Dear Parents and Carers
Room 2 Assembly – Celebrating NAIDOC Week
Today, our Year 1 students from Room 2, led by Mrs Gerstorfer, proudly hosted our NAIDOC Week assembly. They delighted the audience with a beautiful performance of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star sung in Noongar, confidently sharing their learning and introducing us to new Noongar words along the way.
It was a wonderful celebration of the Noongar language and an opportunity for our school community to acknowledge the rich cultural heritage of the Whadjuk Noongar people, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we learn and play.
At East Victoria Park Primary School, we are committed to building cultural responsiveness by embedding Aboriginal histories, cultures and languages into everyday school life. Experiences such as today’s assembly help foster respect, understanding and a sense of belonging for all members of our community.
Congratulations to our Room 2 students and Mrs Gerstorfer on a thoughtful and engaging assembly, and thank you for helping us celebrate the importance and beauty of the Noongar language
The assembly concluded with a moving whole-school performance of Everyday My Mother’sVoice, written by Paul Kelly and proud Aboriginal musician Dan Sultan. As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of NAIDOC Week, this powerful song provided a fitting conclusion to our celebrations.
Over the past few weeks, students have explored the life and legacy of Adam Goodes—former AFL champion, Australian of the Year and proud Adnyamathanha and Narungga man. Through his courage in standing against racism and advocating for respect, inclusion and equality, Adam Goodes has helped shape important national conversations and left a lasting impact on Australia’s history.
Led by our incredibly talented music teacher, Mrs Motherwell, the whole school sang with pride and enthusiasm. A special congratulations to our outstanding soloists, Shayne, Sanvika and Nichika, whose beautiful voices captivated the audience. You should all be incredibly proud of your performances.
Assembly Award Winners
Congratulations to all of our award winners recognised at this morning’s assembly. It was wonderful to celebrate the achievements, effort and growth of so many of our students.
We were also pleased to welcome School Board member Mr Kyle Hammond, who presented the certificates—including to his own son, Lachlan, which made the occasion even more special!
Our School Board plays an important role in supporting the governance of East Victoria Park Primary School. Working in partnership with the Principal, the Board helps shape the school’s strategic direction, endorses key policies and planning, approves school fees and charges, and supports decisions that contribute to the ongoing success of our school.
At the School Board meeting held earlier this term, the East Victoria Park Primary School Duty of Care Policy was formally ratified and is now available to families on our school website. The policy outlines how we work together to provide a safe, supportive and well-supervised learning environment for all students. It also explains the shared responsibilities of the school, staff, parents and carers in keeping children safe before, during and after school, ensuring everyone understands their role in supporting student wellbeing and safety.
Congratulations once again to all our award recipients. We are incredibly proud of your efforts.
| ECE 1 | Sienna |
| ECE 3 | Kora |
| ECE 4 | Aya |
| Room 1 | Idhalya |
| Room 2 | Parker |
| Room 3 | Lachlan |
| Room 4 | Moana |
| Room 5 | Amelia |
| Room 6 | Eekshitha |
| Room 7 | Olivia |
| Room 8 | Evie |
| Room 9 | Declan |
| Room 10 | Sofie |
| Room 12 | Connor |
| Room 13 | Quinn and Sydney |
| PE | Mia Room 5 |
| PBA Award | Shivangi Room 13 |
Staffing Update
As we head into next term, we have a few staffing changes to share with our school community.
We wish Miss Ashlee Goodwin every success as she commences a new position at Cloverdale Primary School. While we will miss having Ashlee with us full-time, we’re pleased that she will continue to be part of our school on Mondays and Tuesdays, so it is not goodbye completely. We thank Ashlee for her dedication to our students and wish her all the very best in this exciting next step in her career.
We are delighted to welcome Ms Louise Sonnekus to East Victoria Park Primary School as the new teacher for Kindy 2B. We know she will be a wonderful addition to our Early Childhood team.
With this change, Mrs Kalphas will transition into a new role, teaching ECE 1 on Wednesdays, ECE 4 on Thursdays and Room 1 on Fridays. We thank Mrs Kalphas for the care and commitment she has shown to the students and families of Kindy 2B and are excited to see her bring her experience and expertise to her new teaching role.
We also warmly welcome Mrs Alison Tassone, who joins our staff two days per week for the remainder of the year as part of the High Achieving Teachers (HAT@ECU) program at Edith Cowan University. HAT@ECU is a highly regarded initiative that supports high-performing pre-service teachers through an enhanced pathway into the teaching profession, providing opportunities to work alongside experienced educators while completing their studies.
