2026 IMPORTANT DIARY DATES
- Tuesday 24th February - School Photo Day
- Friday 27th February Year 3-6 Athletics Day at Willinda Park
- Monday 9th March: Labour Day
- Wednesday 11th March: NAPLAN for Year 3 and 5 students begins
- Monday 23rd March: NAPLAN last day
- Wednesday 25th March: Whole school Walk-a-thon
- 8th and 10th September - School Production
PUPIL FREE DAYS (TheirCare School Holiday Program will be available on pupil-free days)
- Dates for 2026 pupil-free days remain unconfirmed.
2026 CAMP DATES
- Year 6 Phillip Island Adventure Camp: 18 March to 20 March
- Year 5 Lady Northcote Discovery Camp: 07 October to 09 October
- Year 4 Anglesea Discovery Camp: 13 May to 15 May
- Year 3 Phillip Island Adventure Camp: 26 October to 28 October
2026 TERM DATES
- TERM 1: 28 January - 2 April
- TERM 2: 20 April - 26 June
- TERM 3: 13 July - 18 September
- TERM 4: 5 October- 18 December
SCHOOL COUNCIL ELECTIONS By 4pm on Monday, February 16, I had received the following nominations for the vacant School Council positions in the following categories:- SCHOOL EMPLOYEE CATEGORY (one vacancy)
- Patrick Walsh
PARENT CATEGORY (four vacancies)
- Kate Doran
- Andrew Hume
Accordingly, I declare that these nominations have been successful and the nominees are duly elected to fill the two-year vacancies on School Council. As the number of nominations for the PARENT MEMBER category is LESS than the number of vacancies, I now call for further nominations for the TWO remaining vacancies on the School Council. These will CLOSE on Tuesday, February 24 at 4pm. Please contact the school if you are interested or give me a call to discuss further. FORTNIGHTLY NEWSLETTERS As of this week, and after at least 19 years of regular weekly newsletters, we have decided to publish these on a fortnightly basis. With the increased use of Compass, the regular paraphrasing of important information via the school’s Facebook page and What’s App groups, and the feedback that perhaps we don’t need the weekly content please look out for the next newsletter on March 5 and every fortnight thereafter!! We are also contemplating a new look/way to access information in the newsletter which will become apparent in due course as we meet with our web design crew for inspiration– in time! SCHOOL PHOTOS Please don’t forget – photo day is next Tuesday, February 24. I’m sure all students will be looking shiny and bright for this important event in their school lives!! I’m sure we all look back at our school photos from time to time!! ATHLETICS And, in an action packed week, we also have the school athletics day set down for Friday, February 27 at Willinda Park in Greensborough. Here’s hoping that the weather gods are kind, with moderate temperatures at best!! All students from Grades 3 to 6 will be taking part, dressing in their house colours and supporting either Darebin, Plenty, Diamond or Yarra. These events also act as selection trials for the District event later in the year. BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS MEETING The first meeting of the Grounds Group is set down for Tuesday, February 24 from 4.30pm. We will start our meeting in the staffroom before doing a ‘learning walk’ around the school to identify potential projects for 2026 Have a lovely weekend. Kind regards, Bill Kersing Principal
SCHOOL MEDICAL POLICIES A number of school medical policies are available on our school website, providing detailed information about how the policy topic is implemented at our school. The First Aid Policy details our school’s approach to first aid for students, including First Aid management, the care of an ill or injured student and how we will communicate with you if your child requires first aid at school. Please note, in the event of a medical emergency, staff may need to contact Triple Zero ‘000’ for emergency medical services. Parents are responsible for the cost of any Ambulance Victoria intervention regardless of their ambulance subscription status. If you do not currently have Ambulance coverage for your child, you may wish to investigate this further. The Administration of Medication Policy explains the process we follow to safely manage the provision of medication to students while at school or attending school activities, camps or excursions. The policy includes a MEDICATION AUTHORITY FORM which must be completed by a parent or medical professional and supplied along with the medication to be administered at school. In accordance with the Department of Education policy, Viewbank Primary School will not store or administer analgesics such as aspirin, ibuprofen and paracetamol as a standard First Aid strategy as they can mask signs and symptoms of serious illness or injury. Students are not permitted to store medication in their school bags. If you require further information, please refer to the complete policy on the school website or contact the school office. VOLUNTEER INDUCTION 2026 - CHILD SAFETY STANDARDS Thank you to the parents who attended the Volunteer Induction Session held at school during the week. If you were unable to attend these sessions, you can complete the induction process at home. All the relevant Child Safety documents as well as the Volunteer Induction PowerPoint are available on the school website. Please make sure you complete, sign and return the Child Safety Standards Induction Checklist to the school office along with your Working With Children Card, if you haven’t already done so, so that you will be ready to volunteer throughout the year at different events. Have a great week. Gill
