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. 

Dear parents and carers,

Winter is upon us so it is pleasing to see our students wearing a jumper, scarf or beanie in the mornings to have an extra layer or two. With some much needed rain forecast over the next few days, it would be a good idea for our children to include a rain jacket or umbrella to keep them dry as they enter and leave each day.

Government State-Wide Principal’s Conference

Amelia and I attended the Department of Education’s State-Wide Principal’s Conference on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. We benefited from hearing from the leadership journeys of Dr Sonia Hood AM, the CEO of the Scanlon Foundation and President of the North Melbourne Football Club, and Professor Joanna Barbousas, the Dean of the School of Education at LaTrobe University. Both speakers shared the importance of listening as leaders, developing culture and building professional autonomy in the people they lead.

At the conference the Department affirmed their position on explicit instruction and our need to strive for excellence in every classroom. The resources provided through the Department, including the new Victorian Lesson Plans, will continue to support our school as we further develop our understanding of the science of learning.

Camping Program

It has been terrific to hear our Year Six students share their exciting experiences at Waratah Beach Camp last week, with the clear highlight being the opportunity to catch a wave with their friends.

This week our Year Five students have headed to The Ranch on the Mornington Peninsula. We look forward to hearing of their adventures on their return to school tomorrow, especially from horse riding and mountain boarding.

Update from Mrs Busuttil from the Ranch:

It has been a glorious day at Year 5 camp at The Ranch! This adventure packed camp has had our students challenging themselves, supporting each other and just having a blast! 

Thanks to our Year 5 teachers, ES staff and our parent/carer volunteers, who alongside the team at The Ranch have ensured our students have had a cracking time! 

Thank you to all of our staff and parent/carer community who have supported our students to be able to attend camps over the past three weeks. Our camping program is a key part of our school’s extra-curricular program and we know our students in Years 3-6 look forward to the opportunity each year.

Upcoming Parent/Carer Social Event

Tickets are selling fast for our upcoming parent/carer social event. A fun-filled evening, full of Taskmaster-like challenges, trivia and games with the opportunity to dress up with some 1920s flair awaits. The evening takes place on the 20th June, from 7-11, in the school hall.

If you would like to secure a table or a ticket or two, please click on the image below or use the link:

https://events.humanitix.com/aspendale-after-dark-a-golden-night-100-years-in-the-making

2026 Enrolments

If you have a child you intend to enrol at our school in 2026, please contact Judy Prosser, our Enrolments Officer, at the school office for an enrolment pack. If you know of people in the community looking to enrol at our school, please direct them to our office.

Upcoming Leave

I will be on long-service leave from the 10th June and return to school on the 18th June. My family has been very lucky and won a competition to travel to Indianapolis to watch the NBA Finals. Amelia Busuttil will be the Acting Principal during this time and will be supported by our Learning Specialists, Leanne Peterson and Melissa Jacobs.

Enjoy the long weekend,

Tom

Literacy Update

This term the teachers at Aspendale have been going on Learning Walks.

Each week, two different staff members have the opportunity to go to other classrooms and observe the teaching and learning. This is a great way to help us build consistency across the school, ensuring all students get the same opportunities and support in class.

Our focus has been on observing the literacy program in the junior school, as well as continuing to observe the procedures and routines that have been a big part of the work that our wellbeing team has concentrated on this year. Teachers from all year levels pop into classrooms with a clipboard and checklist, jotting down things they see and ideas they want to try. We then have time to share as a group and give feedback to the staff we have visited. It has been wonderful to have the chance to see the fabulous learning happening in the classrooms we have visited, and know that the teachers are all using this opportunity to develop their amazing teaching even further.

We have also been working in professional learning communities (PLCs) to continue to build our shared understanding of how we teach reading. We have been working on developing and extending the range of strategies we use in class, so the students have multiple opportunities to respond and show their understanding during lessons.

It has been terrific to see the teachers using these teaching and learning techniques in class, building student participation and engagement in the learning.

This is a once in 100 Years event!!!

LAST CHANCE!!!

Ticket sales close TONIGHT.

So come on down and join the fun TOMORROW NIGHT!!!

Click on the link below or use the QR code to purchase your tix.

https://tinyurl.com/APSCommunityEvents

Get in quick, as time is running out...

The Victorian Government is delivering the School Saving Bonus (SSB) – a one-off support of $400 for eligible government school students from Prep to Year 12 in 2025.

The SSB can be used for uniforms and textbooks until Monday 30 June 2025.

Any funds remaining after 30 June 2025, including online voucher amounts that have not been redeemed, will become a credit to use on school activities. However, the credit will not be available on your family account at our school until late July.

To use any remaining SSB funds to cover the cost of school activities in July, please refer to the SSB online system and allocate the funds to school activities before 30 June 2025.

To learn more about the SSB online system, download the step-by-step System guide for parents and carers (DOCX, 945KB) or watch this School Saving Bonus video. System guide translations are also available in 14 languages.

The Department of Education’s SSB contact centre will remain available until 30 June 2025. The contact centre can be reached by:

• completing the School Saving Bonus enquiry form
• calling 1800 338 663, between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm on weekdays.

After this date, please contact our administration team for any SSB related questions.

Thank you,

Tom Pearce

Lina Pietrasik
ICT Coordinator