In our classrooms

Growth Through Belonging – A Community Where Every Child Thrives

As we move through another wonderful term at GIPS, I continue to be reminded that our greatest strength is our community. Our vision, Growth Through Belonging; A Community Where Every Child Thrives, comes to life through the way we welcome others, care for one another, and work together to create the best possible environment for every child.

This term, we are delighted to welcome a group of international students who will be visiting GIPS. These students bring with them unique perspectives, cultures and experiences, providing a wonderful opportunity for all of our students to develop greater global understanding and make new friendships. I know our school community will extend the warm, inclusive welcome that GIPS is known for and help our visitors feel that they truly belong during their time with us.

I would also like to take this opportunity to update families on last term's School Council decision regarding access to the school grounds.

Over recent months, our school oval has experienced significant damage from repeated e-bike vandalism outside school hours on weekends. The extent of the damage has become increasingly concerning, with the condition of the oval reaching a point where there has been a genuine risk that it may need to be permanently closed to students for safety and maintenance reasons.

After careful consideration, School Council made the difficult decision to close the school gates on weekends as a temporary measure to help protect this valuable space. While both the school and School Council recognise that many local families enjoy using our grounds in order to connect with one another, School Council advised the school that our first responsibility is to ensure that the oval remains a safe, high-quality space for our students to learn, play and be active throughout the school week. The school supports School Council's decision and hopes that this temporary measure will have a lasting impact in deterring further vandalism. We greatly appreciate the understanding and support shown by our community as we work together to protect an important part of our school environment.

School Council will continue to monitor the situation and will review this measure at a future meeting to determine its ongoing effectiveness.

Thank you, as always, for your partnership in helping make GIPS such a welcoming and caring community. Together, we continue to create a place where every child can experience a true sense of belonging and thrive. If your child has a new international family in their classroom, please join me in welcoming them to our beautiful community.

Maddie Witter

Principal

In our prep classrooms

A WEEK OF READING IN PREP

This week our Prep classes have been having lots of fun with the big book Mrs Wishy-Washy.

Big books are a Prep favourite because everyone can clearly see both the pictures and the words, making it easy for the whole class to read and learn together. Instead of reading a story just once, we revisit the same book across the week with a different learning focus each day. Every reread helps children build confidence, develop fluency and discover something new in the story. Here's what we've been up to:

Day 1 – Predicting

Before opening the book, the children looked closely at the title and illustrations to make predictions about what they thought might happen in the story. As we read together, they revisited their ideas, checking whether their predictions were correct and discussing any surprises along the way.

Day 2 – Exploring Verbs

We hunted for action (doing) words and discovered how they help bring a story to life. We acted out the animals' actions and thought of new verbs to describe them.

Day 3 – Punctuation Detectives

Our Prep detectives searched for full stops, commas and quotation marks. We explored how punctuation helps us know when to pause, when someone is speaking and how to read with expression.

Day 4 – Retelling

Children identified the characters and setting before retelling the story using the beginning, middle and end. Retelling is a wonderful way to strengthen oral language, story structure and comprehension.

By the end of the week, our Preps are doing much more than remembering a favourite story. They are thinking like readers by making predictions, building vocabulary, understanding how stories work and noticing how authors use words and punctuation to communicate meaning.

What you can do at home:

One of the best things you can do is reread favourite books with your child. Because children already know what happens, they can focus on recognising words, reading more smoothly, noticing punctuation and talking about the author's choices.

In grade one

Maths – Making 20 with One Is a Snail, Ten Is a Crab

This week in Maths, we enjoyed reading the picture book One Is a Snail, Ten Is a Crab. We used the different animals and the number of legs they have to explore the varied ways we can make the number 20. Students drew combinations of animals and people, counted the legs and wrote matching number sentences to show their thinking. They practised checking their answers and explaining how they knew their total was 20. This fun activity helped students build their understanding of addition, number combinations and mathematical reasoning while encouraging them to explain and justify their thinking.

