Newsletter - Term 2 - Week 2 - 30 April 2025

Welcome Back to Term 2

I want to express my heartfelt thanks for the warm welcome back as I resume the role of Principal. I’m excited to be back and looking forward to continuing to lead this vibrant and high-achieving school community. During my time away in Term 1 as Acting Senior Education Improvement Leader, I had the privilege of working across a number of schools and divisions in the Inner East of Melbourne. This role provided valuable system-level insight into effective improvement strategies and deepened my understanding of what drives excellence in education. I’m looking forward to applying these learnings at IEPS as we continue to grow and evolve as a school that delivers outstanding opportunities and outcomes for all learners.

Working with schools that share many of IEPS’s strengths, such as high performance, strong community values, and a shared commitment to student wellbeing has reaffirmed how special our school truly is. It’s a privilege to return and lead a school where students, staff, and families work in genuine partnership to support every child to thrive.

I’d also like to extend my sincere thanks to Ben Phillips for his leadership as Acting Principal in Term 1. Ben and I have been working closely together to ensure a smooth transition, and he now resumes his substantive role as Assistant Principal of Curriculum & Assessment.

I look forward to a wonderful Term 2 ahead.

Principal Forum

You're Invited – IEPS Principal’s Forum on Wednesday 14 May from 7:00 – 8:30pm in the Performing Arts Room, Gymnasium.

We’re excited to invite all IEPS parents and carers to our first Principal’s Forum for 2025 – this initiative is from the Community Engagement Sub-Committee of School Council.

This Term's Focus

Communication at IEPS: What’s working, what could be even better, and how we can continue to grow together.

📅 Save the Date - Wednesday 14 May

🕖 Time - 7:00pm – 8:30pm

📍 Location - Performing Arts Room, Gymnasium

📝 Registration & Optional Question Submission - Please [register via this link or scan the QR code in the attached PDF (shown below).

We would love to see you there!

Your voice matters, and your participation helps strengthen our wonderful IEPS community. Please remember you can also submit your questions ahead of time so we can make sure your topics are covered. This is done via the registration link below.

Thank you.

Tom Boyle,
Principal

We would like to provide an update on the Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) tender process currently underway at Ivanhoe East Primary School. We have received expressions of interest from several external providers who are eager to partner with our school to deliver high-quality OSHC services.

This week the Finance Committee has carefully reviewed each submission, considering the strengths, experience, and alignment of each provider with our school’s values and community needs. Following this detailed review, a shortlist of preferred providers has been recommended, and these shortlisted organisations will be invited to present to School Council.

As part of our due diligence, I have personally reached out to multiple schools of every shortlisted company to gather feedback on their experiences. Once School Council presentations have occurred, we as a school will sit down and deliberate based on a multitude of variables that go into a OSHC tender process with the ultimate view of making the decision based on which company has the best alignment with our school’s values and community needs. 

Therefore I ask any community members who currently use our current OSHC provider OSHClub to complete this form by Tuesday 6^th April. 

The final decision will be made collaboratively based on the needs of our students, families, and broader school community. We look forward to sharing the outcome of this process once a successful provider has been selected, with the intention of this being in our next bulletin.

Thank you to all families who participated in the recent WhatsApp communication survey. The feedback indicated that the majority of families find the new structure useful, with many noting that it has improved the clarity and organisation of school communications. 

Key results from the survey:

• 89% of respondents found the new WhatsApp channel structure useful

• 79% felt the amount of communication received via WhatsApp was just right

• 70% agreed the structure helps reduce message overload

In response to the positive feedback, we will continue to use the current WhatsApp structure, with an ongoing focus on reducing message duplication and maintaining relevant communication. We also recognise that some families appreciate the informal connection from previous years - as a reminder, Class channels exist for this very reason, so please utilise Class channels to stay connected with other families.

As a reminder, WhatsApp is now used exclusively for certain types of communications, and each family is encouraged to ensure they are subscribed to the Whole School channel, and specific Year Level and Class channels to stay fully informed.

Thank you for your continued support as we work to strengthen communication across the IEPS community.

On Tuesday 29 April, IEPS students from Years 3 to 6 took to Chelsworth Park for a fantastic afternoon of Cross Country fun and competition!

Students showed incredible effort, determination and team spirit throughout the afternoon, whether they were giving it their all or simply enjoying the challenge of completing the course. It was great to see everyone supporting each other and getting into the spirit of the day.

A big congratulations to the top 12 boys and girls in each age group who have now qualified to represent IEPS at the District Cross Country on Monday 12 May — we’re excited to see you in action!

A huge thank you to our wonderful staff and parent helpers who assisted with marshalling, supervision and event support, as well as to all the parents who came along to cheer and encourage the students. Your support created a fantastic atmosphere and helped make the day a success.

