard so please use the oval carpark or street parking.

Finally, another reminder about the wonderful Year 4 musical production. Tickets are now available for the whole school for sale by logging on to https://www.trybooking.com/DCATQ under the event titled ‘OSPS Year 4 Production – Jungle Book’ Tickets are Adult $12.00 and a Child: $7.00 (under 12yo – floor seating).

Have a great week ahead!

Warm regards,

Nikki Virtuoso
Acting Principal

SCHOOL MATTERS

FREE PARENT WEBINAR: DIGITAL MEDIA LITERACY & SAFETY (PART II)

Dear Parents and Carers,

As part of our ongoing commitment to student wellbeing, and in partnership with SchoolTV, we are pleased to invite you to a free, exclusive webinar designed for families of both primary and secondary students.

📅 Date: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
🕢 Time: 7:30pm
🎥 Webinar: Digital Media Literacy & Safety (Part II)

Join two of Australia’s leading voices in youth wellbeing and online safety — Susan McLean and Dr Michael Carr-Gregg — for an informative and practical session to help parents navigate the complex digital landscape.

Topics covered include:

    • Artificial Intelligence

    • Misinformation & Algorithms

    • Online Grooming

This is a one-off live event and registration is essential prior to the webinar.

👉 Register here: http://oakleighsouthps.vic.schooltv.me/webinar/east-coast-digital-media-literacy-safety-part-2

We encourage all families to take advantage of this valuable opportunity.

 

 

UPCOMING FOOD DAYS

Dear Parents and Carers,

Parent Group is excited to host a series of Food Days this month for students in Year 1, Year 4, Year 5, and Year 6. Please refer to the information below relevant to your child’s year level.

Year 1 & 4 – Popcorn Day

Friday 20th June 2025

    • Bags of popcorn: $4 each

    • Orders close: 3:00pm, Wednesday 18th June

 

Year 5 – Ice Cream Day

Friday 20th June 2025

    • Chocolate ice cream cone: $3

    • Vanilla soy option available

    • Orders close: 3:00pm, Wednesday 18th June

Year 6 – Hot Food Day

Friday 27th June 2025

    • Hot chips (bucket): $5

    • Dim sims or potato cakes: $2 each or 3 for $5

    • Orders close: 12:00pm, Wednesday 24th June

Ordering Instructions

    • Please refer to the Compass News Feed for the relevant TryBooking link

    • Please only place orders for students in the listed year level – not for siblings

    • Late orders cannot be accepted, as final numbers and supplies must be confirmed in advance.

If you’re available to assist on the day, we’d love your help! Please email Parent Group at osparentgroup67@gmail.com

Thank you!

Parent Group

ICAS COMPETITIONS ARE BACK AT OSPS!

We’re excited to announce that Oakleigh South Primary School will once again be participating in the ICAS academic competitions in 2025!

 

ICAS is an optional online competition that challenges students in English, Maths, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies, focusing on higher-order thinking and problem-solving. All participants receive a certificate and detailed results report—top performers may even earn a medal!

 

Key ICAS Assessment Dates:

    • Digital Technologies & Writing (Yrs 3–6): 4–8 August
    • English: 11–15 August
    • Science & Spelling Bee: 18–22 August
    • Mathematics: 25–29 August

For pricing and more info visit the ICAS website.

 

How to Register:

    1. Visit the Parent Portal
    2. Use our school’s access code: QWY044
    3. Select your child’s assessments and complete payment

All payments go directly to ICAS, not the school. You’ll receive confirmation emails—please keep them as proof of purchase.

Registrations close 11:59pm, Monday 28th July 2025.

Let’s celebrate our students’ learning achievements—consider entering your child in ICAS this year!

OSPS BEANIES & FETE SHOWBAGS 

OSPS branded beanies are once again available for purchase, with delivery expected before the end of Term 2.

The beanies are $18.50 and can be ordered via the TryBooking link in the Compass post.

We also have 10 Fete Showbags remaining, available for purchase from the Office for $10 each – while stocks last!

If you have any questions, please contact Parent Group at osparentgroup67@gmail.com.

Thank you,

Parent Group

UNIFORM EXPECTATIONS & WINTER REMINDERS 

As we move into the cooler months, families are reminded that full school uniform is required during all school hours and activities.

    • Non-uniform items such as puffer jackets, branded outerwear, hoodies and coloured beanies are not permitted during the school day.

    • Personal jackets may be worn to and from school but must be removed once on-site.

