PUPIL FREE DAYS (TheirCare School Holiday Program will be available on pupil-free days)
- Friday, 6 June, 2025
2025 TERM DATES
- TERM 2: 22 April - 4 July
- TERM 3: 21 July - 19 September
- TERM 4: 6 October - 19 December
2025 CAMP DATES
- Year 3 Phillip Island Camp - 27 October - 29 October
- Year 5 Lady Northcote Camp - 08 October to 10 October
- Year 6 Urban Camp - 15 September to 17 September
WORKING BEE AND OPEN MORNING We held an Open Morning last Saturday and were pleasantly surprised with the number of families who availed themselves of the opportunity for a tour. Proudly, we can say that more than half of our school captains turned up in school uniform to conduct these tours. This in itself speaks volumes for the quality and commitment of these young students. Well done and thank you. Grateful thanks, too, to our Foundation Team and leadership team for fronting up again on Saturday, some of whom had already spent a night or two away whilst on duty at the Grade 4 school camp to Anglesea. The morning was meant to coincide with our Term 2 working bee which we decided to postpone as the weather closed in. Nonetheless a few brave souls ventured down to school to perform a range of tasks including the shifting of metres of soil and sand, the installation of some basketball nets and the creation of a tiered sleeper terrace so thank you one and all!
WELCOME BACK Patrick Walsh returned this week after a well-earned break and I am sure he’s refreshed and ready for the action of the last seven weeks including the production of our semester school reports. Many thanks to Jamie Ruddock, Jane McLeod and Amanda Elliott who ‘stepped up’ to carry out some Assistant Principal responsibilities in his absence all the while gaining invaluable experience for the development of their own careers.
ANNUAL REPORT Our Annual Report of 2024 has been quality assured and approved and can now be found on our school website.
ENROLMENTS 2026 With an emphasis on open mornings and days last week, we strongly encourage you to submit enrolments for 2026 now if you have a younger sibling eligible to commence school in 2026. In Victoria, your child has the right to attend their designated neighbourhood school (your ‘local school’) under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. Enrolment applications are due by July 25 and between July 28 and August 8 primary schools notify parents and carers in writing of Foundation (Prep) enrolment outcomes, as per the department’s Placement Policy. This may include a letter of offer, a letter confirming enrolment, or an unsuccessful application letter.
Forms are available from the general office, via an email request or you can download the Foundation (Prep) enrolment information pack from https://www.viewbankps.vic.edu.au/how-to-enrol
DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY Our cross country athletes journeyed to Banyule Flats on Tuesday for the annual district cross country event and performed admirably. Congratulations to all students and especially to Ethan Woo, Darcy Carpenter, Lizzie Rance, Jessica Martinez, Ariana Georgakopoulos, Sophie Dejdar, Riley Cadusch, Alex Carnovale, Melinda Tan, Iona Stephenson, Sam Watkins, Freya O’Reilly and Eloisa Craciun who have now qualified for the divisional event to be held at the same venue on June 4.
Have a great weekend and hopefully a little bit more rain beckons especially in areas desperately in need across the state.
Kind regards,
Bill Kersing
The Smile Squad free school dental program is coming to our school The Smile Squad team from Holstep Health (formerly known as Banyule Community Health) are coming to our school from Monday 16th June.
Smile Squad is the Victorian Government free school dental program.
This means ALL students can get a free dental check-up, preventive services, and treatment at school.
How to access free dental care Parents MUST provide consent before Smile Squad can provide dental services. Consent is usually provided by a parent or guardian, using an electronic consent form for Smile Squad, making consenting to services even easier. If your child has used this services in the past, you still need to complete the consent form for services in 2025.
Sign up to Smile Squad at: https://bit.ly/smilesquadvic
Please complete and submit the consent form by Friday 13th June.
All students enrolled at our school will also receive a Smile Squad oral health pack in the coming weeks.
