Oakleigh South Primary School
NEWSLETTER – ISSUE 23
1st August, 2025
“The beautiful thing about learning is nobody can take it away from you.” – B.B. King
IMPORTANT DATES
Issue 23 – 1st August 2025
Week 3
• Tamba Higashi PS Cultural Exchange Program
• Year 3 & 4 Swimming Program 2025
Monday 4th August
• Year 3 & 4 Swimming Program 2025
Tuesday 5th August
• Year 3 & 4 Swimming Program 2025
• Year 4 to 6 Assembly – Welcome Assembly for Tamba Higashi PS Students – 2:45 PM in the Hall
• ThinkUKnow E-Safety Presentation – 6:30 PM in the Robotics Lab
Wednesday 6th August
• Year 3 & 4 Swimming Program 2025
• Year 6 Sexuality Education Program 2025
• Year 5 Cultural Infusion Incursion
Thursday 7th August
• Tamba Higashi PS Student Excursion – CBD
• Senior Choir – 3:45 PM in the Hall
Friday 8th August
• Year 1 Scienceworks Excursion
• Year 6 Sexuality Education Program 2025
• Year 3 & 4 Swimming Program 2025
• Year 6 Business Expo – 2:00 PM in the Year 6 Building
Week 4
• Tamba Higashi PS Cultural Exchange Program
• National Week of Action Against Bullying and Violence
• Bookfair @ OSPS Library
Tuesday 12th August
• House Athletics Carnival
• Prep to Year 3 Assembly – 2:45 PM in the Hall
Wednesday 13th August
• VSSS Mass Choir – Town Hall Rehearsal 2
• VSSS Choir – Town Hall Rehearsal 2
• Years 4–6 – Tamba Higashi PS Students Farewell Assembly – 2:45 PM in the Hall
Thursday 14th August
• Courage to Care Incursion – Year 5
• Senior Choir – 3:45 PM in the Hall
Friday 15th August
• Robocup – Outer Eastern Regional Event
• Courage to Care Incursion – Year 6
• Book Week Author Talk: Judith Rossell
• VSSS – Mass Dance Excursion 2025
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
I am pleased to share some exciting updates from our school this week.
Our Year 5 and 6 students have enjoyed a successful swimming program, demonstrating great enthusiasm and progress in the pool. We look forward to next week when our Years 3 and 4 students will participate in their intensive 5-day swimming program at GESAC. This is a fantastic opportunity for them to develop their swimming skills and confidence in the water.
Next week, we welcome the students and staff from Tamba Higashi Primary School in Japan for their cultural exchange program. This is a wonderful chance for our students and community to engage with a different culture, build friendships, and broaden their global perspectives. We warmly invite everyone to extend a friendly welcome to our guests. A special thank you goes to the families who have kindly offered to host the visiting students and staff, helping to make their stay comfortable and memorable.
On Friday, our Year 1 students will embark on an educational excursion to Scienceworks, where they will explore and enjoy hands-on science exhibits that spark curiosity and learning. This excursion is always a favourite and we can’t wait to hear all about it.
Additionally, after weeks of diligent planning and organisation, our Year 6 students are excited to present their much-anticipated Business Expo. This event showcases their entrepreneurial skills and creativity in a fun way. We look forward to seeing what they will produce.
Enjoy the weekend!
Warm regards,
Nikki Virtuoso
Acting Principal
SCHOOL MATTERS
THINKUKNOW E-SAFETY PRESENTATION
Oakleigh South Primary School is proud to host a ThinkUKnow presentation on Tuesday 5th August at 6:30pm in the Robotics Lab. All parents, carers and staff are warmly encouraged to attend.
ThinkUKnow is an evidence-based education program that aims to prevent online child exploitation. It is delivered nationally in partnership with the Australian Federal Police, Microsoft Australia, Datacom, and the Commonwealth Bank, alongside state and territory police and Neighbourhood Watch Australasia.
The session will be co-presented by a local law enforcement officer and an industry volunteer. It is a pro-technology presentation that explores critical topics such as:
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Online grooming
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Self-generated child abuse material
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Sexual extortion
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Encouraging help-seeking behaviour
This is a valuable opportunity to better understand the online environment young people navigate, and how we can help them become safe, responsible digital citizens.
To learn more, visit: www.thinkuknow.org.au
YEAR 2 HOT DOG LUNCH
Parent Group is excited to host a Hot Dog Lunch for all Year 2 students on Friday 8th August.
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Hot dogs: $5.00 each (vegan option available)
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Juice boxes: $2.00 each
Orders must be placed by 3:00pm on Wednesday 6th August. Unfortunately, late orders cannot be accepted, as we need time to purchase supplies.
To place your order, please refer to Compass for the TryBooking link.
If you’re available to help on the day or have any questions, please contact Parent Group at osparentgroup67@gmail.com.
PREP & YEAR 5 POPCORN DAY
Parent Group will be hosting a Popcorn Day for Prep and Year 5 students on Friday 8th August 2025.
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Popcorn bags: $4.00 each
Orders close at 3:00pm on Tuesday 6th August, and unfortunately no late orders can be accepted.
To place your order, please refer to Compass for the TryBooking link.
If you’re available to help on the day or have any questions, please contact Parent Group at osparentgroup67@gmail.com.
FREE STUDENT EYECARE PROGRAM
Oakleigh South Primary School is pleased to offer the Student Eyecare Program onsite during Term 3 and Term 4, 2025.
