• PA: Wyatt V; Ruby
• P1A: Aila; Ollie
• 1A: Ava
• 2A: Oaklee; Mason
• 34A: Charlie; Seb
• 34B: Tamikah; Thomas
• 34C: Robbie; Nathanael
• 56A: Helena
• 56B: Lily

Thank you Oasis Horticulture! 
We are truly grateful for the generosity and support of the team at Oasis who are once again filling our garden beds with abundant produce (as listed below) to be cared for by students over coming weeks awaiting harvest! They also shared with us a huge variety of their herb and flower seedlings which students have been eagerly planting up in pots and tubs of all sizes creating vibrant pockets of colour throughout the garden!

What Grows in Our Garden?
Four new garden beds have been planted up with Brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, pak choy, rainbow silver beet and celery all donated by Oasis Horticulture! Potatoes, sweet potatoes, cucumber, snow peas, parsley, basil, sage, thyme and mint are also thriving along the last of the tomatoes and strawberries of course.

Early Morning in the Garden….
Miss R’s class kicked off their week by preparing and planting up two new garden beds creating a magical mix of flowers already bursting with colour instantly attracting butterflies and bees!  While some students preferred to rake, sweep and water, others arranged logs and branches to create shade and shelter for small creatures visiting our new Wildlife Habitat (a long-term project).

Bubbles and Laughter!
What a lovely start to our day, bubble machine whirring in the background as Fiona’s M1A joined us in the garden on a beautiful autumn morning last week, ready to roll up their sleeves and get planting their own little pots of Petunias and Geraniums proudly labelled with their names and displayed outside their classroom.

This week we welcomed three members of the M1A family! Jade, Dolly and Mirelli shared precious time in the garden enjoying the students’ joy, boundless enthusiasm and curiosity using magnifying glasses to explore flowers, bugs and even worms in the compost bin!

The Garden Girls (Marilyn, Julie, Jo and Emily)

Garden Update 130326

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School Staff Pay and Conditions

Parents and carers may be aware that staff at our school who are members of the Australian Education Union (AEU) have been involved in negotiations with the Victorian State Government and the Department of Education regarding improvements to pay and employment conditions. These negotiations involve teachers, education support staff, assistant principals, and principals from public schools across Victoria.

Discussions have been ongoing for the past seven months, and to date the state government has not made an offer. The negotiations are focused on addressing a range of issues affecting public schools and their staff.

Currently, Victorian public schools are the lowest funded in Australia, and many schools across the state are experiencing significant staffing shortages. Victorian public school teachers are also the lowest paid teachers in the country. In addition, many education support staff and school leaders are paid less than colleagues performing the same roles in other states and territories.

AEU members are seeking improvements to pay and reductions to excessive workloads. The aim is to support the retention of experienced staff and help attract the next generation of educators, ensuring students continue to receive a high-quality education.

Because no offer has been made so far, AEU members are undertaking a vote to endorse possible industrial action. This includes the possibility of a statewide 24-hour stop-work on Tuesday 24 March if the government does not respond appropriately to key claims.

The AEU has written to our School Council outlining the issues that school staff are seeking to resolve, including school funding, staffing shortages, and pay and conditions. The union has acknowledged that any decision to stop work is not taken lightly and recognises the impact it may have on students and families. It has stated that such action could be avoided if a fair and reasonable offer is made to employees.

If industrial action proceeds, the school will provide our community with further information to help families plan and manage the situation.

As a school community, we value and support the staff who work in our school and recognise the importance of fair pay and reasonable working conditions. Families who would like to learn more can read the AEU’s letter for further information.

We’re inviting all families to roll up their sleeves and join us for our upcoming School Working Bee on Sunday 22 March!

A working bee is a wonderful opportunity for our school community to come together, connect with other families, and make a real difference to our learning environment. Many hands make light work and even an hour of your time can have a big impact.

What we’ll be doing:

• Garden clean-up and mulching
• Weeding and planting
• General tidy-up of outdoor areas
• Small maintenance and painting touch-ups
• Refreshing play and learning spaces

No special skills are required, just a willingness to help. There will be jobs suitable for all abilities.

Who can attend?

Parents, carers and family members are all welcome. Children may attend with active supervision from their parent/carer.

What to bring:

• Gardening gloves
• Hat and sunscreen
• Water bottle
• Any useful tools (clearly named) such as rakes, shovels or wheelbarrows

We’ll provide guidance on the day and ensure everyone has a task to get involved in.

Working bees not only improve our school grounds, they strengthen our community. It’s a fantastic way to show our children the importance of teamwork, pride and caring for shared spaces.

We hope to see many smiling faces on Sunday 22 March as we work together to make our school even better!

If you’re able to attend, please keep an eye out for further details regarding times and meeting points.

Thank you for supporting our school community 

At Karingal Primary School, every day at school counts.

We appreciate the efforts of families who support their children to attend school every day possible. Your support makes a real difference to your child’s learning and wellbeing.

Regular attendance helps students build strong learning habits, maintain friendships and stay connected to their classroom community. When students miss school, they can miss important explanations, practice opportunities and discussions that support their learning.

Across a year, even a small number of missed days can quickly add up and make it harder for students to keep pace with their classmates. Attending school consistently helps children feel confident, settled and ready to learn.

Each fortnight we celebrate the class with the highest attendance across the school. This class receives the 'Icy Pole Treat' and earns recognition at assembly.

Fortnight Winner: PA

Congratulations to our Attendance Champions for setting a fantastic example of commitment to learning!

