Hello Wonderful EBPS Community,

As we near the end of the term, I am so proud of our students and how they have continued to embody our school values and engage wholeheartedly with their learning. I have been working closely with our school captains to refine our assembly planning, develop our upcoming podcast, and strengthen student voice across our school. It’s an exciting time for student leadership at EBPS!

With NAPLAN in full swing, I would like to extend a huge thank you to Amanda Hooper-Duffy and Michelle Mather for their dedication and effort in administering the tests so smoothly. I have also just received our annual school performance report and will soon be publishing our Annual Report to the school community - so keep an eye out for that!

Our Focus on Optimism


Optimism is a powerful trait that helps students build resilience, motivation, and a positive outlook on life. Research shows that optimistic students are more likely to persevere through challenges, have higher self-esteem, and experience greater academic success. According to psychologist Martin Seligman, optimistic people tend to interpret setbacks as temporary and solvable rather than permanent roadblocks.

As Helen Keller once said, “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.”

A great example of optimism in action is Thomas Edison, who failed thousands of times before successfully inventing the lightbulb. Rather than viewing his failures as defeats, he famously said, “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.” Encouraging our students to approach challenges with optimism will help them build lifelong resilience and confidence.

International Day of Happiness – Thursday 20th March


Next Thursday, March 20th, we celebrate The International Day of Happiness, an initiative established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012. This year’s theme is ‘Caring and Sharing’, a reminder that true happiness comes from caring for one another, feeling connected, and being part of something bigger.

To celebrate, we invite all students and staff to dress in happy colours on the day! We kindly ask for a gold coin donation, which will go towards purchasing equipment for lunchtime activities.

Our Student Community Leaders and House Captains will be spreading joy by chalking uplifting messages on school pathways and collecting gold coin donations throughout the day.

You might like to discuss these happiness-boosting actions with your child:

1. Performing a random act of kindness for someone.
2. Identifying something that brings them joy and sharing it.
3. Expressing gratitude to the people they love.
4. Promoting happiness by uplifting those around them.
5. Taking steps to create a happier environment at school and home.

Let’s make this a wonderful day filled with positivity and kindness!

Warm regards,
The Wellbeing SIT Team & Student Leaders

Thank You, John!


A big thank you to John for organizing our school swimming program, which is starting this week for Years 1 & 2.

John puts a huge amount of effort into arranging not just swimming but all the sporting activities across the school. His dedication ensures our students have fantastic opportunities to be active, learn new skills, and enjoy sport in a fun and supportive environment. Thank you, John, for everything you do!

A Big Thank You to the PCFA for the Bush Dance!


Last Friday, we held our much-anticipated Bush Dance, an event that was expertly arranged by the wonderful Rachel Jeffreys and Lisa Cleland, along with the PCFA. They consistently go above and beyond to raise funds for our school and create events that bring our community together.

The Bush Dance was a fantastic success, and I am so grateful for all the work that went into organizing it. Thank you to the PCFA for the incredible job you do! Next week, I will be sharing some photos from this wonderful event - stay tuned!

Mon 17th Mar-Tue 25th Mar       Grade 1&2 Swimming Program
Wed 19th Mar                                NAPLAN - Yr 3+5 Language 
Thur 20th Mar                                NAPLAN - Yr 3+5 Numeracy 
Wed 26th Mar-Thu 3rd Apr         Grade 3&4 Swimming Program
Sun 30th Mar                                Working Bee - Prep Areas
Wed 2nd April                                School Photo Day 

For a full view of the school calendar month - please click here

Please note - you can view the latest School calendar at any time on Compass - you can choose to view it by day, week, month or term and also choose what you want to include by clicking on the layers you want to view, ie: School Events, Public Holidays etc.

Look for this icon on Compass.



Take care, everyone, and have a great week! As always my door is open.

Kindest regards,
Sarah Spence
Principal, East Bentleigh Primary School