    • To stay warm, students may layer bottle green or white singlets or skivvies under their uniform and wear the OSPS jumper, bomber jacket or school beanie.

Uniform items (including Indigenous house polos and raincoats) are available from:
PSW CHELTENHAM – 1 AGE STREET, CHELTENHAM VIC 3192 or online via the Uniforms page.

Plain bottle green items without the logo are also accepted.

All students are expected to follow our dress code:

    • Hair past shoulder length should be tied up for hygiene and safety.

    • Footwear must be appropriate and closed-toed – black school shoes or runners are acceptable.

    • Decorative jewellery is not permitted, except limited to small stud or sleeper earrings and standard watches. Religious or cultural jewellery is permitted.

    • Smartwatches are not permitted under Department of Education devices policy.

    • Makeup and coloured nail polish are not allowed. Clear nail polish only.

    • Hats must be worn outside from mid-August to 30 April. Hats are not worn indoors.

Please ensure all clothing and belongings are clearly labelled to reduce lost property and classroom disruptions.

For families experiencing financial difficulty, support is available through State Schools’ Relief. For any questions or assistance, please contact Carlyn at carlyn.backers@education.vic.gov.au.

SPARE CLOTHES

We also ask that students, especially in junior year levels, have a spare set of clothes packed in their bag — including underwear and socks — to manage wet weather slips or accidents discreetly and avoid interrupting your day.

THE RESILIENCE PROJECT: THE LONG-TERM IMPACT OF OUR WELLBEING PROGRAM 

An inspiring story we recommend watching!

We’re excited to share a powerful article and video highlighting the long-term impact of our school’s Wellbeing Program, delivered through The Resilience Project.

Featured in The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald, and the Brisbane Times, this piece shares findings from an independent evaluation by Monash University — and the results are incredible.

Students who participated in the program for six years or more showed:

    • 💙 a 47% decrease in the odds of depression
    • 💚 a 34% decrease in the odds of anxiety

…compared to students in schools not running the program.

This research reinforces what we’ve seen in our own classrooms — that a consistent, whole-school approach to wellbeing makes a lasting difference in the lives of young people.

A big thank you to Monash University, Dr Rohsini Balasooriya, Resilient Youth Australia, and the 1,150+ schools who made this evaluation possible — and of course, to our school community for embracing the program every day.

SUPPORT OAKLEIGH SOUTH NETBALL CLUB — VOTE NOW FOR WOOLWORTHS GRANT!

At Oakleigh South Primary, we know that sport is more than just play — it’s a powerful tool for building resilience, fostering wellbeing, and connecting our community.

Oakleigh South Netball Club shares that vision. This year, they’re in the running for a Woolworths Netball Grant — and they need your support!

If successful, the Club will be able to:

    • Upgrade to adjustable goal posts suitable for all age groups

    • Provide starter equipment to welcome new players

    • Deliver on-site coaching by local high schoolers, supporting both our students and aspiring young coaches

These upgrades will directly benefit Oakleigh South families and help more children get active, confident, and connected through grassroots sport.

🗳️ Cast your vote and help make a difference: Woolworth’s Netball Grants

📲 Learn more at: www.netballoakleighsouth.com.au/promotions

Let’s get behind our local legends and bring these exciting improvements to life — because strong communities grow from the grassroots up.

THE RESILIENCE PROJECT

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:

    • 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

Access the Parent Hub (no login required): Resilience Project Parent Hub

GEM AWARDS 

Alice X. – Prep FB – Empathy: For always showing kindness, understanding, and care towards others. You’re a star, Alice!

Mitiksha M. – 1LC – Gratitude: For always showing enthusiasm towards her learning and being thankful for the fun activities we do in class! Keep it up, Mitiksha!

Vieraya D. – 2VO – Empathy: For always offering to help others, being respectful and kind towards everyone. You’re a rockstar, Vieraya.

Asha M. – 3FT – Empathy: For consistently demonstrating empathy towards her peers and teacher. We adore having you in 3FT, Asha.

Diya D. – 4CR – Empathy: For consistently showing kindness and empathy by looking out for her friends and knowing when to step in and offer a helping hand. You are a beautiful friend, Diya!

Adithi L. – 5KM – Mindfulness: For her exceptional mindfulness, demonstrated through her calm presence, thoughtful choices, and the warm, calming aura she consistently brings to the classroom.

Ivy G. – 6CM – Mindfulness: For always taking care of those around her even when she doesn’t have to!

