Your Generosity in Action: School Improvements at GIPS

It has been wonderful to see the continued improvements across GIPS, many of which have been made possible through the incredible generosity of our school community.

Our recent painting upgrades have given areas of the school a fresh, welcoming appearance, contributing to the beautiful learning environment we are continuing to create for our students. These improvements have been supported by the generous contributions families have made to our Building and Grounds Fund. We look forward to works later this year upgrading the external main building.

Thanks to the fantastic fundraising efforts of our students and families through our Walk-a-thon, our new outdoor assembly area is soon taking shape! We are hopeful that this exciting new space will be ready by mid-November. Once completed, it will provide a wonderful gathering place for our whole school community, including assemblies, celebrations and other special events.

Our Library Fund contributions have also made a significant difference to the learning resources available across the school. Thanks to your generosity, we have been able to invest in books across the school, helping to ensure our students have access to engaging, high-quality reading materials that foster a love of reading and support their learning.

Thanks to our incredible School Council leading a furniture fundraiser, we have already upgraded all chairs in the building and new desks in prep, 1GL, grade 5 and grade 6.

These projects are a wonderful reminder of what we can achieve when our school community comes together. Every contribution, whether through voluntary payments, fundraising events or the generous donation of time, helps us create an even better learning environment for our students.

Thank you to our GIPS families for your ongoing generosity and support. We are incredibly fortunate to have such a committed community that continues to invest in the experiences and opportunities we provide for every child.

In prep

Prep Breakfast

Our Preps had a very special start to the day last Friday at our Prep Breakfast! Arriving in their pyjamas, the children enjoyed breakfast together before washing their dishes and getting dressed for the school day. The teachers were so impressed with their growing independence. We have some future campers ready to go!

To prepare for our breakfast adventure, students practised writing a packing list and checking off items to make sure they had everything they needed. These little steps help build independence and develop organisational skills.

A huge thank you to our fantastic parent volunteers who joined us bright and early. They helped make the morning a fun and memorable experience for everyone.

What can you do at home?

Help your child build their independence by checking the weekly schedule together and encouraging them to pack their school bag for the following day. Do they have their book bag, library bag or Show and Tell item on the correct day? Can they put their bag away independently in the classroom and unpack the items they need for the day ahead? These little routines help children learn to organise themselves, keep track of their belongings and prepare for the day's events – all valuable skills for school and future camps!

In grade one

Year 1 Mathematics: Building Number Sense

Our Year 1 students continue to consolidate their existing knowledge of number through hands-on mathematical investigations. They are enriching their understanding of place value by exploring how two- and three-digit numbers can be broken apart, or partitioned, into smaller parts and then recombined to make the original number. These experiences help students strengthen their number sense, make connections between different representations of numbers and develop increasingly flexible strategies for solving mathematical problems.

Using Multibase Arithmetic Blocks (MAB), students are learning to identify the value of each digit in a number by representing hundreds, tens and ones. For example, the number 246 can be partitioned into 2 hundreds, 4 tens and 6 ones, or 200 + 40 + 6. They are demonstrating how to physically build numbers, represent them pictorially and test their knowledge by separating the blocks into smaller groups. Students can demonstrate how numbers are constructed and explain how the different parts work together.

Our students are also exploring different ways to record their mathematical thinking. They use hands-on materials, drawings, numerals and number sentences to represent their findings. Moving between these different representations helps students make connections between concrete materials and abstract mathematical ideas. It also encourages them to explain their strategies, compare approaches and recognise that numbers can sometimes be partitioned in different ways.

How can you build on this learning at home?

Everyday activities provide wonderful opportunities to practise place value. Try using collections of objects, such as Lego bricks, buttons or pasta, to make groups of ten and count larger quantities. When looking at a two- or three-digit number, ask your child how many hundreds, tens and ones it contains. For example, you might ask, “How could we break apart the number 135?” Ask questions like, “What does the 3 represent in 135?” or “What happens if we add another ten?” These simple conversations help children connect classroom learning with the world around them.

As the photographs show, exploring numbers through hands-on activities provides our Year 1 students with opportunities to be active, curious and engaged learners. These experiences foster enjoyment and confidence in their own thinking, encouraging students to see themselves as capable mathematicians who are willing to explore, experiment, and visualise numbers in different ways.

