What an incredibly busy and uplifting fortnight it has been at Karingal Primary School. As we head into the final weeks of Term 4, I continue to be amazed by the energy, pride and sense of community that makes KPS such a special place to belong to.

Year 5 & 6 City Camp

Our Year 5 and 6 students returned from their City Camp absolutely buzzing with excitement. Over three big days they explored Melbourne, navigated trams and trains, visited major landmarks, and challenged themselves in new and unfamiliar settings.

Their behaviour, teamwork and resilience were outstanding. Staff repeatedly shared how proud they were of the way our students represented KPS—polite, engaged, supportive of each other, and willing to step outside their comfort zones.

A very big thank you to Mrs Mac, Mr C, Miss G, Joel, Daniel and Chris B who attended and supported the camp, and to our families for preparing students so well. The memories made will stay with them for a very long time.

Garden Award Ceremony – Congratulations!

Yesterday we celebrated another special moment for our school at the Victorian Schools Garden Awards Ceremony. A huge congratulations goes to Marilyn (School Garden Champion) and our Garden Club students for winning an award. Together they show incredible commitment, passion and dedication to transforming our gardens and outdoor spaces.

Marilyn has been the driving force behind our Community Garden and many sustainability projects that enrich both our school grounds and our students’ learning experiences. We are so proud of her achievement and so grateful for everything she brings to KPS.

Kiss & Go – A Gentle Reminder

A friendly reminder to families using our Kiss and Go zone: please stay in your vehicle and move forward promptly to help keep traffic flowing safely and smoothly. This small action makes a big difference, especially during the busy 8:45am and 3:30pm pickup windows.

Thank you for your ongoing cooperation and care for our whole school community.

Prep Transition – A Wonderful Start for Our 2026 Preps

It has been a joy welcoming our 2026 Prep students and their families into the KPS community. The children are settling beautifully, showing confidence, curiosity and excitement, and making special connections with staff and new friends.

It has also been wonderful to see new families engaging so positively with our school values and embracing the calm and supportive learning environment that we pride ourselves on. We are so excited to officially welcome our newest KPS students in 2026.

Lowes Uniform Shop

As we approach the end of the year, families may begin preparing for 2026 uniform needs. Lowes, our official uniform supplier, is well stocked and ready to support families with new uniforms, hats, and essentials ahead of next year.

Lowes is located in Karingal Hub, near Big W and the Food Court.

We encourage families to visit early to avoid the January rush. Lowes provides great customer service, durable uniform options and ensures consistency in our school presentation.

Thank you for supporting our school by purchasing the correct KPS uniform.

Computer Xplorers

We are excited to announce that Computer Xplorers will be returning to Karingal Primary School in 2026!

This popular program gives students hands-on opportunities to explore coding, robotics, animation, gaming and digital creativity in a fun, engaging and highly supported environment.

We look forward to welcoming the Computer Xplorers team back on site and offering our students even more opportunities to build future-focused digital skills next year.

2026 Grade Structures

In 2026, we will be having 13 grades across the school. This is an increase of 2 classes. There will be a Prep; Prep/1; Year 1; Year 2; 3 x Year 34s; 2 x 56s; 4 Montessori classrooms.

We are currently finalising our 2026 class structures with staffing and placements still being confirmed. However, our priorities remain the same:

• maintaining small class sizes

• ensuring balanced and supportive cohorts

• prioritising relationships and continuity of learning

• matching staff strengths with student needs

We look forward to sharing the final structure with families before the end of term. Thank you for your trust as we work through this important planning process.

Term 4 Events – December

Below are the key events scheduled for the final weeks of term:

• Year 5/6 Beach Days – Thursday 4th & Friday 5th December

• School Up Days – Monday 8th & Tuesday 9th December

• Year 6 Orientation Day – Tuesday 9th December

• Christmas Carols Picnic & Raffle Draw – Wednesday 10th December

• Christmas Lunch – Friday 12th December

• Prep–2 Class Celebrations – Monday 15th December

• Year 6 Graduation – Wednesday 17th December

• 5/6 Ballam Park Excursion – Thursday 18th December

• Final Assembly @ 1:00pm – Friday 19th December

• Term 4 Ends @ 1:30pm – Friday 19th December

Our Garden Path…

Victorian School Gardens Program Award Ceremony

As I prepare our garden update for the newsletter (Wednesday evening) excitement is mounting for the VSPG Award Ceremony to be held tomorrow morning in the Melbourne Royal Botanical Gardens! 

