We're sorry this eNews is reaching you later than usual. Although we don't know much about the global software issue affecting schools last week, our website and Sentral are now back to normal.

We’re delighted that a group of our Grade 6 students has won first place in a Maths competition involving 210 teams from many schools, with our Grade 5 team achieving an impressive 15th place.

As part of our school's RISE (Recognising Individual Student Excellence) program, and The Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series, (VCES) eight students were selected to attend The Victorian Mathematics Games Challenge. The challenge is an engaging six-part competition designed specifically for high ability students in Years 5-10, in collaboration with organisations Think Squared and the Mathematical Association of Victoria. 

Eight of our Grade 5 and 6 students have participated in sessions between March and August. Congratulations to the following students:

• Grade 5: Lucy C, Caden T, Anara W, Samuel W
• Grade 6: Joshua C, Venice H, Samuel O, Lydia S.

We feel fortunate to have dedicated and caring teachers at LPS. Please join us by simply saying thank you to them on Friday, to celebrate and recognise their contributions and impact. 

This week's School Council meeting approved some starting school arrangements for 2027:

• LPS will have a student-free day on Thursday 28 January. All Grades 1 - 6 students start school on Friday 29 January; and
• Starting arrangements for Prep 2027 are as follows:

As usual, these dates have been listed on our Term Dates and Student Free Days website page. When we know the implementation plan for the new Victorian Government Schools Agreement, and focus areas for our new School Strategic Plan, we can start planning remaining 2027 student-free days.

Finally, with teachers currently working on Semester 2 reports, we plan to offer optional parent-teacher meetings for those parents who need to discuss their child's report. At this stage, most teachers should be available if required after school on Monday 7 December. Please mark your calendars; further details will be published in eNews later this term.

Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute

Congratulations to our Grade 6 boys basketball team who competed in the Division finals on Tuesday. Although St Thomas was the eventual winner by four goals after a hard fought final game with LPS, we are all very proud of their achievements!

Please save these important dates!

We welcome all families to our Term 4 Learning Expos. 

• Prep - Friday 6 November from 9.00-10.00am
  
• Grade 2 - Monday 7 December from 2.45-3.15pm
• Grade 1 - Tuesday 8 December from 2.45-3.15pm
• Grade 3 & 4 - Wednesday 9 December from 9.15-9.45am
  
• Grade 5 – Wednesday 11 November from 9.15-9.45am
• Grade 6 – Friday 20 November from 9.15-9.45am

Class of 2026

After their official Graduation ceremony, we will be farewelling our Class of 2026 Grade 6 students at a special final assembly for the year on Friday 18 December at 9.15 am in the hall. We invite all parents to attend this special assembly.

Following assembly, we would like to invite all Grade 6 parents/carers to meet for morning tea in the Staff Community Centre.

Medical forms

In preparation for the new school year, some student medical forms or medical action plans will be sent out over the next few weeks to be updated. If you receive forms for your child, please return them to the office by Friday 20 November.

If your child has recently been diagnosed with a medical condition that we should know about, please visit our Forms page to complete the writable pdf form, or email our office.

A friendly reminder...
2027 class placements

Many factors are taken into account when placing students in class groups for the following year. Underlying this process are our school values and, as Resilience is something we aim for all students to develop, mixing with different students each year is both desirable and carefully planned.

During Term 4, all students have an opportunity to nominate other children they would like to have in their class. We can usually guarantee that one of these requests is met. This process is undertaken with their class teacher at school, so parents do not need to make requests on behalf of their child.

If parents have a particular request that is separate to your child's own preferences, these should be made in writing by email to laburnum.ps@education.vic.gov.au and addressed to the Principal (not your child’s teacher). They must be received by Wednesday 4 November. These are then considered along with those of other families, teachers and students. 

As in previous years, please do not ask for specific teachers for 2027, or make friend requests on behalf of your child, as these requests will not be considered. We also respectfully ask that your requests are reasonable. If necessary, please limit these to one or two requests per child so they can be manageable as we try to juggle competing and often conflicting priorities.

Due to the complex process involved, late requests cannot be accepted.

Our Vision    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute

Grade 1

Two of the same? That’s double the fun! Grade 1 students have been learning to use known doubles facts, such as 8 + 8 = 16, to help them solve near doubles, such as 8 + 9. By recognising that 9 is one more than 8, they can use their doubles knowledge to work out the answer quickly and efficiently. To help them remember these handy mental Maths strategies, students have created their own 'Doubles' anchor charts.

Later in the term, students will put their new skills into practice by using these strategies to solve worded problems.   
                                    

In Science, students have been exploring the wonders of the sky and beyond. They began by comparing the daytime and night time skies, then headed outside to observe and record what they could see, including the clouds and other features of the sky.