Many of our families will already recognise Alison, as she has been completing her professional practice in Room 1 throughout Terms 1 and 2. We are delighted that she is now joining our staff in a formal teaching role while continuing her studies.
East Victoria Park Primary School is proud to partner with Edith Cowan University in supporting the development of future teachers, and we know Alison will make a valuable contribution to our school community. Please join me in welcoming Louise and Alison to East Victoria Park Primary School and in wishing Ashlee every success in her new role.
Cross Country Carnival
Our annual Cross Country Carnival was held last week, with students demonstrating outstanding determination, resilience and sportsmanship throughout the afternoon.
A huge thank you to Mr Stephens for successfully organising his first Cross Country Carnival at East Victoria Park Primary School. The event was extremely well run, and it was wonderful to see the impressive fitness, perseverance and enthusiasm of our students as they tackled the challenging course.
Thank you also to our staff and families for your encouragement and support in making the carnival such a successful event.
Please read on for the final faction results and our Cross Country Champion Student award recipients. Cross Country Results
Overall Totals:
1st – Karrak (red) 827 points
2nd – Waalitj (gold) 733 points
3rd – Kaarda (green) 728 points
4th – Kwila (blue) 578 points
Year 1 Champ Girl – Angelina
Year 1 R/up Girl – Maddison
Year 1 Champ Boy – Ryan
Year 1 R/up Boy – Emmerson
Year 2 Champ Girl – Fiona
Year 2 R/up Girl – Miller
Year 2 Champ Boy – Abinash
Year 2 R/up Boy – Sam
Year 3 Champ Girl – Mia
Year 3 R/up Girl – Yule
Year 3 Champ Boy – Connor
Year 3 R/up Boy – Van
Year 4 Champ Girl – Anna
Year 4 R/up Girl – Macy
Year 4 Champ Boy – Biel
Year 4 R/up Boy – Archer
Year 5 Champ Girl – Hope
Year 5 R/up Girl – Alexis
Year 5 Champ Boy – Ethan
Year 5 R/up Boy – Aidon
Year 6 Champ Girl – Alexis
Year 6 R/up Girl – Paige
Year 6 Champ Boy – Riley
Year 6 R/up Boy – Tyler
We now look forward to cheering on our talented Cross Country team as they represent East Victoria Park Primary School at the Interschool Cross Country Carnival on Thursday, 30 July. Further details for team members will be shared soon. We wish all our competitors the very best as they prepare for the event.
Finally, it has been wonderful to read the Semester 1 reports and celebrate the progress, growth and achievements of our students. Every child should be proud of what they have accomplished, and I encourage families to take some time over the holidays to celebrate these successes together.
A very special thank you goes to our incredible staff. It has been a busy and highly productive term, and I am immensely proud of everything that has been achieved across every classroom and learning area. Their dedication, professionalism and commitment to providing the very best opportunities for our students is greatly appreciated.
I hope everyone enjoys a well-deserved break, taking the opportunity to rest, recharge and spend time with family and friends. We look forward to welcoming all students back to school on Monday, 20 July, ready for another exciting term of learning.
Kind regards
Kim Knowles
Principal
Please read on for the messages delivered at assembly this morning by our student councillors.
Austin:
Hello everyone. Adam Goodes is an amazing footy player, but that’s not all. He’s also an innovator who has helped fight racism in our community, and he deserves all of his awards, including two Brownlow Medals and Australian of the Year in 2014. He faced some really tough times after being racially abused by a 13-year-old girl. When he called her out, Adam was booed at every game he played from then on.
Tyler:
Hello everyone. I can’t believe we’re already halfway through the year! As NAIDOC Week is from the 5th to the 12th of July, everyone around the school has been learning all about the history of NAIDOC. This year’s theme is 50 Years of Deadly. So far, we’ve covered the history of NAIDOC and learnt about the amazing Adam Goodes. Learning about the true story of what this brave man has been through has really shown us how to be better people, and it has really touched some of us. NAIDOC is especially important to Aboriginal people, as this year we celebrate 50 Years of Deadly and recognise the achievements and contributions of Indigenous Australians. I hope everyone shows their respect and has a good, well-rested school holiday. Thank you.
Phoebe:
Well done to all students who participated in the Cross Country Carnival last Thursday. It was great to see everyone running around the oval and cheering their friends on. To the students who are going to the Interschool Cross Country Carnival, it will be held on the 30th of July. The Mission Possible Carnival was yesterday, and I hope you had a fun time working with your teammates to win points for your teams.
