Dear Families and Community of EBPS,

What a wonderful week we have had! I’ve been in many classrooms, and have enjoyed seeing the great learning opportunities that our students experience.

It’s heartening to see our students settling in so well - our Preps, in particular, have done a truly wonderful job embracing their new school environment. A very special thank you goes to our Prep teachers for creating such warm, engaging spaces for our youngest learners, and to all our teachers and education support staff for their hard work during these first few weeks.

In our ongoing efforts to keep you informed about school events and updates, we will be using several methods of communication in the future—including Compass, our school website, and email updates. Very soon, we will share details on where to find the Compass calendar information and provide some useful tips on how to use it effectively. Please keep an eye out for these updates!

The Importance of Attendance: A Foundation for Success

Attendance is one of the most critical factors in a child's educational journey. Research consistently shows that students with high attendance rates tend to achieve better academic results, show higher levels of engagement, and develop stronger social skills. In fact, studies indicate that even a 1% increase in attendance can lead to measurable improvements in learning outcomes. Every day in school is a valuable opportunity to learn, grow, and build essential social skills. Consider this: if a student misses one day every fortnight, that equates to roughly 20 days missed per year. Over the course of a seven year primary school journey, that can add up to about 140 days of lost learning time. Alternatively, missing one day per month may seem less frequent—but even then, a student would miss around 9 days per year, which totals approximately 63 days over 7 years.

These missed days are not just numbers—they represent valuable learning opportunities, moments to reinforce key concepts, and time for building relationships with teachers and peers. Consistent attendance lays the groundwork for academic success and social development. Let’s work together to ensure that every school day is embraced, setting our students on a path to lifelong success.

Thursday Market

Our Thursday Market resumed this week and has already become a cherished highlight for our community! With exciting plans to grow and improve the market further, we invite you to come along and see what’s on offer - whether it’s a tasty sausage in bread or a refreshing milkshake. A heartfelt thank you to Anita for coordinating this event so beautifully. We look forward to sharing many more enjoyable moments with you at the market.

School Dogs: Enhancing Engagement and Wellbeing

We have some exciting news on the horizon for our school’s wellbeing program! Research shows that having a school dog can make a remarkable difference in the learning environment. A friendly canine companion can help reduce anxiety, promote a calm atmosphere, and encourage engagement in the classroom. Students often find that the presence of a dog not only eases stress but also enhances social interactions and improves overall focus during lessons.

We will soon be welcoming a new furry member to our team, and we can’t wait for you to meet our newest—and undoubtedly cutest—staff member. Keep an eye on our upcoming newsletters for the big reveal and for more information on how our school dog will help our students feel engaged, calm, and ready to learn. We will of course communicate closely with families before your child engages with our school doggo.

It has been a fantastic start to the school year, and I am excited for all the wonderful things ahead. As always, my door is open, and I am happy to stop for a chat.

Save the Date – Bush Dance!

Get ready to kick up your heels and join us for an exciting Bush Dance on Friday 14th March at EBPS! This fun-filled event is the perfect opportunity for our school community to come together and celebrate with music, dancing, activities, and plenty of laughter. It’s going to be an evening to remember, with something for everyone in the family.

Mark your calendars now – more details will be coming your way soon. We can’t wait to see you there!

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

Monday 10th February             School Council Meeting
Wednesday 19th February       Gr 3-6 Swimming Trials - (opt in)

Kindest Regards,

Sarah Spence

Welcome back to music for 2025!

As we welcome our new Class 3’s to the program it is an exciting time of year as we start or reestablish our skills after the break.

Lesson, Class Orchestra and Ensemble Days

Lessons will shortly be visible to parents on Compass. My apologies for this week.

Just a reminder that Class Orchestras run on the following days:

MONDAY – Class 5A and 6T

WEDNESDAY – Class 4L

Ensemble Days have now be confirmed.

Thank you to those parents who filled in the Extension Orchestra Form.

The Poll has spoken and Extension Orchestra will run on TUESDAYS 3.45 – 4:30pm.

Upper Strings will run on MONDAYS 3:45 – 4:30pm

Lower Strings will run on FRIDAYS 3:45 – 4:30pm

Soirees and Performances

As we move all our events to Compass I will also be adding these events in.

This year we will have a mixture of lunchtime, in school and afterschool events.

This allows us all to all enjoy our wonderful music program whilst allowing students to participate and parents to attend.

Friends of Melbourne Opera

I am fortunate to be Associate Concertmaster of Melbourne Opera Orchestra and as part of the organisation we are a part of their Friends of Melbourne Opera Education Program.

We are currently working on Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg by Richard Wagner which is being performed in the Royal Exhibition Building. For more information about this stunning production see: https://melbourneopera.com/project/die-meistersinger-von-nurnberg/

I am delighted to be able to offer you, on behalf of Dr Celia Thompson, students, staff, parents and guardians the following special discount tickets for the Dress Rehearsal of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg:

Date:          Friday 14 February, 2025.

Timing:       Act 1: 5:00pm to 6:30pm

                       Interval 1 = 60 minutes

                       Act 2: 7:30pm to 8:30pm

                       Interval 2 = 40 minutes

                       Act 3: 9:10pm to 11:10pm

Venue:           The Royal Exhibition Building, 9 NicholsonStreet, Carlton. 

Cost:              Students: $10; Staff, parents & guardians: $30.

All tickets can be requested through me Celia Thompson: education@melbourneopera.com

Please contact me by Monday 10 February for all ticket requests. Also, please arrive at The Royal Exhibition Building 30 minutes before the start of The Rehearsal to allow time for seat allocation.

Tae' Julien - Instrumental Music Coordinator