They then blasted off on a journey through our Solar System! Students explored the eight planets, discovering their order from the Sun, appearance and interesting facts. Students then discussed whether they would visit each planet and explained their reasons. Here are some below...

I wouldn’t like to visit Venus because it’s the hottest planet in the Solar System. – Kearley

I would not go to Jupiter because it’s too gassy and stinky. – Belle

I wouldn’t go to Uranus because it’s too cold. It gets below -200 degrees! – Flynn

I wouldn’t like to live on Mercury because it only has 88 Earth days. That’s too short and I want more time to have fun! - Ellie

Grade 2

It has been a great start to term 4! Students have returned from holidays refreshed and ready to learn. In Maths, students have been looking at different modes of data, including how they can create their own questions, collect that data and then display it. We have had a major focus on picture graphs and bar graphs and how we read these graphs to assess the information we have collected.

                               

In Reading and Writing, we have been looking at persuasive texts, with a focus on advertisements, and how some of the features persuade us as readers. Working in pairs, students took this learning and created their own advertisements. There was a focus on the many different features of advertisements when creating their own product, with high emphasis on vocabulary and layout of the overall design.

                               

Curiosity  •   Respect  •  Integrity  •  Resilience

From Jenni de Villa, Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader

Respectful Relationships education is an important part of the Victorian Curriculum from Prep to Year 12. It helps build a school community where everyone is treated with respect, kindness and fairness.

At Laburnum Primary School, Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RR&RR) is incorporated into the curriculum alongside elements of School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS).

Each week, students take part in a clear and structured wellbeing lesson. These lessons help build social and emotional skills step by step, in a way that supports all learners. RR&RR cover eight topics of Social and Emotional Learning.

This term, the following topics are being taught in classrooms:

• Prep – Gender Norms and Stereotypes and Positive Gender Relationships
  
  
• Grade 1, 3 and 5 – Gender Norms and Stereotypes
  
  
• Grade 2, 4 and 6 – Positive Gender Relationships

Have a look at the conversation cards below and consider discussing these as a family over the next few weeks.

Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute

Grade 3
Swimming Success!

Students had a fantastic two weeks participating in swimming. They developed their familiarity in water, practised a range of stroke skills and strengthened their understanding of water safety. As the sessions progressed, it was wonderful to see students becoming more confident and comfortable in the water, while challenging themselves to improve their swimming skills and technique.

One session was dedicated to a special Water Safety Day, where students explored important strategies for staying safe in and around water, including how to respond to different situations and make safe choices.

During the fun-filled final Friday for swimming, students had the opportunity to put their skills into practice, enjoy some water-based activities and celebrate their achievements with their classmates. Well done everyone on your enthusiasm, perseverance and positive attitude throughout the program!

Grade 3 Expo

The Grade 3 Expo gave students the opportunity to celebrate and share their learning. They proudly displayed the dioramas they created, demonstrating their understanding of the water cycle with careful attention to detail.
They also presented their explanation texts about the water cycle. As this was the first time our students have written an explanation text, we are incredibly proud of the effort, persistence and learning they demonstrated throughout the writing process, as well as the quality of the finished pieces.

It was fantastic to see students sharing their knowledge and learning with such confidence. A big thank you to all the families who attended and helped us celebrate this special learning experience with our students!

Statistics in Mathematics

Students have been investigating statistics and finding ways to connect their learning with real-life data.

As part of our water conservation inquiry topic, students completed a tally around the school to find out how many taps, toilets, dishwashers, water fountains and other water-related facilities we have.

They also put their data-collection skills into action during our Footy Colours Day by polling one another about AFL, NRL, Soccer and Jianzi. They then considered which type of graph would be the most effective way to display the data and communicate their findings.

It has been wonderful to see students collecting, representing and discussing data while making meaningful connections between Mathematics and our school community.

In Science, our new unit on Forces has seen students activate prior knowledge and thinking about the different ways forces can affect objects.
Students then explored the idea of forces through ‘Caine’s Arcade’, using these as inspiration for their own future arcade creations.

They have also been introduced to key scientific vocabulary, matching important force-related terms with their definitions, building a shared language for the unit.

Students will be investigating, designing and creating their own arcade-style games using materials such as cardboard, bottle tops and other recycled craft items.

Curiosity  •   Respect  •  Integrity  •  Resilience

Inquiry Term 4

This term, 'Creativity', is the focus involving multiple curriculum areas. As well as these Inquiry units, all students will study Science concepts.

Prep
Bridge and Beyond: Creativity

Prep students will discover the properties and uses of different materials and use words to describe them. They will learn to make and test predictions and compare their results with their predictions. Using the story of the Three Billy Goats, students will work in pairs throughout the unit to create models of a goat, troll, and bridge using different materials. They will use their models to act out their own version of the story and share their learning in the 'Bridge and Beyond Expo.

