LPS eNews
5 June, 2025
Principal's Message
We've had some staff changes. As the current teacher shortage has impacted the options for replacing some teachers, we have been shuffling our very flexible staff. Mrs Leah Maker is now teaching Prep P, after Ms Alice Peacock started maternity leave. Mrs Liz Murdoch has extended her days at LPS to also teach Year 4B on Wednesdays. Mrs Samantha Crow returns from parental leave this week and will be teaching Year 4R for two days each week from next term.
Mrs Jami Richards is now teaching Year 2A, following the resignation of Mrs Jade Allin. We plan to fill Jade's role for the remainder of the year, and thank Jami for stepping in temporarily. Until another teacher is employed, Spanish classes will unfortunately be suspended.
Schools are also experiencing extreme shortages of Casual Relief Teachers. Whilst we try to avoid splitting classes, this may become necessary. Many of our staff (including me!) have been unwell over the last few weeks. Before Winter even started, LPS has certainly had its share of COVID-19, influenza, Rhinovirus infections and respiratory illesses including RSV, along with gastrointestinal problems. Parents can help us prevent the spread of viruses by maintaining child immunisations and keeping unwell children at home, where they should be. If your child has any symptoms of illness, please take these seriously.
Parents may like to note the dates for our Term 3 parent-teacher meetings, which are scheduled earlier this year as a result of the Department's changes to student reports. As seen on our Event Calendar, these will be held on Thursday 24 July and Tuesday 29 July. The next eNews will have more details about Sentral bookings for these, which will open during the term holidays.
After careful consideration during a Department of Education tender process, School Council has awarded our Out of School Hours Care programs to TeamKids. Over the next few weeks, TeamKids will provide information, in multiple languages, to assist parents and carers to register with the new provider. The next page of this enews contains some of that important information.
This means that OSHClub will be finishing their service to LPS at the end of this term, with TeamKids starting their Vacation Care program on Monday 7 July 2025.
OSHClub were first awarded the licence for OSHC in 2018. Thank you to all their staff who have worked with our students since that time and best wishes for the future.
Kim
Our Vision: Learn • Thrive • Contribute
TeamKids: Out of School Hours Care
School Council has selected TeamKids as our new Before, After, and Vacation Care service provider. Their OSHC program will commence on Monday 7th July, with vacation care, followed by Before and After School Care starting on Monday 21st July.
Registration is free, but essential, before your child can attend the service.
New to TeamKids?
- Visit www.teamkids.com.au, select our school’s program, and follow the enrolment instructions to register your child and add bookings.
- Our school's direct link is
https://www.teamkids.com.au/venues/laburnum-primary-oshc/ - Parents can now register and book in for Before, After and Vacation Care, starting from 7 July.
Used TeamKids before?
- Contact TeamKids’ Customer Service Team to link your account to our school. Once linked, you’ll just need to add your desired bookings.
TeamKids’ friendly local Customer Service team is always ready to assist. If you have any questions or need support, please reach out via:
- Email: info@teamkids.com.au
- Phone: 1300 035 000 (press #1)
We’re looking forward to this new partnership with TeamKids and the fantastic OSHC experience they’ll provide for all families.
Service, Parent Fees & Times
SESSION | TIMES | COST TO PARENTS | AFTER MAX CCS |
Before School Care | 7:00AM – 8:45AM | $20.68 | $2.07 |
After School Care | 3:30PM – 6:00PM | $27.57 | $2.76 |
Curriculum Days | 7:00AM – 6:00PM | $62.68 | $6.27 |
Vacation Care | 7:00AM – 6:00PM | $62.68 | $6.27 |
Our Vision: Learn • Thrive • Contribute
What's Happening?
Congratulations to our Division Cross Country runners who competed at the challenging Ruffey Lake Park course last Monday. Emma B and Oliver L have now progressed through to Regionals. An outstanding effort!
Thank you to the parents who volunteered their time on the day. Your support is much appreciated.
The JSC are hosting a gold coin Free Dress Day on Friday 20 June as a
fundraiser for the Cancer Council. The JSC has identified that different cancers are often associated with specific colours to raise awareness and support. Students might like to come dressed in a colour that has special meaning to them. Every dollar raised will go towards helping people whose lives have been affected by cancer. We thank our school community for supporting this JSC initiative.
First Aid news
Please return all annual medical forms that were distributed to some families in early May. These are important updates to ensure we maintain accurate Health records.
