Hello everyone,

This final term is going by so quickly, it’s hard to believe that we have already finished week four.  An important reminder that there is no school on Monday or Tuesday (November 3rd & 4th) due to a Curriculum Day on Monday and the Melbourne Cup Holiday on Tuesday.

We are noticing a large number of absences and students consistently arriving late each day. When students arrive late, they miss an essential part of the lesson where they are being instructed on what to do. If they are late once or twice a week, this has a profound impact on their ability to learn to read, write or do maths. We understand that people get sick and need to stay home; however, allowing students to remain home regularly makes it harder to get them to school.

We are fortunate enough to have teachers who spend their lunchtimes running clubs without students. Throughout the year, there have been clubs for basketball, anime drawing, Minecraft, and futsal, and this term we are introducing Bike-ed for Gr. 3-6 and a dance group. Please encourage your child to participate in these groups if they are interested, and encourage them to make suggestions for future lunchtime club activities. With so many students riding to school each day, it’s an excellent opportunity for them to improve their skills and learn about road safety and awareness.

World Teachers’ Day is an excellent time for our community to reflect on the immense effort our teachers make to provide a safe and caring environment for our students to learn. We are so lucky to have highly skilled but caring teachers at this school. There is careful consideration whenever we employ people to make sure that they fit in with our culture and promote our schools vision and values. Take the time to speak to a teacher and thank them for their contributions.

Congratulations to Pauline, Victor, Dianne, Tina and the students who participated in the X Factory school performance. The dedication to practising regularly and performing in front of such large crowds is impressive, and we hope to see some of our students continue their passion for the arts in the future.

Please let us know if you are leaving the school in 2026. We know that students will be moving to St. Pedro Pio next year. You must let us know so we can make sure we have the correct number of teachers employed next year.

This is a reminder that term 4 is compulsory for hats. UV rays are often listed as very high or above level 3 during terms 1 & 4, meaning that it will do damage to your child’s skin and potentially lead to skin cancers as they get older. Hats are sold at the school, but we also accept blue wide-brimmed hats from places like K-Mart, Target, and other similar shops.

I hope you all enjoy your extra-long weekend!

Scott Bartlett

Assistant Principal

Congratulations to 1B who achieved the best attendance for the week ending 24th October, 2025.

Congratulations to 56B who achieved the best attendance for the week ending 31st October, 2025.

PRIMARY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind.

If your child is sick or absent, you are required to notify school as soon as possible on the day of absence using one of the following methods:

1. Online: log the absence directly using Compass.
2. Telephone: the school office and let the staff know your child’s name, class, date of absences and reason.

Notifying the school of your child’s absence either prior to, or on the day that they will be away, helps ensure the safety and wellbeing of children and will fulfil your legal responsibility.

Why do I need to notify the school if my child is absent?

Schools need to know when and why a child is absent and you need to know if your child isn’t at school.

If your child is absent on a particular day and you have not contacted the school to explain why, the absence will be marked as unexplained.

This system also promotes daily school attendance. Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education, they learn new things every day – missing school puts them behind.

What is your responsibility?

You are legally required to ensure your child attends school every day or you must provide an explanation for their absence. You should let the school know in advance of any upcoming absences or let them know in the morning if your child won’t be at school. Avoid making routine medical and dental appointments during the school day or planning family holidays during the term.

Recognising great attendance and punctuality.

Our attendance target is 96%.  Each week, we reward the class with the highest attendance (which includes getting to school on time!), with our school mascot, Ripwell in their classroom for the week.

Congratulations to Neriah Tauvela!

For placing 10^th with a time of 2 minutes 56 seconds in her 800 metre event at Keilor Athletics Track on Thursday 23^rd October.

This was a great achievement as the winner of this event goes onto state titles. We are very proud of Neriah’s efforts and representing Thornhill Park Primary School in an outstanding manner.

Student Appointments / Arrival / Departures

We would like to make families aware of our pick up procedures for collecting students early.

If your child has an appointment and is arriving late, or departing early, or has an appointment during the term, please let your child(s) classroom teacher know via Class Dojo.