Fatima:
Hello everyone. Congratulations on getting to the end of Term 2 and reaching your PBS goal of an amazing 30,000 Dojos! It is wonderful to see you all in your team colours, and I hope you enjoy your movies later today. As the holidays start tomorrow, make sure you keep dry, have fun and don’t give your parents a hard time. I know I’m looking forward to sleeping in! Term 3 resumes on Monday, the 20th of July, and I hope everyone will be feeling refreshed by then. Thank you, and enjoy your school holidays.
NAIDOC Week Celebration – 50 Years of Deadly ❤️💛🖤
On Thursday 2nd July, our Early Childhood students proudly celebrated NAIDOC through a series of engaging rotational learning activities that deepened their understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal culture.
Throughout the morning, students rotated through a range of hands-on learning experiences. In one rotation, students explored a collection of traditional Aboriginal artefacts, including wooden boomerangs and hunting shield, coolamons used for gathering food, tapping sticks used to create music, beautifully carved wooden animals such as the Wagyl (snake) and Kaarda (goanna), and ornate necklaces crafted from hand-painted berries and seed pods. This authentic experience provided students with a meaningful insight into the rich cultural traditions and practices of Aboriginal peoples. In another rotation, students created their own dot paintings on wooden animals inspired by traditional Aboriginal art. Students also learnt about the significance of the Aboriginal Flag and the meaning of its colours before creating their own Aboriginal Flag collages. In the final rotation, our Kindy and Pre-primary students worked together to create a collaborative Aboriginal Flag using their handprints, symbolising unity, respect and their shared commitment to celebrating Aboriginal culture.
We would like to sincerely acknowledge and thank Sinead Cormack, mother of Zoe (ECE2A), for collaborating with Mrs Kalphas to plan, guide and support this meaningful celebration. Your knowledge, generosity and contribution provided our students with a rich and authentic cultural learning experience.
Mrs Gray
Deputy Principal
Planting Day
Planting Day Success!
A huge thank you to our amazing EVP P&C and the wonderful parent and grandparent volunteers who joined us for our recent Planting Day! Together, we planted a variety of trees, shrubs and groundcovers made possible through the Let’s Grow Grant and the Town of Vic Park funding.
These new plants will provide much-needed shade, improve ground cover, create habitats for local wildlife, and make our school grounds an even more beautiful place for our students to learn and play.
We’re already seeing the benefits, with djiti djiti (willy wagtails) and kaa-kaa (kookaburras) making themselves right at home amongst the new greenery!
Thank you to everyone who gave up their time to help make our school greener for current and future students. Your support is greatly appreciated!
Mission Possible
On Thursday the 2nd of July students from years 4 to 6 participated in our ‘Mission Possible’ sports carnival. This tabloid sports style carnival included activities like Quidditch, Crazy Golf, Basketball, Volleyball and the Amazing Race. By all accounts students had a fantastic time. The focus on the day was on fair play, teamwork and participation. Our goal was to see great sportsmanship throughout the day, and I can certainly say this goal was met. Well done to all students!
A specific congratulations to the following students who received ‘Legend of the Day’ medals for their sportsmanship and great contributions to their teams.
Well done to:
Carmelo Wereta
Winona Pike
Jigme Chophel
Zoe Tannenbaum
Cooper Cheung
A special thanks also to the teachers, sports captains and student helpers for helping make the day a great success.
Mr Andy Stephens
Specialist Physical Education Teacher
ICAS Information for Parents
Within our school community there are students who shine brightly, displaying exemplary dedication and academic talent. They deserve to be recognised and once again this year we are giving them the opportunity to showcase and celebrate their talents in the world-renowned ICAS competition.
What is ICAS?
ICAS is an online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Spelling Bee, and Digital Technologies.
ICAS results are in-depth and meaningful, and ICAS evaluates student performance against other competition entrants across the state and nation. The data reveals student strengths and weaknesses and can help you recognise and support your child’s academic journey.
Learn more about ICAS here: (icasassessments.com/products-icas/).
ICAS Results and Certificates
Every student who participates is celebrated and recognised with a printed certificate in each subject area, and an online results report to track development each year. Top performers are eligible for one of the highly coveted ICAS medals.
Your child’s ICAS certificates will show their results and the login details, “TAP ID and Pin”. – Use these to enter the Results Portal (https://orti.icasassessments.com/ortiStudent).
How to participate in ICAS
If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please go to the Parent Portal to register for your chosen subjects.
You can do this in one of two ways:
1. Direct login link – faster!
Use this link to log directly into the shop and start registering:
https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/parent-payment/BCN905
2. Log in using the PPS code
Visit our shop and use our PPS code to log in:
Shop link: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps
PPS code: BCN905
Registration for all subject areas closes on Monday 27 July at 11:59pm.