You could try this at home:

Challenge your child to find different ways to make 20 using everyday objects, toys or drawings. Ask them, "Can you find another way?" and "How do you know your total is 20?"
Using Uno cards, make as many combinations as you can to add up to 20 e.g. 6 + 8 + 6 = 20

In grade two

This term, as part of our Integrated Topic the Grade 2's are learning about "The History of GIPS". The kids have enjoyed looking at how the uniform has changed and some of the photos over time at GIPS. In the coming weeks, students will be looking at places within Australia that are significant to them and their families. Shortly we will begin looking at and exploring the map of Australia and learning the states, territories, and capital cities.

What you can do at home : Chat about places you've visited In Australia that are special to your family, reminiscing about memorable family holidays. Share with your children your own Primary School Journey and experiences and how things have changed over time.

In Grade Three

NAIDOC week was in the last week of school holidays. Our Grade 3 students celebrated this week and learned about the rich histories, cultures, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through a range of engaging reading activities. Students explored stories, information texts, and Dreaming stories that highlighted First Nations perspectives, connections to Country, and the importance of culture and community. We also explored the Woi Wurrung language and made our own dictionary wall. These reading tasks encouraged thoughtful discussions, strengthened literacy skills, and helped students develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of Australia's First Peoples. Through this learning, students reflected on the significance of NAIDOC Week and the importance of respect, inclusion, and reconciliation in our shared future.

To continue these discussions at home, you could ask your child what they found most interesting about the Torres Strait Islands and how life there is similar or different to their experiences.

In Grade Four

Year 4 has started Term 3 by revisiting fractions, building on their understanding of comparing and ordering fractions, finding equivalent fractions, adding and subtracting fractions with the same denominator, and converting between improper fractions and mixed numbers. Students have also explored fractions on number lines, reinforcing that fractions are numbers that can be ordered, compared and located between whole numbers.

As part of this learning, students have designed their own video games, applying their fraction knowledge in a fun and creative way. They have analysed the fraction of different character types in their games, represented collected coins and gems as fractions, and used health bars to investigate improper fractions and mixed numbers.

What you can do at home:

Ask your child to explain the video game they created and how they used fractions throughout their game. Encourage them to share what they have learnt about improper fractions, mixed numbers and fractions on number lines.

Maths Explorer (Year 3 + Year 4)

Students in the Year 3/4 Maths Explorer program have been developing their problem-solving skills by using the working backwards strategy. They have created "ladders" to organise their thinking and clearly show each step of their working out. Students have also enjoyed applying this strategy in the Cosmic Counter game, solving challenging mazes and puzzles by thinking logically and working backwards from the solution.

What you can do at home:

Ask your child to share the different problem-solving strategies they have explored during Maths Explorer. Encourage them to explain when they might use strategies such as drawing diagrams, finding patterns or working backwards to help solve a challenging problem.

In grades 5 and 6

Our students have taken over leadership of the classroom, with our newest students Nikki, Kyle and Charlie joining in on the learning!

In Performing Arts

The prep students are exploring ideas in dance ahead of the production happening later this term. Our grade 1 and 2 students are learning about place, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples connection to country, through drama. The grade 3 and 4 students have been using their active listening skills to identify different ideas and feelings across a range of music. Lastly, the grade 5 and 6 students are looking at the Blues; so far, they have explored call and response and performed the “Bo Diddley Beat”. This popular rhythm appears across a plethora of music: you’ll likely recognise it if you ask them to perform it.

In our staffroom

Staffing Announcement

Dear Glen Iris Primary School Families,

It is with mixed emotions that I share that Mrs Lee Laier will be retiring, bringing to a close an extraordinary 45-year career in education, including 30 years at Glen Iris Primary School.

For three decades, Mrs Laier has been a much-loved member of our school community. She has taught, nurtured and inspired hundreds of children, supported families through their primary school years, and made a lasting contribution to the culture of our school.

Anyone who has visited one of Mrs Laier's classrooms will know they are places where children feel safe, valued and inspired to learn. Her classrooms have always reflected her caring nature: warm, welcoming spaces where every child belonged. Mrs Laier's kindness, her wonderful sense of humour and her unmistakable laugh have brought joy to students, colleagues and families alike.

Mrs Laier has also been a mentor to many beginning teachers, generously sharing her knowledge and experience with those starting their careers. Her influence extends far beyond the students she has taught, and her legacy will continue through the many educators she has supported over the years.

This retirement comes earlier than Lee had hoped, as she and her family focus on her husband's health. We know our community will join us in wishing them strength and all the very best during this time.