Prep EXPO: Friday 6 November 9 - 10am

Grades 1 & 2
Robot Buddies

Grade 1 and 2 students will design creative solutions to problems and improve designs using the BAR Key. They will work collaboratively to design and build a 'robot buddy' in a group of three using craft and/or recyclable materials. Students will learn how to follow and write a simple computer program which will highlight the importance of accuracy and precision. They will work in their group to create a program to instruct their robot to help them with a task in the bedroom before sharing their robots and programs at an exhibition.

Grade 2 Expo: Monday 7 December 2.45 - 3.15pm

Grade 1 Expo: Tuesday 8 December 2.45 - 3.15pm

Grades 3 & 4
Frame By Frame

Grade 3 and 4 students will practise thinking creatively as they explore different ways to tell stories through animation. They will create a simple story and learn how to animate using simple materials. Students will work on developing characters and/or settings for their animation. Their animation will tell part of a story, using one of the simple techniques we have learnt about this term such as flip books, art - paintings, etc, symbols (similar to how our indigenous cultures tell stories), thaumatrope, agamograph (optical illusions) or a phenakistoscope.

Grade 3 & 4 Expo: Wednesday 9 December 9:15am – 9:45am

Grades 5 & 6
Bizarre Bazaar

Grade 5 and 6 students will gain a real-life understanding of the design and production process and the different resources and sales tactics used to create and market products. They will brainstorm an idea for a product and conduct market research to refine it. Students will work in groups to prototype and produce their product using craft and recyclable materials. Their products will be sold at a school market called 'Bizarre Bazaar,' using play money.

Grade 5 Expo: Wednesday 11 Nov at 9:15am – 9:45am

Grade 6 Expo: Friday 20 November 9:15am – 9:45am

Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute

LPS students proudly represented Laburnum Primary School at the Whitehorse District Athletics Carnival on the first day back this term. The carnival provided an exciting opportunity for students to demonstrate the skills, commitment and determination they have developed through training and school sport.

Students competed in events, including shot put, discus, triple jump, long jump, 100 metre and 200 metre sprints, 800 metre and 1500 metre races, and the 4 x 100 metre relay. Throughout the day, our team performed at its best while showing outstanding sportsmanship, teamwork and respect for fellow competitors and event officials.

Students who achieved the qualifying standard progressed to the Whitehorse Division Athletics Carnival with a further 16 students participating in the Eastern Metropolitan Region (EMR) Arthletics carnival today.

Congratulations to all students who have participated in these events. We are very proud of your achievements on the track.

What's Happening in PE ?

Prep
Students are developing their kicking skills through activities that use balls of different sizes, shapes and textures. They are learning how to adjust their technique while building balance, coordination and foot to eye accuracy. These engaging activities are helping them develop confidence and control when kicking.

Grades 1 and 2
With a focus on throwing and catching skills, students will be given opportunities to practise underarm and overarm throws and chest passes while developing their ability to track and catch a moving ball. These essential skills strengthen hand to eye coordination and provide a strong foundation for participation in many sports.

Grades 3 - 6
Using our new golf equipment, students  will learn to develop a safe and effective grip, stance and swing while building precision, focus and control. This is a fantastic opportunity for them to experience golf, challenge themselves and develop skills they can continue to enjoy beyond school. As the term progresses, skills will be applied across a variety of engaging target games.

Level Sport:
Level Sport provides additional opportunities to practise movement skills, apply learning and build confidence through active participation. 

Prep, Grades 1 and 2
Students will take part in a rotation of Perceptual Motor Program activities to develop balance, coordination, ball handling, accuracy, agility and skipping. They will also participate in mini athletics activities that introduce running, jumping and throwing in an accessible and enjoyable format.

Grade 3 and 4
During target games, students will apply the skills developed during PE in a range of individual and team challenges, with an emphasis on accuracy, decision making, control, teamwork and fair play.

Grade 5 and 6
Grades 5 and 6 will also develop their target game skills through structured challenges and modified games. From approximately Week 5, students will move into a competition style Level Sport program. This will give them the opportunity to compete against one another, apply tactics in game situations and continue developing teamwork, leadership and sportsmanship.

Curiosity  •   Respect  •  Integrity  •  Resilience

Details of our Extracurricular Activities for Term 4 are listed below, with a weekly schedule further down this page. 

As teachers will organise the school-based activities and remind students about these, there is no need for parents to register, unless there is a cost for the activity.

Please note that Chess Club requires registration. Chess Club is led by external providers, with a cost involved, if you would like your child to participate. Please see the Contribute page for further information.

Choir (Grades 3 - 5)
An opportunity for a weekly choir experience with our Performing Arts teacher.

Joggers Club
Joggers Club is supervised by our House Captains. Students from Grades 1 - 6 can run, walk or jog laps of the athletics track. 