GET TO KNOW YOU INTERVIEWS Thank you to everyone involved in our Get To Know You Interviews on Tuesday and are continuing this evening (Thursday). As a reminder, to ensure a smooth and organised schedule for everyone involved, we implement cut-off times for online bookings. These deadlines are in place to allow teachers adequate time to prepare for their interviews and for the school to manage logistics effectively. We understand that schedules can be challenging, and we have, on occasion, extended these deadlines. However, even with extensions, we unfortunately have had a number of families who missed the final cut-off to book. Please be aware that once the booking system closes, we cannot guarantee that additional interview times will be available. It is essential that you make your bookings well in advance of the published deadlines. If you miss the cut-off time for booking an interview or need to change your time due to a change to your schedule, please do not contact the school office. The office staff will not be able to make or change bookings on your behalf after the system has closed. Instead, please contact the teacher you wish to speak with directly via email or phone. They will be able to advise you on any remaining availability or alternative arrangements. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in adhering to these booking procedures. PARENTS AND FRIENDS On behalf of our school community, we extend our thanks to Narelle Matton for her leadership as P&F President over the past two years. Narelle has played a vital role in keeping things running smoothly, supporting events, strengthening community connections, and ensuring the P&F remained active. We are grateful for her commitment, energy, and generosity to the role. We are also pleased to announce that Cat Johnston‑Clarke has generously volunteered to take on the role of P&F President. Cat brings great enthusiasm and a strong commitment to supporting our school community, and we are grateful for her willingness to step into this important position. In addition, we welcome Clancy Browne, who has volunteered to take on the role of P&F Secretary. Clancy’s organisation, positivity, and readiness to contribute will be an asset to the P&F and to our broader community. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the P&F last year, whether you are continuing this year or taking a break. Your work behind the scenes and at events has been important and greatly appreciated by our school community. Our next P&F meeting is scheduled for Tuesday 17 March. SUPERVISION AT RECESS AND LUNCHTIME School staff are rostered on for Yard Duty during recess (10:40am – 11:10am) and at lunch (1pm – 1:50pm). Staff members are on duty for half before being released by another staff member. Our Yard Duty areas are:
A full list of our lunchtime clubs will be published soon. Please note, this will not include user pay groups operating at lunchtime. Our Yard Duty staff outside will be wearing a bright yellow jacket and have a small first aid kit that can help address minor cut and abrasions. Anything more serious normally results in the student being sent to the first aid room. Some of our Year 6 students will soon be trained to become ‘Peer Mediators’. They too will be wearing brightly coloured jackets and are allocated to the Pirate Ship Playground to help our younger students settle minor disputes. They also learn to know when to refer situations to the staff on duty. For more information, you can find our Yard Duty and Supervision Policy here: https://www.viewbankps.vic.edu.au/forms-policies Have a great weekend! Patrick
Dear Parents and Carers, Viewbank Primary School is looking forward to another wonderful year of teaching and learning and would like to provide you with information about the Parent Payment Arrangements for 2026. Information regarding Curriculum and Other Contributions is available on Compass. Financial contributions from our families play a vital role in maintaining the high standard of education and resources that make Viewbank Primary School such a vibrant learning community. These contributions directly support classroom programs, specialist subjects, technology upgrades, and the upkeep of our learning spaces ensuring every student has access to engaging, high-quality learning experiences. The excellent facilities, resources, and opportunities we enjoy today are the result of the ongoing generosity and commitment of our families over many years. Your support whether through financial contributions, participation in fundraising, or volunteering makes a genuine difference in maintaining and improving the programs and facilities our students enjoy. We greatly value your continued support and dedication to enriching our students’ education and school experience. For convenience, all classroom supplies will be purchased in bulk and distributed directly to classrooms. Teachers will provide students with the necessary stationery and materials throughout the year. Please refer to the attached 2026 Parent Payment Arrangements document for more detailed information. Kind regards, Lucy Addati - Business Manager
Cyber Safety Friday the 6th of February, we had police officer Nicole Kernick come to our school to teach us about cyber safety!! The years 3, 4, 5, and 6s attended the incursion. We learnt how to be safe on social media and online games. We also learnt how to make a video without revealing personal information. Nicole also turned up in full uniform and showed us all her police equipment. She came from the Heidelberg Police Station with a short drive of roughly 10 minutes. We hope all the kids learnt something about how to stay safe online! Kaisan and Marley Communications Captains 2026
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 1 Fundraising Lunch Order Dates: Thursday 26th February (Orders close: Monday 23rd February, 3:00 PM) Thursday 5th March (Orders close: Monday 2nd March, 3:00 PM) Thursday 12th March (Orders close: Monday 9th March, 3:00 PM) Thursday 19th March (Orders close: Monday 16th March, 3:00 PM) - Year 6 Camp Thursday 26th March (Orders close: Monday 23rd March, 3:00 PM) Thursday 2nd April (Orders close: Monday 30th March, 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 1 lunch dates in advance if preferred. All food is Halal. 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. Thank you for supporting our school community!
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.
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: mastermusic606@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.