2026 Year 6 Student Leaders

The student leaders for Year 6 in 2026 were announced at assembly last week. I would firstly like to congratulate and acknowledge every Year 5 student who nominated for a role next year. A few weeks ago, they all did an outstanding job with their speeches in their quest for respective positions. They were thoroughly prepared by Ms Nitsos, Ms Shipsides, Ms Banez and Ms Gibson for this task. Thank you to these teachers for their work and to Ms Nitsos for coordinating and overseeing the process. The table below lists the student leaders for next year.

Thank You PFA

I would like to sincerely thank and acknowledge all members of our PFA for their tireless work throughout the year. They have organised and coordinated many very successful fundraising and social events. These include the Twilight Festival, Easter Raffle, Bake Sales, Mothers’/Fathers’ Day Stalls, Halloween Disco, Art Show Food & Drinks and mango sales. As a result of their outstanding work, a total of more than $24 000 has been raised for the school. A magnificent result. The team has been ably led by Chris Berting (Secretary) and Somaya Dianati (Treasurer) and they have overseen all events and activities throughout the year.

Farewell Staff

As is the case at the end of each year, we say farewell to staff for a variety of reasons. This year we say farewell to Jen Gibson, Jackie Davidson and Jess Fitzsimmons. Jen commenced teaching at Greythorn in 2017, and she has been an outstanding staff member throughout her time here. She has taught in several year levels and has been much-loved by staff, students and parents alike. Additionally, Jen came to GPS from an outdoor education background, and she was instrumental in creating our annual snow camp along with the Year 6 Bike Hike, which ran for several years. Jen has moved to Yarra Junction with her family, and she has secured a teaching position at Woori Yallock PS next year. I would like to sincerely thank Jen for her commitment and dedication to the school over many years, and I wish her all the best for 2026 and beyond.

Jackie commenced working as a CRT (casual relief teacher) at Greythorn 7 years ago. For the past 5 years she has been our tutor in the MacqLit and MiniLlit intervention programs. These programs provide one-on-one assistance to students to develop their reading and writing skills. Jackie has done a magnificent job as our tutor, and I sincerely thank her for this. After more than 35 years in education she is now retiring, and I wish her all the best for this new phase in her life.

Jess Fitzsimmons commenced at Greythorn in her role as Business Manager in 2023. The business manager’s role is multi-faceted including managing all aspects of the school’s finances along with managing the Department’s HR requirements. Jess has done an outstanding job in her role, and I sincerely thank her for her work and support throughout the past 3 years. Jess has secured a new position at Camelot Rise PS for 2026, and I wish her all the best in her new endeavour.   

Thank You School Council

Once again, the school council has done a wonderful job in overseeing the school operations. This work includes financial management along with managing the buildings and grounds and the educational programs we offer. I would like to thank all council members for their work this year. I would like to thank and acknowledge Lou Maiolo as her and her family finish their long association with GPS. Lou has been a long-term council member and the President during the past 2 years. Thank you, Lou, for your support and commitment to the school over a long period of time.

Congratulations Jane Marino and Trish Beamish

Congratulations to Jane and Trisha who both recently gave birth to a baby girl and boy, respectively. Jane’s daughter is called Lilly and she is the 3^rd child in her family. Trisha’s son is called Louis and he is Trisha’s first child. Congratulations to them and their families during this exciting time in their lives.  

Second-hand Uniform Shop

Each year, the school’s second-hand uniform shop is operated by parent volunteers. They provide a wonderful service to the school community with the second-hand items for sale, along with providing an opportunity for the clothing to be reused and recycled, whilst generating a profit for the school fundraising efforts. Thank you again to Janene Hockley for her tireless work to coordinate all aspects of the shop and clothing sales. She was ably assisted this year by Iris, Rachael, Vikram, Alison, Jialin, Cecilia and Saniya and I thank them sincerely for their work.

Year 6 Graduation

Last night’s graduation ceremony was a memorable night for the students and staff, along with the family and friends who attended. It was a fitting way to acknowledge and thank them for being wonderful students at GPS. The school captains did a magnificent job as MC’s and the students sang their songs beautifully and were exemplary in their behaviour throughout the night. Thank you to Mrs Birch, Mr Richards and Ms Gibson for all their work to prepare the students so thoroughly and for working closely with the graduation committee. Thank you also to the graduation committee, ably led by Stacey McCabe, for their huge amount of work to organise the decorations, DJ, photo booth and catering. The hall looked amazing in the theme of ‘Retro Disco’ and the students were suitably delighted when they entered the hall for dinner. The delicious food was courtesy of Claire Jones, who did a magnificent job with this.

End Term 4

A reminder that the students will be dismissed at 1:30pm this Friday. Our final assembly is being held at 12:30pm on Friday, and all are welcome to attend.

2026

The Year 1-6 students commence Term 1 on Thursday, January 29. Staff commence on Tuesday, January 27, with the first 2 days being student free. The Foundation students commence on Wednesday, February 4.

Merry Christmas

I would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and relaxing break with family and friends during the festive season. Thank you all for your support throughout the year. I would also like to say farewell to all families leaving the GPS community. Many of you have had a long association with the school and I thank you for your commitment and support throughout the years, and I wish you well for 2026 and beyond.
Andrew Searle

Principal