Dear Parents,
Year 4 Camp
The Year 4 students, teachers and parent volunteers had a brilliant time in Week 2 at Camp Oasis in Mt Evelyn. The stunning weather over the 3 days ensured everyone could enjoy all that the camp had to offer. Highlights for the students included the flying fox, giant swing and candle making. Many of the activities are challenging and take the students out of their comfort zones, so I would like to congratulate all the students for embracing their fears and having a go at everything. Another highlight of the camp was the Talent Show on the Thursday night which included many memorable performances ranging from singing, dancing and acting. The students who were brave enough to get on stage had put a lot of time and effort into their respective acts and entertained the audience from start to finish. Thank you to Mrs Thompson-Smith, Ms Beamish, Ms Cousins and Daniel Di Giovanni for attending to give the students such a memorable experience. Thank you also to parent volunteers Paul Edwards and Paul Kaan for spending time away from work and family commitments to attend and be integral members of the team during the 3 days away.
PFA Election Day BBQ & Cake Stall
This was a hugely successful event with a steady stream of people purchasing food and drinks from our stall from the time the polling booth opened until the last sausage was sold around 4pm. With Greythorn being a polling booth for two electorates, (Kooyong & Menzies) the number of people attending the school to vote was far greater than in previous elections. Over 1000 sausages were sold on the day along with drinks and the cake stall items. Thank you to the many families who baked and donated the many delicious cakes, biscuits, cupcakes and muffins to sell. Over $5 500 was taken on the day which equated to a profit of $4 724, which was a fantastic result. Thank you to the PFA members for their tireless work to organise and coordinate this profitable fundraising event. Thank you also to the parent volunteers who assisted with BBQ and food sales. A great team effort.
JSC Hoodie for Autism Day
Many students came to school wearing a hoodie on Tuesday, April 29 to support the JSC Hoodie for Autism Day. The day is designed to raise the awareness of neurodiverse children and adults at school and in our community. Students were asked to bring a gold coin donation with the funds raised going to the HoodieUp Foundation. Thank you to the JSC for organising the day.
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Excursion
The members of our Youth Orchestra, along with Mr Price and Mrs Kenos, attended a performance by the MSO at Hamer Hall last Thursday. The MSO played the theme song from Harry Potter along with other classical pieces. Thank you to Mr Price for organising this memorable experience for the orchestra members.
PFA Mother’s Day Stall
It has been a busy few weeks for the PFA, but they once again organised another amazing Mother’s Day stall last Friday. The students were able to select gifts for mum or special friend from a wide range of items at various prices. As each year level attended the stall the students excitedly perused the items on offer before making their individual selections. I’m sure every mum would have loved the gifts that they received last Sunday.
Jane Godwin Incursion
The students thoroughly enjoyed much-loved children’s author, Jane Godwin’s visit to the school yesterday. Jane is a prolific author of well-known picture story books and chapter books. Jane is an engaging speaker, and she spoke to the different year levels about her books and the writing process she goes through for each book she had written. It was fascinating for the students to hear about the writing process she carries out along with the different things which have inspired her writing over the years. Jane also talked about the illustrators who have provided the artwork for her books and the process they all go through to complete their final products. The students asked many insightful questions and were no doubt inspired by her presentation. Thank you to Ms Cousins for organising and coordinating Jane’s visit to GPS as it was a highly worthwhile experience for everyone.
Scholastic Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair commences tomorrow and will be in the school for a week. The students will be viewing the books on sale during their weekly library lesson. During these lessons the students will be able to create a ‘wish list’ of books they would like to purchase. Parents can use the ‘wish list’ to purchase books online or can attend the library before and after school during the fair to purchase items onsite. Please refer to the Compass note sent out last week by Ms Cousins which contains all relevant information regarding this.
District Cross-Country Carnival
Our cross-country running team will be competing in the District carnival this Friday at Macleay Park. 60 students will be representing GPS, and I have no doubt they will represent the school with pride and distinction. The students have attended several training sessions organised by Mrs Deckert, so they are well prepared to achieve great results on the day. We wish them all the best and look forward to hearing of their achievements.
2026 Foundation (Prep) Enrolments
The online portal for 2026 Foundation enrolments is now live. I encourage GPS families with siblings who will be commencing school next year to complete the process. Please use the link below for this. If anyone has any questions regarding this or encounters difficulties completing the process, please contact the school office and they will be able to assist. Additionally, an information evening is being held on May 27 at 6pm for families enrolled for next year or prospective families. The session will be presented by the current Foundation teachers and will include relevant information regarding the first year of a child’s education, including teaching and learning and school readiness. Registration for this can be completed via the Try Booking link below.
https://www.trybooking.com/CRGPYhttps://www.vic.gov.au/enrolling-foundation-prep
Andrew SearlePrincipal