A qualified optometrist will be visiting the school during school hours to provide free, comprehensive eye examinations for students. These checks are fully covered by Medicare Australia and come at no cost to families.
Did you know that 1 in 6 students have undetected vision issues? With the growing use of books, laptops, tablets and smartphones, regular eye checks are more important than ever.
Each participating student will receive:
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A detailed report on their eye health
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A prescription, if glasses are needed (which can be taken to any optical store)
This is a fantastic opportunity to support your child’s learning and wellbeing through early detection and care.
To book your child’s eye test, please refer to the Compass post sent on Thursday afternoon and follow the link provided.
VICTORIAN STATE SCHOOL SPECTACULAR TICKETS
This year 41 of our Year 5 students are performing in the 2025 Victorian State Schools Spectacular show ‘On Air’. These students have been working hard throughout the year in both dance and choir and are looking forward to their performances in September. If you would like to come along and see the incredible performances, tickets will go on sale Thursday 31st July at 11am via Ticketek or search “2025 Victorian State Schools Spectacular tickets” on the Ticketek website.
Performance Date: Saturday 13th September
Performance Times: Matinee at 1:00pm & Evening at 6:30pm
Performance Venue: John Cain Arena
Ticket Prices: Adult – $40 Concession – $30 Child (U15) – $20
Best seating sections to see our OSPS choir: 9, 10, 31, 32, 33, 56, 57 & 58
BOOK WEEK AT OSPS: BOOK AN ADVENTURE!
We’re excited to celebrate Book Week at Oakleigh South Primary School with two fantastic events. This year’s theme is: ‘Book an Adventure!’
Judith Rossell Author Visit – Friday 15th August
We’re excited to welcome award-winning author Judith Rossell to our school! Students will enjoy an engaging author talk, learning more about storytelling and the writing process.
Students have the opportunity to pre-purchase books for signing on the day! To order Judith’s books, please click here Buy Authors Book – Lamont Authors. All orders must be completed by Friday 1st August to receive the signed books on the day of Judith’s visit.
Book Week Dress-Up & Parade – Friday 22nd August
To celebrate the magic of books, students are invited to come to school dressed up as their favourite book character or in a costume inspired by the ‘Book an Adventure!’ theme.
Parade times in the school hall:
- Prep – Year 2: 9:00am
- Year 3 – Year 6: 9:50am
Parents are invited to join us in the hall for the parade.
A gold coin donation on the day would be greatly appreciated to support literacy initiatives. For more details, please refer to the flyer.
We can’t wait to see the amazing costumes and enjoy the adventures that books bring to life!
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD VOTE FOR OAKLEIGH SOUTH NETBALL CLUB
From Woolies cart to the school court – Oakleigh South Netball Club and Oakleigh South Primary School are proud Woolworths Round 2 Winners with $2K in the bag, yippee! This grant will go towards continuing to grow grassroots netball with the school for 25 years+, thank you!
But now WE NEED YOU, the school community, to vote for us in the People’s Choice Award and help us score $20K for better facilities.
It’s SUPER easy, FREE, takes a FEW SECONDS and no subscription – just two simple clicks. Click the Oakleigh South Netball Club link below and tap the ❤️ “Vote Now” button to vote. Back the green club and green school to win gold!
Voting closes Friday 29th August.
Vote here now: https://woolworthsnetballgrants.com.au/grant-application/oakleigh-south-netball-club/
PARKING AND TRAFFIC SAFETY REMINDER
Student safety is our highest priority. With over 1000 students, 800 families, and 100 staff, our community relies on everyone driving and parking safely — especially during busy drop-off and pick-up times.
Staff Car Park Use
The staff car park is for staff use only during school hours.
Parents and carers are not permitted to enter, park, or drive through the car park for school drop-off, pick-up, or daytime access.
The only exceptions are:
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Before and After School Care drop-off and pick-up
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Families with a valid disability parking permit or a school-approved exemption
If a vehicle is parked or blocked in, staff cannot assist. Our legal responsibility is to supervise students — we cannot leave children unattended to manage avoidable issues caused by misuse of the staff car park.
Road Safety Expectations
We remind all families that the following behaviours are unsafe and breach Victorian road laws:
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All students riding bikes or scooters must wear a helmet, as required by law.
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U-turns near the school are often illegal and extremely dangerous, especially in high-traffic or low-visibility areas
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The speed limit is 40km/h during school hours and is enforceable by law
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Drivers must stop at pedestrian crossings and obey all road signage
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Parking across driveways, footpaths or crossings is prohibited and reduces visibility
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Using a mobile phone while driving is illegal and significantly increases risk near children
Seemingly minor choices can have major safety and legal consequences. We ask all families to model safe, calm, and respectful behaviour around the school.
The school is not authorised to enforce traffic or parking violations. To report concerns, please contact Monash Council or Victoria Police.
Thank you for supporting the safety of our school community.
SHARE THE DIGNITY
The Oakleigh South Parent Group is proud to support Share the Dignity this August, a campaign helping to provide essential sanitary items to women and girls in need, including those experiencing homelessness or fleeing domestic violence.
A collection bin will be placed at Reception from August 1st, and we welcome donations of:
- Pads & tampons
- Period underwear
- Incontinence pads
- Menstrual cups
Donations will be accepted throughout August. Let’s work together to help restore dignity to those who need it most.
Thank you for your support!
OSPS Parent Group
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.
CAMP AUSTRALIA
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.