I look forward to sharing details of our award as well as photos of this very special event for KPS, in our next newsletter…

What Grows in Our Garden?

Sunflowers!! Last week’s highlight was the arrival of 10 Sunflowers in bloom, now planted in one of our apple crates…  Ky (Education Support) just happened to be dressed for the occasion wearing not only a gorgeous “van Gogh Sunflower” tie but also matching Sunflower socks!  

We also rescued a wonky, rusty old wheelbarrow destined for the skip bin, drainage holes drilled then a quick spray paint following.

Students delighted in planting a colourful mini spring garden in yellow, orange, blue and white for the Fairy Garden! 

              






Garden Treasure Hunt!

How lovely to find students from Prep/1B enjoying the garden on a beautiful sunny morning!

Marilyn, Julie, Jo and Emily

(November 28th 2025)

 

 

 

 

What an incredible three days our Year 5 and 6 students experienced on their CYC City Camp last week! From the moment they stepped off the train and into the heart of Melbourne, our students embraced every opportunity with enthusiasm, curiosity and wonderful behaviour that made us all extremely proud.

Across the week, students explored some of Melbourne’s most iconic landmarks and activities. They glided across the ice at O’Brien Icehouse, showed courage and teamwork in the cold rink, and then dived into the warm pools at MSAC for swimming, waterplay and physical challenges. Their historical learning was brought to life at Captain Cook’s Cottage and again at the Old Melbourne Gaol, where they walked through Melbourne’s early justice system and learned stories of the past.

The group navigated the city like seasoned travellers—catching trains and trams, reading maps and practising independence in real-world settings. At the Queen Victoria Market, students soaked up the sights, sounds and delicious smells of Melbourne’s bustling marketplace. A tour of Parliament House offered a fascinating look into how laws are made, while a visit to the MCG provided an unforgettable glimpse behind the scenes of one of Australia’s most loved sporting stadiums.

Throughout the entire camp, our students consistently demonstrated our KPS values of Respect, Responsibility, Integrity and Persistence. Their behaviour, teamwork and positivity were mentioned by multiple members of the public, and we could not be prouder.

A very big thank you to the staff who attended and supported our students throughout the camp. These experiences provide memories that last a lifetime, and it is the dedication of our teachers that makes them possible.

What an adventure—and what a wonderful reflection of the leadership, independence and character of our senior students at Karingal Primary School!

How to support your child under 16 with the new social media age restrictions

From 10 December 2025, the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 will require social media platforms to:

• prevent children and young people under 16 from having a social media account
• deactivate or freeze existing accounts held by people under 16.

Delaying access to social media protects the health and wellbeing of young people and gives them extra time to build real world connections and digital literacy skills.

The responsibility will be on the social media platforms, not parents, carers, children or schools, to implement these new restrictions.

Most popular social media platforms will be age restricted. These include Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit and YouTube.

Messaging services and online games, as well as apps and platforms that support health and education, can still be used.

How to help under 16s prepare for the change

Parents and carers play an important role in supporting their children to be safe online.

To help get under 16s ready for the social media minimum age requirements, you can go to the eSafety website to learn more about the social media age restrictions and find tips on how to talk about social media age restrictions with young people.

What the change means for our school

At our school, all age-restricted social media platforms are blocked for student use on the school network.

To keep up to date about the new social media age restrictions, visit the eSafety website and subscribe to their newsletter.

Update about the recent recall of craft sand products that may contain asbestos.

National and Victorian health authorities have advised that the possible risk to human health from these products has been downgraded from low to very low.

At our school, we are taking the steps set out by the Department of Education to safely collect and store the product, and to arrange for safe disposal. This may involve qualified people attending our school to clean and collect waste.

If you have the product at home, please follow advice from the health authorities.