This year, our students can elect to sit the following assessments:
Subject Sitting Date Cost (AU$)
Digital
Writing 4 Aug $25.95
English 11 Aug $21.95
Science 18 Aug $21.95
Mathematics 25 Aug $21.95
Please note, the school cannot facilitate refunds or make alterations as all money is paid directly to ICAS Assessments.
2026 PEAC – Year 4 – Monday, 3 August 2026
Dear Parent/Carer,
The Primary Extension Challenge – PEAC- program is for students in Years 5 and 6 who like extra challenges at school. Students in the PEAC program work on new ideas, think in different ways, and learn with other students like them.
The PEAC test
The PEAC is a test for all Year 4 students in Western Australian public schools. Our Year 4 students will do the PEAC test in Term 3, Week 3, Monday 3 August 2026.
How the test is used
We use this test to:
- choose students for the PEAC program
- help teachers support your child’s learning.
About the test
The test has 50 questions. Each question has a list of a few possible answers. Your child will choose the correct answer from a list.
The test has 2 parts:
- verbal reasoning, which is thinking with words
- mathematical reasoning, which is thinking with numbers.
If your child is sick and cannot come to school to do the test, please contact us so we are able to arrange another test.
Choose not to do the test
If you don’t want your child to do the PEAC test, please email your child’s teacher as soon as possible to let them know.
What happens after the test
If your child is chosen for PEAC, the school will contact you.
There will be a reminder next term, however If you have any questions, please contact your child’s teacher.
Many thanks.
Janette Tuttle
Deputy Principal
Year 6 WASO Camp
For the second Day Camp for 2026, the Year 6 students travelled to the Western Australian Symphony Orchestra to experience a special performance of Joe Hisaishi’s world-famous music. The concert featured beautiful scores arranged by Nicholas Buc, with a special appearance from solo pianist Aura Go. We listened to music from many Studio Ghibli movies, including My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and many more. Throughout the performance, our hosts, Andrew Pogson and Dan Golding, shared interesting facts about Joe Hisaishi and taught us about minimalism, which is the style of music he is well known for. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and everyone enjoyed hearing such incredible music performed live.
Written by Austin and Shannan Year 6
Peace Pole
A huge thank you to the Rotary Club of Mill Point for their generous donation and installation of a Peace Pole at our school.
The Peace Pole initiative was introduced in Australia in 2021 to commemorate 100 years of Rotary in Australia. Since then, more than 300 Peace Poles have been installed in schools across the country, joining over 250,000 Peace Poles standing in communities around the world.
The message displayed on the pole is simple yet powerful: “May Peace Prevail on Earth.”
Our Peace Pole is four-sided and features this message in four languages – English, Noongar, Dzongkha and Arabic. Did you know that, after English, Dzongkha and Arabic are the most commonly spoken languages within our school community? Including these languages reflects the rich cultural diversity of East Victoria Park Primary School and reinforces our commitment to inclusion, respect and understanding.
We are proud to have this meaningful symbol of peace and unity as part of our school environment. 🌏🕊️
‘Save The Date – Sunday 26th July 2026″
Our very own Angel Iles, Year Five, is again appearing at the Perth Comic Arts Festival, at the WA State Library. Come along to say hello, support Angel, and maybe buy some awesome original comics. Free Entry but tickets will need to be obtained from Humanitix: Perth Comic Arts Festival 2026 | Humanitix‘
Mr Paul Young
Year 5 Teacher
Sports X
🏃♀️⚽🏏 Sports-X is Coming to East Vic Park PS in Term 3! 🏉🥎
We’re excited to be partnering with Sports-X to offer students an engaging after-school multi-sports program right here at school!
Over 8 weeks, students will have the opportunity to build their skills, confidence and teamwork through a variety of sports, including:
🏏 Cricket 🥎 T-Ball 🏉 Tag Rugby⚽ Soccer
📅 Thursdays 🕒 3:00pm – 4:00pm📍 School Oval 👧👦 Open to students from Pre-Primary to Year 6 of all abilities.
This is a fantastic opportunity for students to stay active, try new sports, make friends and have fun in a supportive environment.
💲 Cost: $144 for the 8-week program 📅 Starts: Thursday 30 July
Please see the flyer for registration details and the QR code to sign up.
West Coast Eagles Player Appearance at Hungry Jack’s Belmont
On Tuesday, 7 July, Hungry Jack’s Belmont will be hosting a West Coast Eagles player appearance featuring Tom Cole and Mikayla Western from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm.
On the night, attendees will have the opportunity to meet the players, receive a signed poster, and go into the draw to win:
• 10 × Mini Footies
• 1 × West Coast Eagles Guernsey