The Smile Squad oral health pack contains all the tools students need to achieve and maintain good oral health – a full sized tube of toothpaste, a toothbrush and an ‘Eat well, drink well, clean well’ brochure full of helpful hints and tips for a healthy smile.
Standard strength toothpaste Smile Squad provides standard strength fluoride toothpaste that is generally used by ages six and over, unless recommended by a dental or trained health professional.
If your child is under six, please talk to a dental or trained health professional to find out if your child might benefit from using this toothpaste. You can also choose to put the toothpaste away until they turn six or give it to someone else in your family to use.
Please reach out if you have any questions.
Have a great week,
Gill
TRAFFIC We continue to have traffic issues, particularly after school in and around Lascelles Avenue and Nevin Parade. Nevin Parade between 3:20pm and 3:40pm has been particularly bad for traffic this week. It is vitally important that parents who are waiting on the non-school side of Nevin Parade continue moving forward as other cars leave or move forward. Cars parking in signposted areas must follow all parking regulations. It has been disappointing to see cars parked on our neighbours’ nature strips and across their driveways.
As a refresher of the ‘Kiss & Go’ requirements on Nevin Parade in the afternoon, please see attached.
As mentioned in previous Viewbank Voice Newsletters, plans for the reinstatement of the carpark are well under way. We will keep you informed as this progresses.
REPORTS Things are ramping for our staff at the moment with everyone in the middle of finalising assessment and writing student reports. I write this every report cycle and will do so again, staff are not given report writing time in addition to their normal work hours. Reports are written after school, in the evenings and on weekends. My social media feed has been full of teachers writing reports in many different places – at basketball stadiums on Sunday mornings, in the foyer of swim centres, at weekend football matches, at dance rehearsals, in car parks when they have arrived for their own events (or kids) too early, and in coffee shops. I would like to thank our staff for the time and effort they put into writing reports and giving up their time with their families and other personal commitments.
Have a great weekend!
Patrick
Students To Bring Their Own Cutlery This is a friendly reminder that students are required to bring their own cutlery from home if needed for their packed lunch. The school does not supply cutlery, so it's important that students come prepared with any utensils they may need. Please ensure your child has the appropriate items packed each day. We also recommend labelling reusable cutlery to help prevent it from getting lost. Thank you for your continued support.
Enrolments For Foundation/Prep 2026 Are Now Open Enrolments for the 2026 intake of Foundation/Prep students are now open. In line with the Department of Education’s Placement Policy and timeline, we will contact you in early August to advise the outcome of your child’s Foundation/Prep enrolment application.
School Saving Bonus reminder and allocation to school activities The Victorian Government is delivering the School Saving Bonus (SSB) – a one-off support of $400 for eligible government school students from Prep to Year 12 in 2025.
The SSB can be used for uniforms and textbooks until Monday 30 June 2025.
Any funds remaining after 30 June 2025, including online voucher amounts that have not been redeemed, will become a credit to use on school activities. However, the credit will not be available on your family account at our school until late July.
To use any remaining SSB funds to cover the cost of school activities in July, please refer to the SSB online system and allocate the funds to school activities before 30 June 2025.
To learn more about the SSB online system, download the step-by-step System guide for parents and carers (DOCX, 945KB) or watch this School Saving Bonus video. System guide translations are also available in 14 languages.
The Department of Education’s SSB contact centre will remain available until 30 June 2025. The contact centre can be reached by:
- completing the School Saving Bonus enquiry form
- calling 1800 338 663, between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm on weekdays.
After this date, please contact our administration team for any SSB related questions.
Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) helps eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.
If you have a valid means-tested concession card, or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seeker and refugee families. Means-tested concession cards must be valid on the first day of Term 1, 2025 (Tuesday 28 January 2025) or Term 2, 2025 (Tuesday 22 April 2025).
A student aged 16 years and over who is considered a mature minor and holds a valid concession card is also eligible to apply.
Eligible families will receive a payment of $154 per year for primary school students. The funds will be paid directly to the school to be used towards camps, sports and excursion costs for the benefit of your child.