Chess Club*
The Chess Club at Laburnum P.S. is run by “Chess Ideas”. There is always a free trial session at the beginning of each term. The children are instructed in two small groups, where a new skill or strategy is introduced, followed by a game and is supervised at all times by a teacher from the school.
Please see the Contribute page for further information.

Junior School Council
The Junior School Council provides an avenue for 'student voice' and to contribute positively to the school community. It allows students the opportunity to experience leadership at Laburnum Primary School and consists of two student representatives from each class in Grades 1 to 6. Through active involvement, the Junior School Council encourages student participation within the decision making processes for fundraising, presentations, school events, charity focuses and school recommendations.

Art Club
This term, students from Grades 4, 5 & 6 are invited to come to the Art Room to participate in structured activities, enter competitions and work on personal or group projects. 

Some activities will be led by our Art Captains Ananya and Zach.

Library
The library is open for students to return and borrow books. They also have the opportunity to read quietly, share a story, choose an activity including craft, chess, puzzles, construction blocks and board games. Our friendly Grade 6 library captains are always on hand to assist students.

Green Team
Green Team leaders work with students across the school to promote sustainability at Laburnum Primary School. During Term 2 students have an opportunity to join Green Team. Activities around school include keeping Laburnum PS free of rubbish, working in the kitchen garden (pulling out weeds, planting new seeds and watching and taking care of our produce) and also thinking of ways our school can be environmentally friendly.

Instrumental Music lessons
If you would like to register an Expression of Interest for private instrumental lessons at LPS, external instrumental tutors are available to teach the following instruments - violin, viola, percussion, guitar, piano, drums.

Instrumental Music lessons at LPS are only available for students in Grades 1-6. Please see the Forms page to register. Instrumental Tutors invoice parents directly for these lessons at school.


Extracurricular Timetable - Term 4 2026

Curiosity  •   Respect  •  Integrity  •  Resilience

Mango Fundraiser

Last days to order Mangoes! Orders close Friday 23rd October. $30 a tray, delivery is expected in early December, all profits support Laburnum Primary School. Visit this link to get your box of delicious mangoes: https://www.trybooking.com/DPVJP

Family Photo Fundraiser

Need a beautiful family portrait? Book a professional outdoor session at Kalang Park, and 100% of the $30 fee goes straight back to Laburnum Primary!

When: Saturday, November 7th & Sunday, November 8th

Where: Kalang Park

Cost: $30 (includes your outdoor session + 1 high-resolution digital image)

Choose from over 50 poses; entire family or just the kids! No obligation to purchase extra photos.

Spots are filling up fast! Scan the QR code on the flyer or use the links below to secure your time:

Book here for Saturday, Nov 7th  OR

Book here for Sunday, Nov 8th

Entertainment Subscription - Buy yours today!

Purchase an Entertainment subscription and access hundreds of discounts and vouchers with your 1 year subscription. More information can be found here: ttps://www.entertainment.com.au/

Curiosity  •   Respect  •  Integrity  •  Resilience

From Jenni de Villa and Chris Rodgers

Grade 5 Stand-Up Leaders in Action

The Stand-Up Leaders have continued their leadership journey this term by preparing and delivering lessons to the Grade 3 and 4 students. These focused on an important anti-bullying message and taught the students strategies for standing up for themselves and others, while promoting kindness, respect and inclusion across our school.

To prepare, the leaders participated in a workshop led by Megan Byrne, a facilitator from the Stand-Up Project (SUP). They explored ways to manage nerves, refocus a class and work together to deliver their presentations with confidence.

The SUP Leaders then delivered their first lesson, exploring different types of behaviour, including friendship fires, being mean on purpose and bullying. Afterwards, they reflected on their presentations, celebrating what went well and identified areas for improvement.

The leaders put their reflections into practice when delivering their next lesson, which focused on how to be an upstander. They shared practical strategies to help Grade 3 and 4 students recognise when someone needs support and take positive action to stand up for others.

This experience has provided a valuable opportunity for our Grade 5 leaders to build confidence, strengthen their communication and presentation skills, and grow as positive role models within our school community. We are incredibly proud of the maturity, leadership and confidence they have demonstrated throughout their SUP Leader journey. They have represented our school values and showed a genuine commitment to helping make our school a safe, respectful and supportive place for everyone.

Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute

It's time to save the date for the next Fathering Project event......

And remember....
It's never too late to join The Fathering Project! If you would like to join, use the QR code below.

Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute

TeamKids Out of School Hours Care: Please register your child here - it's free to register and you'll always have that option for childcare, even in unexpected circumstances. More information is on our website here.

Please click on the Chess Club image for Term 4 registration.

Please click on the logo for information for Term 4 classes.

Our Vision:    Learn   •   Thrive  •   Contribute