We look forward to seeing which class will take out the award next fortnight.

Great Turnout for P&F Meet and Greet

Thank you to everyone who came along to our recent Parents & Friends Meet and Greet. It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout of parents and carers from across the school community.

The morning provided a great opportunity for families to meet members of the P&F team, learn more about the fundraising activities planned for the year, and hear about the exciting plans for our school garden. There was plenty of enthusiasm and positive discussion about the events and initiatives scheduled throughout the year, and it was wonderful to see so many people interested in getting involved.

We would like to sincerely thank everyone who attended and took the time to come along, share ideas and support our school community.

If you were unable to attend but would still like to be involved in supporting fundraising activities or helping with the school garden, there are still plenty of opportunities to participate. Please feel free to enquire at the school office for more information.

We look forward to working together with our school community throughout the year.

Grades 3–6 House Athletics Carnival

On Friday 27 February, our Grades 3–6 students headed to Ballam Park for the annual House Athletics Carnival, and it was a fantastic day filled with energy, enthusiasm and school spirit.

Students participated in a range of track and field events, giving everyone the opportunity to challenge themselves, support their teammates and represent their house with pride. Throughout the day there was a wonderful mix of friendly competition, encouragement and teamwork, with students cheering each other on and celebrating great efforts across all events.

It was fantastic to see so many students getting involved, trying their best and demonstrating excellent sportsmanship. The positive attitude and house spirit from all participants helped make the carnival a very enjoyable day for everyone.

At the end of the day, the overall house results were:

1st – Paringa

2nd – Bunerong

3rd – Warramunga

4th – Aranda

Congratulations to Paringa on taking out the House Athletics Carnival for 2026, and well done to all students for their effort, participation and support of one another. Events like these are a great opportunity for students to stay active, build confidence and enjoy being part of their house community.

Grades 3-6 House Athletics 2026

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A highlight of the past week was our Family Fun Afternoon, which brought many families together on the school grounds for an afternoon of connection, laughter and community spirit.

It was wonderful to see students enjoying time with their friends outside the classroom, while families had the chance to meet, chat and get to know one another in a relaxed and welcoming environment. The school grounds were full of energy, with plenty of smiles, friendly competition and shared moments that made the afternoon so enjoyable for everyone who attended.

Events like this play an important role in building the strong sense of community we value at Karingal Primary School. They provide a chance for families to connect, for students to see their school as a place where people come together, and for the whole community to share in the positive culture that makes our school special.

Thank you to the Miss Holmes, staff, Year 6 students and families who helped make the afternoon such a success. Your support and participation help create the warm, inclusive community that we are proud to be part of.

The winning phrase was 'DIAMONDS are UNIQUE'. All correct entries will go into a prize draw and winners will be drawn out at assembly next week.

Thank you to KARINGAL HUB for their generous donation and support of our prizes:
1st place: $150 Village voucher
2nd place: $100 Village voucher
3rd place: $50 Village voucher

Good luck to all entries!

Family Fun Afternoon 2026

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Helping children develop confidence in mathematics starts with strong number sense. The Victorian Department of Education has developed a series of videos and resources designed to support parents and carers in building their child’s understanding of numbers through simple everyday activities. 

The “Strengthening Number Sense at Home” resources include short videos filmed in Victorian schools along with practical tip sheets and activities families can try together. The videos introduce several key early mathematics concepts that children typically explore from Foundation to Grade 2, while the accompanying resources provide easy ideas to practise these skills at home, at the supermarket or outdoors. 

The series focuses on four important early maths concepts:

• One-to-one correspondence – matching one number to one object when counting.
• Subitising – recognising the number of items in a small group without counting.
• Partitioning (part-part-whole) – understanding how numbers can be broken into different parts.
• Teen numbers – understanding numbers from 11 to 19 as “10 and some more”.  

These concepts help children build the foundations they need for later mathematical learning, including addition, subtraction and problem-solving.

The resources also highlight that maths learning does not only happen in the classroom. Everyday activities such as counting toys while packing away, recognising numbers on supermarket shelves, rolling dice during games or counting steps at the playground can all help strengthen number understanding. 

Parents and carers are encouraged to watch the videos and explore the accompanying resources to learn more about how mathematics is taught and how they can support learning at home. When families and schools work together, children are more likely to build confidence and develop a positive attitude towards maths. 

Families can explore the videos and downloadable tip sheets here:

The website includes:

• Short videos explaining key maths concepts
• Practical activities families can try at home
• Printable tip sheets and resources
• Materials available in multiple languages

These resources provide a simple and engaging way for families to support their child’s numeracy development through everyday conversations and activities.

Get ready for one of the most anticipated events on our school calendar ... our Annual Trivia Night is happening on Saturday 23 May!

This much-loved community event is a fantastic opportunity for parents, carers and friends of the school to come together for a night of laughs, friendly competition and great company – all while supporting our school.

This is an adults-only event, so organise a babysitter, gather your smartest (or most competitive!) friends and book a table. Whether you’re a trivia expert or just in it for the fun, there will be something for everyone.

Expect:

✨ Exciting trivia rounds

✨ Fun games and bonus challenges

✨ Prizes and raffles

✨ Plenty of laughs

Events like this play an important role in strengthening our school community and raising valuable funds to support student programs and initiatives.

More details about bookings, table numbers and themes will be shared soon ... SO keep an eye out!

We can’t wait to see you there for a fantastic night out.