If you applied for CSEF through our school last year, you do not need to complete an application form this year, unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.
If you would like to apply for the first time, complete the application form and return to the school office as soon as possible.
Kind regards,
Lucy Addati
Year 4 Inquiry Learning The Year 4s are currently learning about Civics and Citizenship.
This week all of the Year 4 students have the opportunity to attend an incursion called Democracy, Community and Me. This incursion is run by Linked Incursions. The session includes learning about the difference between rules and laws, how a council is established and run as well as how it is important to have a say through the voting system. The students are having an outstanding time learning about democracy and community. Role playing positions within an election and a council meeting is proving beneficial in developing student understanding. We even have the chance to elect our very own Mayor!
We look forward to finding out more during this inquiry.
Year 3 Incursion To inspire and ignite interest in our next ‘Design’ Inquiry, the Year 3 students were visited by Cass from Brickworks last week. During each session, students engaged in collaborative group work and began exploring the design process through various Lego challenges.
As a side note, if you are a parent in the school community who has experience in design/construction/engineering/planning industries and you would be interested in having a chat with our Year 3 students about what you do, we’d love to hear from you! Students are very engaged when they hear first hand accounts from ‘real people.’ If you have half an hour or so on a Thursday afternoon in the coming weeks, please contact ashleigh.walker@education.vic.gov.au or your child’s classroom teacher.
Many Thanks,
Ashleigh & The Year 3 Team
Cross Country - Written by Alexandra, Liam, Melinda and Kevin (House Captains)
On the 6th of May the Year 3-6 ran their cross country. The U9 and U10 girls and boys ran 2 laps of Price Park (2km), and the U11 and U12/13 ran 3 laps of Price Park (3km). The first three in each age group were awarded medals and the top ten got ribbons. 2 students lost a shoe, but that didn't stop them from reaching the finish line in the top ten. Students who reached top 10 will head to District, except U9/10 who will run together, having the chance to race against other schools. District will be held on the Tuesday 20th of May. Overall, all students had an awesome experience. We don't currently know which house won, but we can't wait to find out who won.
The grade 4's were in kitchen and garden this week.
In the garden each grade watered, harvested, weeded, made a water gauge and installed their own grades compost bin in individual garden bays.
In the kitchen each grade made; Vegetable gyoza, Fried rice, Chang noodle salad and Banana fritters.
Growing Up Safe Online – A Parent’s Guide As children grow, their experiences in the online world become a bigger part of their daily lives — from learning and playing to socialising. We know how important it is for parents and carers to feel confident in guiding and supporting their children through this journey.
Below is a helpful guide, A Roadmap for Growing Up Safe Online, designed for parents and carers of children aged 0 to 18. This flipbook offers practical tips and advice to help you start (and continue) age-appropriate conversations about online safety with your child.
From protecting younger children from harmful content to helping teens navigate social interactions, this guide supports families in creating safe, open environments where children feel empowered to talk about their online experiences.
You don’t need to have “big talks” all at once — the guide encourages regular, everyday conversations, whether it’s during a walk, in the car, or while doing chores together.
We hope you find this resource valuable as you support your child to grow up safe and confident in their digital world.
🎉 Viewbank Primary Trivia Night 2025! 🎉 - Book your tickets now!
The Viewbank Primary School Parents & Friends Association invites you to a night of fun, laughs, and friendly competition at our annual Trivia Night – all in support of our amazing school!
- 🧠 Test your knowledge across a range of exciting categories – from pop culture and history to sports and more.
- 🎁 Win great prizes through games, raffles, and brain-teasing challenges.
- 👥 Bring a team or join one on the night – it's a great way to connect with our school community.
Whether you're a trivia pro or just in it for the fun, it's guaranteed to be a fantastic night out. Best of all, your participation helps raise vital funds for our school!