If you have any spare uniforms to donate to the first aid room, e.g. track pants, t-shirts, dresses and jumpers in sizes 4, 6, 8 & 10, they would be appreciated.
Thank you!
Our Vision: Learn • Thrive • Contribute
Prep
This term in inquiry we have been learning about cultures and celebrating differences. During Education Week, we had families come into the classroom and help us with our learning. We made posters together to share information about our culture, such as our family backgrounds, celebrations and foods we enjoy eating together. Here are some of our fantastic posters!
Thank you to all of our wonderful families for sharing this learning experience with us. It was terrific to see so many smiling faces! We are excited to continue learning about different cultures and are looking forward to sharing recipes from our families.
Curiosity • Respect • Integrity • Resilience
ICAS
The ICAS test (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools) is an independent, skills-based assessment program, designed to match and test skills in key curriculum areas.
You can read more about the ICAS tests here.
This year Laburnum Primary School will again participate in the ICAS competitions for English, Mathematics and Science.
As ICAS is an extracurricular activity, entry is available to LPS students in Years 4, 5 and 6 ONLY.
Testing sessions will be held before school on the following dates:
- English ICAS test – Wednesday 13 August
- Science ICAS test – Wednesday 20 August
- Maths ICAS test – Wednesday 27 August
Families enrol their child through the ICAS Parent Payment System. Follow the link below, and use the school access code to enrol your child. The Parent Payment System will close on Monday 28 July. Please understand that we will not be processing any registrations after this date.
Your parent page link is: https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps
School access code: ZPF593
More information will be provided closer to the test dates.
Our Vision: Learn • Thrive • Contribute
Senior School - Years 5 & 6
Vertical Learning Spaces
The vertical whiteboards in our classrooms have changed the way students in Year 5 are learning. Working on the erasable surfaces in groups has allowed the students to solve problems, share their understanding and represent their thinking visually, and resulted in a deeper understanding of what they are learning.
What do you like about the vertical whiteboards?
- It helps me make a clear picture of what I am learning - Charlie Z
- I can share my personality of learning and knowledge with others – Jayden L
- You can write on it and the teacher can see your working out so we know where we can improve - Daniel W
Swimming
Students have spent a week at Nunawading Aquatic Centre honing their swimming skills and learning how to stay safe in the water.
What was the best thing about swimming?
- I like how we learn to do free style and like how at the end we do multiple fun activities – Cooper N
- It was really fun and you got to learn about different ways to do freestyle and back stroke -Isobel L
Year 6
Reporting the Storm: Writing Powerful Information Reports on Natural Disasters
The Year 6 students have been working hard on writing information reports about natural disasters and extreme weather events. After being exposed to some of these natural disasters, students selected a topic which interested them such as floods, volcanic eruptions, blizzards, and tsunamis.
Students began researching to find out what causes these events, how they affect people/environments and compared their chosen topic to another natural disaster or extreme weather phenomenon.
As part of their learning, students discovered how to use a clear and confident author’s voice, include technical language related to their topic, and organise their information report with engaging features such as sub-headings, diagrams, and labelled sections.
It has been fantastic to see their curiosity and creativity shine through as students build their knowledge and inform their audience!
Culture, Community, and Classrooms: It's Education Week!
We also celebrated Education Week with a special focus on the many diverse cultures that make up our school community. One of the highlights was our Cultural Expo, where students proudly shared parts of their heritage with their peers, teacher and families.
Our classrooms were filled with colourful displays, including artefacts, traditional clothing, photos, and posters that told the stories of students’ cultures. It was a fantastic opportunity for everyone to learn more about each other, ask questions and appreciate the richness and uniqueness of different backgrounds.
It was a joyful celebration of identity, inclusion and connection. We hope you had fun visiting our expo!
Curiosity • Respect • Integrity • Resilience
Specialists: P.E
BDPSSA District Cross Country
59 students from Year 3-6 recently participated in the BDPSSA (Blackburn District Primary Schools Sports Association) District Cross Country Carnival at Ruffey Lake Park. We were fortunate to have perfect weather, with the sun 
shining and our runners full of energy, ready to take on the course.
One of the most challenging parts of the event was conquering a massive hill, but every student displayed incredible resilience as they powered their way up it. It was truly inspiring to witness their determination and grit.