Well done to all our runners — you should be really proud of your efforts!

Dear IEPS Families,

We are excited to share with you a wonderful organisation that aligns with our values of curiosity, resilience, respect, and friendship, and works to make a positive difference in the lives of others. Southern Cross Kids' Camps is an incredible registered charity that provides children in need with an unforgettable experience, creating memories that last a lifetime.

Southern Cross Kids' Camps runs free, recreational camps for children aged 7 to 12 who have experienced abuse, neglect, or other forms of hardship. These camps are designed to give kids a safe, fun, and supportive environment where they can heal, grow, and just be kids. Every year, volunteers and staff work together to ensure that each child can laugh, make new friends, and feel valued and cared for.

The camps are more than just a break from daily life - they are a chance for these children to rediscover joy, build confidence, and be part of a community that believes in their potential. The organisation relies on the generosity of volunteers, donations, and supporters from the community to make this all possible.

This May, our school psychologist, Zoe Bloore, is raising funds for Southern Cross Kids’ Camps by riding in their annual charity bike ride, Cycle4Change. Zoe, along with 30 other riders will ride over 450km and climb over 6500m in 4 days!! What a HUGE effort! This event aims to raise over $170,000 to send kids on camps.

If you would like to support this cause, Zoe’s personal fundraising link is below.

You can also find further information at www.sckc.org.au (QR code below)

Supporting Student Wellbeing

Our Year 5 students will be participating in Social Stencil, a neuro affirming, research-backed program designed to build essential social and emotional skills. This program aligns with the Victorian Curriculum’s focus on wellbeing, social capabilities, and engagement, and will become a core part of our Senior School Wellbeing Program from 2025. Over 18 weeks, students will develop skills in understanding emotions, building positive peer relationships, and managing conflict through engaging discussions, collaborative challenges, and arts-based activities. Social Stencil has been widely implemented in schools, with proven benefits including increased confidence, stronger friendships, and improved emotional regulation. To learn more about the Social Stencil program, including the skills covered and research behind it, please visit Social Stencil’s website or their FAQ page. We look forward to seeing the positive impact of this program on our students’ social and emotional growth.

The Second Hand Uniform shop is now located next to the front office.

In Term 2, our new opening times will be as follows:-

Fortnightly Tuesdays (digital news weeks) - Fortnightly starting from Tuesday 29th April - 8.30-9.15am.

Fortnightly Fridays (onsite assembly weeks) - Fortnightly starting from Friday 9th May - 8.30-9.15am.

Second Hand uniform items are available to purchase for $5 from the Second Hand Uniform shop. Payment is strictly card only. 

Tuesday 20 May - Y6 students

Wednesday 21 May - Y5 students

In this electrifying 90-minute incursion, students experiment with basic electrical circuits to gain

an understanding of what electricity is, and how electrical current travels in a circuit. Students

investigate conductors and insulators of electricity, and learn about how electricity is generated.

This incursion challenges students to think about how electricity can be generated and

harnessed in many different ways; making it perfect for later year levels. Our passionate science

educators carefully guide students through each step, prompting students to predict, observe

and reflect on each activity.

At the start of each term, our teachers put together a brief overview of what is coming up for each year level. This information can be found on our website under Teaching & Learning - Term Focus. Please click on the link below to take a look and plan ahead with key dates and information.

There will be a Victorian School Spectacular Mass Choir rehearsal at Balwyn North Primary School on Tuesday 6th May from 9.15-11.30am. This event is for selected students only.

Please refer to the event on Compass to find out further details.

Thank you,

Deb Carman, on behalf of the VSSS Team

Mother's & Special Persons Day Stall

The PTFA will be holding our annual gift stall for all year levels on Thursday 8 May.

Children will visit the stall with their teacher and class during the school day to purchase a gift or two for their mum or someone special ahead of Mother’s Day.

The stall will have a range of gifts priced from $1 - $10, including some delicious edible treats!

Please remember to send cash in small denominations, ideally in a snap lock bag or purse with their name on it. They may also like to bring a bag for their purchases. (Please note: the school office will not be able to change large notes as we do not store cash on the premises)

This year we are giving mums a break and calling on all the dads to come and help out on the day selling gifts or set up the day before, please fill out the spreadsheet using the link below.

We value the support of our parent community to continue to run events such as these.

Mother’s Day Movie Night

Celebrate Mother's Day with a night out full of laughter, love, and a little bit of Ryan Gosling charm! Join us for a special screening of the much-loved romantic comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love.

Come along with your school mums, bring your own mum or even a friend and enjoy this heart warming film, great company and treat yourself to a night out ahead of Mother's Day. 

Tickets are $50 and include the movie and a drink.

Book your ticket now!  

Amanda Lynch

PTFA President

- Thursday 26 June - Parents Battle of the bands - Book tickets below