- 📅 Date: Friday 20 June 2025
- 🕕 Time: 6:45 PM – 11:00 PM
- 📍 Location: Viewbank Primary School Gymnasium, Nevin Parade, Viewbank VIC 3084
- 💵 Cost: $30 per ticket
- 👤 Tables of 10
- 🍷 BYO Alcohol & Nibbles
- 💳 Eftpos Available on the night
- 🔞 Adults only – 18+ event
- 🎟 Book your tickets now! – Don't miss out on this great community night!
Let’s come together and make this a night to remember – all for a great cause!
https://www.trybooking.com/DBXSN
Lower Plenty Bakehouse proudly partners with our school to provide fundraising lunch orders every Thursday.
This initiative, organised by our Parents and Friends Committee, serves as one of our school’s major fundraising efforts. All proceeds will go towards our significant school upgrade project.
Term 2 Fundraising Lunch Order Dates:
- Thursday 29th May (Orders close: Monday 26th May, 3:00 PM)
- Thursday 5th June (Orders close: Monday 2nd June, 3:00 PM)
- Thursday 12th June (Orders close: Monday 9th June, 3:00 PM)
- Thursday 19th June (Orders close: Monday 16th June, 3:00 PM)
- Thursday 26th June (Orders close: Monday 23rd June, 3:00 PM)
Ordering Instructions: Orders must be placed in advance via Compass Canteen. Ordering will close at 3:00 PM on the Monday before each lunch date.
You can now place orders for all Term 2 lunch dates in advance if preferred.
A Parent User Guide on how to order through Compass Canteen is below for your convenience. Please note, a $0.35 transaction fee will apply at checkout.
All food is Halal.
Thank you for supporting our school community!
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ICY POLE FRIDAY Students can purchase icy poles over the counter every Friday at lunchtime for $1.00 each. We offer an assortment of different icy poles each week, but always have Zooper Doopers available.This serves as a school fundraiser.
If you're interested in volunteering as a parent helper to sell icy poles, please contact the school's general office.
Entertainment Book 20% of the membership goes directly to support our fundraising at Viewbank Primary School. https://www.entertainment.com.au/current-promotion
Lunches must be ordered online using the CLASSROOM CUISINE website.
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WEEKLY SECOND HAND UNIFORM SALE - Every Friday 3:00pm to 3:30pm, next to the music room. Jumpers with the school logo, long and short sleeve school polo tops and school dresses will be $2.00. We are currently asking for donations of any unwanted reusable school uniform items to sell at our stall.
SINGING WITH GABRIELLA - Gabriella
- Email: favrettogab@gmail.com
- Phone: 0413 676 733
STRINGS – Jack Cai
- Email: jack3bld@gmail.com
- Phone: 0426 665 044
STRINGS - MR CAI
- Email: cai66@optusnet.com.au
- Phone: 0403 490 078
PIANO/KEYBOARD/DRUMS - Daniel Tucceri
- Email: info@banyulemusicandtutoring.com
- Phone: 0405 667 908
GUITAR - Dimi Holborow
- Email: dimiholborow@outlook.com
- Phone: 0409 629 612
Our school has partnered with an independent provider called TheirCare to provide exceptional Outside School Hours Care services for our school community.
The program is available for all children at Viewbank Primary School from 6:30am until 9:00am in the morning and from 3:30pm until 6:15pm each school day.
During School Holidays & Pupil Free Days the service will operate from 6:30am until 6:15pm.
Families wishing to use this service can visit the TheirCare website: www.theircare.com.au
Families are eligible for a Government Rebate called the Child Care Subsidy which can reduce the cost per session by up to 85%.
More information can be obtained by contacting the school or ringing TheirCare Support Team on 1300 072 410.
TheirCare provides a stimulating and safe environment for all children. During sessions, children develop life-skills, friendships, confidence and creativity through play-based programs.
A PLUS SCHOOLWEAR
Shop Details:
- Unit 3/30 Heaths Court, Mill Park
- T: 9436 4005
- E: info@northernregionaluniforms.com.au
Opening Hours:
- Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm
- Friday 9am to 3pm
Online Ordering Please Visit: www.aplusschoolwear.com.au