STUDENT SHOWCASE

YEAR 1 SHOWCASE

Flash! Bang! WOW! This term in Integrated Studies, we have become inquisitive scientists and have spent a lot of time doing some pretty exciting experiments. We have learnt all about predicting, observing and explaining what has happened in the experiments. We have delved into chemical sciences and learnt all about how different chemicals react with one another. We saw elephant toothpaste blast before our eyes, milk dance in colour and we even made zip-lock bags explode!

Ice, ice baby! We have been learning about the 3 states of matter – liquids, solids and gases. Recently, we experimented with the process of ‘melting’ and raced to find the quickest way to melt ice cubes. We knew we had to apply heat so we put our thinking caps on and came up with a few different strategies, such as, rubbing the ice between our hands to create friction, sucking on the ice, holding it in front of the heater, adding water to the cup of ice to dilute it, blowing on it with warm breath and wrapping it in tissues!

Next, we’ll be learning about the changes of day and night, seasons and weather and all about the solar system. We can’t wait! It sure has been an awesome term down in Grade 1 and we are so excited for our TwistED Science incursion next week!

LITERACY CORNER

This term, our students have been exploring procedure writing. They’ve learnt how to clearly sequence steps and include all the necessary materials or ingredients. A big focus has been on using precise verbs and adverbs — otherwise, things can get a little confusing (just ask our teachers trying to follow a procedure on how to wear a scarf!).

Here are just a few of the excellent procedure texts our students have written:

 

How to Build a Sandcastle

First, go to the beach with your bucket and spade.

Next, scoop up the sand with your spade and put the sand into the bucket.

Then, carefully tip the bucket over and tap the top of it two times with the spade.

Finally, slowly lift the bucket off and put shells on the sandcastle and make designs on it with a stick.

Leo S. — 1MB

How to Build a Snowman

First, roll snow into three balls – one small, one medium, and one large.

Next, stack the snowballs onto each other with the largest on the bottom and the smallest on the top.

Then, get a carrot and put it on the nose and put stones or rocks for the eyes and mouth.

Finally, decorate your snowman with a hat, scarf and sticks for the arms.

Delilah — 1SC

How to Make Lemonade

First, cut the lemon and squeeze it in the glass.

Then, open the sugar and put one spoonful into the glass.

Next, place three to five ice cubes in the glass and mix all the ingredients together.

Last, add the straw and enjoy!

Ilisha — 1MB

YEAR 1 GEM

 

GRATITUDE  

We are grateful for the fun experiences we have had in Integrated Studies, doing awesome experiments and learning all about chemical sciences!

EMPATHY  

We are learning to show empathy to others in the playground, playing with someone who doesn’t have anyone to play with and putting ourselves in others’ shoes when we are trying to resolve a conflict.

MINDFULNESS  

This week we are learning about Belly Breathing. When we have big feelings like being stressed, confused or angry, we can use belly breathing as a mindfulness tool to help calm us down.

PARENT GROUP

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.

SECONDARY SCHOOL & TRANSITION INFO

YEAR 6 TO YEAR 7: SECONDARY SCHOOL TRANSITION

All Year 6 students in Victoria must complete a Year 7 placement form to enrol in a government secondary school for 2026. This process is managed by the Department of Education.

Families received the Application for Year 7 Placement form early in Term 2, and all completed forms were due back by Friday 9 May 2025. Thank you to all families who submitted forms on time.

Placement offers will be sent to families by Oakleigh South Primary School on Tuesday 1 July 2025. This notice will include your child’s placement offer, an Acceptance Slip, and, if relevant, an Appeal Form.
Please note that no information will be provided before this date.

STATEWIDE GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS TIMELINE – YEAR 7 IN 2026

• Early Term 2 – Placement forms sent home ✅
• Friday 9 May – Forms due back to school ✅
• Tuesday 1 July – Placement offers sent to families
• Tuesday 9 December – Year 6 Orientation Day at government secondary schools

Useful links:
🔗 findmyschool.vic.gov.au
🔗 DET Enrolment Policy
🔗 Moving from primary to secondary school
🔗 Year 6 to 7 Placement Information Pack for Parents and Carers

For any questions, please contact your child’s classroom teacher or email enrolments@oakleighsouthps.vic.edu.au.

CAMP AUSTRALIA

PARENT CORNER

OSPS FACILITY USERS

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.

OSPS FETE SPONSORS

COMMUNITY NEWS

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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