When your child is leaving early, please wait at the school office.  Office staff will call your child’s classroom/exit your child, and then your child will be brought to the office, to minimise disruptions.

Please also be mindful that it is difficult for children to hear announcements whilst out in the playground enjoying themselves, should you need to collect them during break times it may take us quite a bit longer.

Every Day Counts

The importance of regular school attendance.

At Thornhill Park Primary School, we prioritise regular school attendance. We will work with families to ensure students are in class with their peers and teachers and enjoying all the benefits that brings.

Attending school every day means experiencing what counts – the learning, friendship, fun and opportunities that can shape your child’s future.

We understand that there are times when your child will need to miss school but to ensure minimal disruption to their education, please consider scheduling family holidays or medical/dental appointments outside of school time. If your child is well enough to attend but is worried about friendships, schoolwork or exams, please encourage them to come to school. Avoiding school can make these feelings worse and can create a negative pattern of behaviour.

If your child is having difficulty attending school, talk to their teacher about getting support.

We know that parents and carers can be juggling challenges daily to get your children to school. If your child must miss school, notify us as soon as possible via Compass so we can work together to support them.

For more information about the importance of everyday attendance, see Attendance and Missing School.

Remember, Every Day Counts.

Our Learning in Years 3 & 4                      

In Year 3/4, we’ve been focusing on some exciting areas across our learning!

Reading:

Students have been deepening their comprehension skills, learning to make inferences, summarise key ideas, and think critically about what they read. We’ve been discussing stories and nonfiction texts to strengthen understanding and build confidence as independent readers.

Writing:

In writing, we’ve been exploring narrative texts. Students are learning how to plan, draft, and edit their own stories by developing interesting characters, detailed settings, and engaging plots. They’ve been working hard to use descriptive language to bring their writing to life!

Numeracy

In numeracy our focus has been on fractions. We’ve been working with halves, quarters, fifths and tenths mostly using collections to explore how fractions represent equal parts of a whole. Students have enjoyed using hands on activities to model and compare fractions in meaningful ways.

Have a nice long weekend.

Congratulations to the following students who are celebrating a birthday in October!

We hope you had a lovely day!

Jordan PG

Nika      1F

Samer  34G

Aroha   56C

 Jeremiah Perenise 2C

Eliza      34F

Vaisaili 34G

Ele         PG

Gracelyn PH

Essa      PG

Izaan     56C

Asaia    PB

Aarav    56B

Dante   PA

Noah    PC

Ally        PD

Leul       1B

Lavin    34B

Nihaaljeet 56E

Aiden    1G

Mila-Rose 56A

Hasrat 56F

Neil Eoin PA

Ekam 34B

Sophie 34D

*Please note that birthdays are only published up until the date of publication.  

Important Dates – Term 4

• Monday 3rd November – Curriculum Day (student free day)
• Tuesday 4th November – Melbourne Cup (Public Holiday)
• Thursday 6th November – ‘Living Safely with Dogs Incursion’ – Year 1
• Thursday 6th November – T20 Cricket – Year 3/4 (selected students only)
• Thursday 13th November – Soccer – Year 3/4 (selected students only)
• Friday 14th November – Maths Games Day – Year 5/6 (selected students only)
• Wednesday 3rd December – Funfields Excursion – Year 6 students only
• Thursday 4th December – End of Year Celebration & Awards (4pm – 6:30pm)
• Tuesday 9th December – Whole School Transition Day
• Wednesday 10th December – Year 2 Westgate Indoor Sports Centre Excursion
• Wednesday 10th December – Year 6 Graduation (4pm – 6pm)
• Friday 12th December – Pyjama Day Fundraiser
• Friday 19th December – Term 4 ends @ 12.30pm

If anyone would like to register their interest, via basketball.flames@outlook.com would be greatly appreciated.

Come along and try Karate! Increase your confidence, learn new physical skills and have FUN in a safe and nurturing environment.

THORNHILL PARK PRIMARY SCHOOL GYM – WEDNESDAYS 4PM (AGES 4+)

To register for 2 FREE SESSIONS, please call 0407320333 or visit our website www.artofdefence.com.au