Throughout the day, each student exhibited outstanding sportsmanship and a positive attitude, making it a memorable experience for all involved. A heartfelt thank you goes to the parents who volunteered their time and supported the event in various roles. Your contributions were invaluable and played a key role in ensuring everything ran smoothly.
We're also excited to share that twelve of our students advanced to the Division Cross Country competition—an incredible achievement! This was again held at Ruffey Lake Park.
Special congratulations go to Emma B and Oliver L who both finished in the top 10 and therefore earned a spot at the upcoming Regional Cross Country Championships. We wish them both all the best!
District Runners:
Year 3 Lucas B, Isaac O, Arthur H, Chloe K, Lucas O
Year 4 Neve L, Eilidh C, Yuki J, Anna O, Alex M, Livinia E, Emmy C, Aham G, Amelia H, Nicholas C, Jack M,
Ashton H, Kinnan G
Year 5 Michelle D, Sava O, Gargi B, Nancy H, Amy D, Abigail B, Emma B, Christopher C, Sam O, Jeehan P,
Kienan T, Odette B, Lydia S, Samuel V, Sam G, Lucas G, Jamie M
Year 6 Alexia V, Chuck Z, Isabel C, Catherine J, Lachlan M, Oliver L, Freddy S, Josie H, Summie C, Nicole L, Ella H, Eleas P, Jesse B, Mia D, Riya B, Okan Y, Elmie B, Xier L, James M, Ava W, Nathan S, Marko D,
Liam T, Ethan Z
Division Runners:
Year 3 Lucas B
Year 4 Neve L, Nicholas C
Year 5 Sava O, Emma B, Samuel V
Year 6 Isabel C, Lachlan M, Oliver L, Mia D, Elmie B, Xier L
Year 6 Update
A reminder that the Year 6 Summer Sports Round Robin Tournament will be held in Term 3 on Friday 12 September. Our teams will be competing against 7 other schools in our district at various locations in Basketball, Volleyball/Stars, Tennis Hot Shots, and Cricket.
Prep - Year 2
Students have been learning the Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) of underarm roll and underarm throw and catch. They have then been using these skills in a variety of modified games and activities.
Year 3 - 6
Students have been learning about ‘Striking and Fielding games’ in our Game Sense unit with an emphasis on sports such as Baseball, T-ball, Cricket, Softball, and Kickball.
We do require parent helpers to assist on the day (Thursday 7 August) from:
- 9.00-12.00pm
- 12.00-3.30 pm
- All day
If you are able to help, please notify Mr Marikar via Sentral indicating your available time.
Please note, that you must have a current Working with Children check to assist on the day.
A reminder also that parent helpers cannot take any photos during student events.
Curiosity • Respect • Integrity • Resilience
Contribute: Parents Group News
Lunch Orders – More Helpers Needed!
We are seeking lots of parent volunteers to help pack and distribute lunch orders in term 2. If you can spare about 1 hour on a Wednesday or a Friday at 11.15am, please sign up here: https://signup.com/go/CNbQDJF
We rely on parent helpers for lunch orders to run, so please consider volunteering if you can.
Please note you must have a valid working with children’s check (WWCC) to volunteer at school.
Join LPS Parents Group!
Are you interested in joining LPS Parents Group? Joining Parents Group is a good way to get to know other members of the LPS community. We meet once per term and collaborate to organise fundraising and community events for Laburnum Primary School.
If you’d like to join our WhatsApp group, please send an email to: parentsgroup.lps@gmail.com
Entertainment App Membership
Your Membership to The Entertainment App will save you up to 50% on dining, shopping and activities – all while supporting our school!
For more information or to purchase your membership, please click the link here: https://subscribe.entertainment.com.au/fundraiser/185r982
LABURNUM PRIMARY SCHOOL
SECOND-HAND UNIFORM SHOP
OPEN First Friday of the Month: Term Time Only: 3.00 pm - 4.00 pm Thank you, |
ALL DONATIONS VERY WELCOME Please ensure donations are washed, clean and in good condition. Only school branded clothing (i.e. no Target, Kmart, Big W, etc. brands). nds). |
Curiosity • Respect • Integrity • Resilience
Contribute: Community News
Click on these links below for Community News or information:
 Click on the OSHClub logo to read this week's OSHClub news. OSHClub Registration - please register your child - it's free to register and you'll always have that option for childcare, even in unexpected circumstances. |
 Please click Chess Club image for registration |
 Please click here to view information and registration for Digimaker. |
 Please click here for information for the June Open Day |