On behalf of everyone at GIPS, I would like to thank Mrs Laier for her outstanding service, her unwavering dedication to our students and the incredible difference she has made over the past 30 years. She leaves with our deepest gratitude and affection and will always be a treasured part of the GIPS community.

We wish Mrs Laier and her family every happiness for the future. Miss Deutschle will be replacing Mrs Laier as 4LS teacher for the remainder of the year.

BSEM Master Class

Grace from the Berry Street Education Model visited GIPS to support teachers and education support staff in best practices for supporting students with more complex needs. Grace returns next week as we continue our Berry Street Education Model master class training.

In our community

Cyber Safe Parents – Online Safety Webinar for Parents/Guardians

⚖️ Balancing Life & Tech

When: August 3, 2026 @ 7:30pm AEST

If you’re feeling burned out from the constant "put the iPad away" arguments, this one is for you. We’ll share stress-free strategies to manage screen time, reduce conflict, and find a healthy balance between online and offline life.

Can’t attend live? Register to receive the recording and resources to watch at a time that suits you.

Make & Bake Thank You

Thank you to the entire Make & Bake team led by Nadia. Under her leadership, we raised $2257.77 going toward school furniture.

New Carpets in the Grade Two Classrooms

Thanks to the generous donations to our Building and Grounds fund by our parent community, over the school holidays our grade two classrooms and staffroom were recarpeted. This now means that the entire school has been recently recarpeted, ensuring that our students have excellence in their learning spaces.

Next up we plan to paint the exterior of the buildings. This is a costly project, and all donations to the buildings and grounds fund will be targeting this next stage of school improvement.

New iPads in the Classrooms

Thanks to the generous donations by our parent community to our Library Fund and to the anonymous donation by a family who purchased iPads, we now have 45 new iPads at the school which will bring modern technology into the hands of our middle year's students.

Thank you to the working bee

A huge thank to you our buildings and grounds school council subcommittee and all the parent helpers who supported our school at the end of last term with a much needed working bee! Our school grounds (and grates) are looking fresh and ready for some more leaves!

From Team Kids

Upcoming parenting workshop

Parking at Church Reminder

We kindly ask all GIPS families to please refrain from using the Church carpark for school drop-off, pick-up or parking purposes.

This is a private carpark reserved for church and kindergarten users only, and we have received ongoing concerns regarding its use by members of our school community. To maintain positive relationships with our neighbours and ensure access remains available for authorised users, we ask that all families respect this request.

We appreciate your cooperation and support in helping us be considerate members of the wider community.

2027 Prep Enrolments- Deadline fast approaching

Dear parent community,

Enrolments for Prep 2027 are closing the 31 July. To commence online enrolment: Visit https://students.educationapps... to create an account and complete the online application form. Please ensure that all documents required are attached to the application. A Quick Reference Guide to using the online system is available here.

Our school zone

Our school zone is available on findmyschool.vic.gov.au which hosts the most up-to-date information on school zones in Victoria. Students residing within our school zone are guaranteed a place at our school, which is determined based on your permanent residential address. Our school manages enrolments using the Placement Policy to ensure that students have access to their designated neighbourhood school and may enrol at another school, if there are available places.

Placement policy

Schools must manage enrolment applications by following the priority order of placement.

Families in the school zone are offered a place at GIPS.
Students with a sibling at the same permanent address who are attending the school at the same time
All other students in order of closeness from their permanent address to the school

Premiers' Reading Challenge

The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is now open and Glen Iris Primary School is excited to be taking part!

The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is not a competition; but a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by the 4th of September, 2026.

Children from Prep to Grade 2 are encouraged to read or ‘experience’ 30 books with their parents and teachers. All children who complete the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former premiers.

This year’s Challenge theme is ‘Stories to discover. Stories to tell’. Stories can inspire and challenge us, and help us grow. They open our eyes to new worlds and new ways of thinking.

To learn more about the Challenge, visit Premiers' Reading Challenge | vic.gov.au

You can also contact one of our Challenge Coordinators at Mary-Anne.Jansen@education.vic.gov.au (Prep to Grade 2) or Charles.Collopy-White@education.vic.gov.au (Grade 3 to 6) with any questions.

Happy reading!