Dear Parents and Carers
Welcome Back to Term 4
A warm welcome back to all our families! I hope the holidays provided time to rest, recharge and enjoy being together. We look forward to a busy and rewarding final term of learning at East Victoria Park Primary School.
Term 4 is an important part of our learning year. Our teachers have purposeful learning planned to help students strengthen their skills, deepen their understanding and build on their progress so far. Regular attendance, arriving on time and being ready to learn will help every child make the most of the weeks ahead and finish the year with confidence.
Yesterday, staff spent our School Development Day preparing our next Business Plan for 2027–2029, reflecting on our progress and identifying priorities for the next three years. The day was facilitated by Dr Catherine Kapiteyn from Katalyst Partners. Catherine brings many years of senior leadership experience across the Department of Education and is an engaging, passionate and knowledgeable facilitator. Her guidance helped us thoughtfully consider how we can continue to strengthen teaching, learning and outcomes for our students.
We were delighted to be joined by School Board members Tim Keely and Adrian Koh, who brought a valuable parent perspective to the planning process. Thank you both for contributing your time and ideas.
Your voice is also an important part of shaping our school’s future. Please read on in this newsletter for the link to the School Board’s survey, which invites your input into our future direction. We encourage every family to share what matters most to them and their hopes for their children’s education at EVPPS.
Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership. We look forward to a positive Term 4 together!
Class Placements for 2027
As we begin Term 4, planning for 2027 is well underway.
As mentioned in previous newsletters, some of our classes each year are composite classes, where two year levels are combined in one classroom. Because our funding is based on total student numbers rather than year levels, composite classes are an important and necessary part of our structure.
At East Victoria Park Primary School, we form all classes—composite or single-year—with great care to ensure a balanced mix of abilities, friendships, and learning needs. There is no academic advantage or disadvantage to being in a composite class; students continue to learn the curriculum for their specific year level, and teachers work collaboratively across year levels to plan and deliver programs.
Where possible, we aim to avoid placing students in a composite class two years in a row. If your child is placed in a composite class for 2027, please view it as a positive opportunity for growth and learning. We appreciate your support and encouragement in helping your child embrace their new class with confidence.
Providing Input for 2027 Placements
If you have any information you would like us to consider when making class placements for 2027, please email the school on eastvictoriapark.ps@education.wa.edu.au by Friday, 6 November 2026, using the subject line “Class Placement 2027.”
We will take into account academic, social, and emotional factors when considering placement requests. While every request will be carefully reviewed, please note that it may not always be possible to accommodate all preferences.
Requests received after the closing date will not be considered.
If your child will not be returning to East Victoria Park Primary School in 2027, please email us at eastvictoriapark.ps@education.wa.edu.au using the subject line ‘Not returning in 2027’.
Please see the Class Placement Policy on the school website for further details.
Every Day Counts: Building Good Attendance Habits
Every day at school is an opportunity for your child to learn, build friendships and grow in confidence. Regular attendance helps children get the most from their education, as each day’s learning builds on what they already know.
Building good attendance habits in the early years is vital for future success at school. Kindergarten and Pre-Primary are important years for developing language, early reading and maths skills, social skills and routines. Attending consistently helps children feel connected to their class and establishes the habit of coming to school on every scheduled school day.
An occasional day away may seem small, but repeated absences add up:
| If your child misses… | Over one school year… | From Pre-primary to Year 12… |
| One day a fortnight | Around 20 days—four weeks of school | Around 260 days—equivalent to 1.3 school years |
| One day a week | Around 40 days—eight weeks of school | Around 520 days—equivalent to 2.6 school years |
Missing school means missing more than the work completed that day. Children also miss explanations, guided practice, class discussions and opportunities to learn alongside their friends. Repeated gaps can make it harder to keep up and feel confident when returning to class.
Families can help by:
- Establishing regular bedtime and morning routines.
- Arriving on time, ready for the start of learning.
- Booking appointments outside school hours wherever possible.
- Planning holidays during school holiday periods.
- Letting us know the reason whenever your child is absent.
We understand that illness and unavoidable circumstances sometimes mean children need to stay home. Children who are unwell should rest and recover. If your child is worried about school, reluctant to attend or experiencing difficulties that affect attendance, please speak with their teacher or our leadership team early so we can work together to help.
Thank you for partnering with us to build strong attendance habits from the beginning. Every day counts, and being here helps your child make the most of every opportunity to learn and succeed.
Parent–Teacher Interviews
In response to parent feedback seeking more information about student achievement and progress between semester reports, we will hold parent–teacher interviews on Friday 23 October. The interviews will provide an opportunity to discuss your child’s progress towards the goals identified in their Semester 1 report and establish priorities for the remainder of the year.
There will be no school for students on this day; however, Big Childcare will be available for families requiring care. Parents will have received a Compass notification on containing a link to the booking system. Interviews may be booked as either a face-to-face meeting or a telephone interview, depending on what is most convenient for your family.
Please note that interviews for Kindy 2A will be held on Wednesday 21 October, while interviews for Kindy 2B will be held on Wednesday 28 October.
Kind regards
Kim Knowles
Principal
Help Shape the Future of East Victoria Park Primary School
Thank you to the families who participated in our 2026 School Community Survey. Your feedback provided valuable insight into what our community values about East Victoria Park Primary School and where we can continue to grow.
An important message from the survey was the value our families place on having opportunities to contribute to the direction and priorities of our school. As we begin planning for our next School Business Plan, we would like to continue that conversation, and the School Board would like to invite our whole school community to have a voice in shaping our future direction.
At the heart of our planning is a simple but important question: What do you want for your child during their time at East Victoria Park Primary School?
Please take a little time to complete the following survey:
On behalf of
Tim Keely
School Board Chair