We acknowledge the traditional Aboriginal custodians of the lands, waterways and skies of the Bunurong Peoples of the Kulin Nation where we gather, learn and grow at Aspendale Primary School.

We pay our respects to past and present Traditional Custodians and Elders of all nations,  and their ongoing cultural, spiritual and educational practices.  

We extend this respect to all Torres Strait Islanders and any First Nations peoples who learn or visit these grounds. We thank you for sharing and caring for the land we are learning on.

New version of the Acknowedgement of Country
Above is an updated Acknowledgment of Country that has been written in consultation with staff, students and members of our community. We recieved positive feedback and approval from our friends at the Bunurong Land Council in 2023. 



Aspendale Primary School commemorated Reconciliation Week.
We understand that for many members of the APS community, this is a challenging time.

Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.

Now more than ever, these conversations are important to be having. 

As a school, we commemorated the week by focusing on developing our sense of community and connections with a whole school event. 

Our School Captains made a video during camp to commemorate the week. It starts with our school's Acknowledgement of Country. You can watch the video here. 


Thank you to Gus, Surina, Warren & Edie for helping create the video. You all did an amazing job understanding the purpose of the week. 

Hello everyone,

Night On the Green

We are getting very excited for our annual celebration of Night on the Green, this Friday 21^st February. This year the Night on the Green kick starts our 100^th Year celebrations. We look forward to seeing all our families, past and present, joining us for a picnic while enjoying the food trucks, sausage sizzle, entertainment and the book stall (now with Pokémon Cards and Aspendale PS Socks). The fun begins at 5pm and concludes at 7pm.

Please note - Children are required to be under parent/carer supervision throughout the event.

Happenings around the school

There have been many different activities happening around the school this week as different year levels took part in incursions. Hockey Roadshow was a hit with the Year 3 and Year 4 students on Monday. The Year 5 and Year 6 students continue to participate in the Volleyball Clinic during PE. Year 2, Year 4 and Year 5, each had an incursion linked to their current Unit of Inquiry.

Year 2 - Unit of Inquiry: Who We Are. The incursion focused on the Zones of Regulation and developing an understanding of emotional regulation and healthy relationships.

Year 4 - Unit of Inquiry: How we organise ourselves. The Island Escape incursion created opportunities for the students to develop their teamwork skills through a variety of collaborative challenges.

Year 5 - Unit of Inquiry: Where we are in place and time. Jan, the storyteller captivated students as he shared the story of William Buckley and the Eureka Stockade, presenting Indigenous and European perspectives of Australian History.

Getting to Know You Interviews

Our Getting to Know You interviews are scheduled for next week:

Monday 24^th Feb 3:40pm – 5:00pm

Tuesday 25^th Feb 3:40pm – 7:30pm

Bookings can be made via Sentral.

2025 School Camps Program

Planning and preparation for our various year-level camps is underway. This year we are returning to all four of our 2024 camps. The schedule is below:

Information, permissions, and costs will be shared with families via Sentral in the lead up to the camps.

Year 5/6 Musical Production

This year we will hold a Year 5/6 musical production at Frankston Arts Centre on Monday 25^th August. Auditions are already underway and each of our senior classes has commenced rehearsal of their dance and song. As per two years ago, each class will perform a dance and play a song as a band.

See you at Night on the Green,

Amelia

We look forward to our first exciting event for the year which should also be a fabulous start to our 100 Years of APS celebrations. Please bring along your picnic rugs, and cash for our food trucks and fundraising stalls for our new playground coming soon. (Eftpos will also be available.)

Keep a special eye out for some past students, families and staff who may also pop along to help us celebrate!

Do you know any past students, families and/or staff?

We'd love for them to attend all or either of our upcoming celebration events, Night on the Green and/or our Special Celebration Assembly (in May). Simply forward them the following link to a Google Form registration and RSVP so we can cater accordingly.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSff1p56DrT0ZHwcXmG6ahENC-1ZM_cE8G4-2Eiwbqc55CbK7A/viewform?usp=header

What’s Been Happening in Year 3…

In Year 3 our Play is the Way programme has become a key part of fostering a positive and supportive learning environment.

Using simple, engaging games we have been exploring valuable skills such as problem-solving, empathy, and cooperation.

Through structured play, students develop resilience and emotional intelligence in a fun and meaningful way. The games encourage children to think critically, support one another, and reflect on their actions. Whether working together to complete a challenge, navigating obstacles, or communicating effectively to achieve a common goal, students learn valuable lessons that extend beyond the playground and into their everyday lives.

This week, Year 3 also took part in a Hockey workshop hosted by Mentone Hockey Club. The session introduced students to the fundamentals of hockey, helping them develop key skills such as dribbling, passing, and teamwork in a fun and supportive environment.

Coaches from the club led the workshop, guiding students through engaging drills and small games designed to build confidence and coordination. Many students had never played hockey before, so it was a fantastic way to explore a new sport and learn the importance of communication and strategy on the field.

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) is the framework we have at our school for setting, teaching and acknowledging the expected behaviours for all students. This year we have begun the year with our new and improved behaviour matrix (shown below). Classes are spending lots of time talking about and practising classroom routines that relate to our expectations, and it is great to see consistency across the school with many of these already. Pictured below is an example of one of our routines.

This year we have 9 PBL leaders who have begun their year by setting some team goals and shared role expectations. They have also been ensuring each classroom and shared area has signs for each of the PBL elements. Here are our 2025 PBL leaders and some things they had to say:

Hi I’m Zakk and I’m excited to be a PBL leader because I think it will be a good opportunity for me as a leader, and I think it will be fun, especially peer mediation. I hope this will be a great year for us, even better than last year. Happy 100 years APS!

As part of our PBL framework we spend a lot of time acknowledging and providing feedback to students on the expected behaviours. Alongside stickers, praise, certificates, ‘shout-outs’ and non verbal cues we also have a schoolwide token system. Our school chose to try and use a sustainable option for our tokens so we have opted to use plastic bread tags. We would love it if families could save up their bread tags (plastic not cardboard) and send them in to school at any time so we can keep replenishing our supply.

Some Year 2’s redeemed their tokens in Term 4 for a walking excursion to the beach!

New Volunteer Induction Process for Aspendale Primary:

At Aspendale Primary School we welcome volunteers to assist with many different events and programs at the school from reading, helping in the library or canteen, to excursions, camps, and sporting events.

The strong connection with our volunteers is a valued part of our school culture and partnership within our community. We have streamlined our volunteer induction process for 2025.

If you think you’d like to get involved as a volunteer, you can read the Volunteer Policy here: https://www.aspendale.vic.edu.au/source/Volunteers%20Policy%202024.pdf

Then complete the Volunteer Induction.

Volunteer Induction Process:

1. Read the online Volunteer Induction Pack: https://www.aspendale.vic.edu.au/source/Volunteer%20Induction%20Pack%202024.pdf
2. Bring valid Working with Children card to office
3. Read the OHS Induction Sheet
4. Sign the Volunteer Induction declaration sheet at the office
5. Look out for opportunities to begin volunteering!

We look forward to welcoming you as a Volunteer in 2025!
Kind regards,

Amelia Busuttil

If volunteering at the canteen is something you have considered please do not hesitate and reach out. We will be opening canteen Thursday and Friday in 2025 but volunteers are essential to make this happen.

It is a welcome supportive environment and the kids love seeing familiar faces working in the kitchen. No experience necessary. Just a willingness to pitch in and have fun serving the sweetest customers in Aspendale!

Volunteer forms can be collected from the school office or if you have any questions please reach out to Meg at canteen@aspendaleps.vic.edu.au