In grade two

Last week in Maths, our Grade 2 students were exploring place value, with a focus on renaming three-digit numbers in different ways. We learnt that numbers can be represented using hundreds, tens and ones and that these can be regrouped without changing the value of the number. For example, 345 can be represented as 3 hundreds, 4 tens and 5 ones or 2 hundreds, 14 tens and 5 ones. Students have been using hands on materials, place value charts and number challenges to develop their understanding and flexibility with numbers.

How you can help at home :

Choose a 3 digit number and challenge your child to represent it as many different ways as possible. Encourage them to explain their thinking!

In grade three

Grade 3 have been working very hard building our knowledge of fractions and decimal fractions. On Tuesday, we applied our knowledge by way of timing ourselves running on the oval. We ran the same distance three times and recorded how many whole seconds, tenths of a second and hundredths of a second. We also ordered them from slowest to fastest.

You can support this learning at home by identifying where fractions or decimal fractions are used in daily life. You can also compare these fractions to a half, work out if a fraction is larger or smaller and discuss how you know.

You can also make connections to our Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Happy Me integrated unit and discuss how our body feels after some extended movement. What changes to different parts of your body do you notice after movement?

In grade four

We have been busy building our mathematical skills as we explore multiplication and division through a range of fun, hands-on activities! Students have been developing their understanding of different multiplication strategies, including the split strategy, area method and partial products, to solve problems and strengthen their number skills.

As part of our Integrated Studies unit, we have been exploring the exciting theme of ‘Holiday Here This Year’, beginning with the wonderful city of Melbourne. Students have been learning about famous landmarks and places of interest, and are putting their learning into practice by writing postcards about a famous Victorian landmark. This is a great opportunity for students to develop their writing skills while discovering the unique places and experiences Australia has to offer. We look forward to seeing their learning and creativity continue to grow as we explore these topics together!

How you can help at home:

Practise multiplication and division facts together through fun games, puzzles and everyday activities, such as sharing snacks or working out how many pieces of fruit are needed for everyone at home. You could also chat about a favourite holiday destination in Australia or research a new place to visit.

In grade five

As part of their partitioning big idea in maths, the Grade Fives are once again looking at fractions. Furthering on from last term's focus on converting between fractions, decimals and percentages, this week the students have started to plan out a zoo on a hundredths grid. The students have been given guidelines on how their zoo needs to have particular aspects such as animal enclosures, grass shops, reception areas and path, and their task is to appropriately partition the hundredths grid to align with the instructions.

With a larger focus this term on percentages, to support the students learning at home, you can attribute simple fractions in everyday life and see if they can convert it to percentages. Such as, if your child scores 3/4 of their shots at basketball over the weekend, see if they can convert this fraction to a percentage. It could even take the form of going to the shops and buying 10 items, and if 7 of them are food items, what does that look like as a fraction and a percentage?

In grade six

Last week, our Grade Six students joined their Prep buddies for a digital literacy lesson, working together to plan and draft their own stories. With secondary school just around the corner for our graduating students, developing the skills to use digital technology safely, responsibly and effectively is more important than ever. It was wonderful to see our Grade Six students share their knowledge with the youngest members of our school community. While our Prep students have limited access to iPads, these carefully planned learning opportunities help them build foundational digital literacy skills in an age-appropriate way. This was a lovely example of learning across year levels, with our older students developing their leadership skills while supporting our youngest learners.

In performing arts

The prep students explored the connection between special occasions and music. They’re also preparing some music for an upcoming special occasion of their own…

Based on tricky situations and problems, the grade 1’s and 2’s have been role-playing different scenarios and performing their solutions to promote fair play for all. We also talked about gender-friendly classrooms and used role-play to explore what that looks and feels like.

In grade 3 and 4, students have grouped up to compose their own music. They have used graphic notation to document their composing and will use it to perform their music to the class. Students have been invited to write for their own instrument; with parent permission, they may bring their preferred instrument to Performing Arts.

Lastly, the grade 5 and 6 students have used stacked thirds to construct and perform four-note chords called “7th chords”. They’ve also practiced reading staff notation and used it to write stacked thirds. Students have been invited to practice and perform 7th chords on their own instruments; with parent permission, they may bring their preferred instrument to Performing Arts.

Sporting Success at GIPS!

There is so much to celebrate in PE and sport at GIPS! I am incredibly proud of our students, not only for their sporting achievements but also for the leadership, teamwork, resilience and sportsmanship they continue to demonstrate.

One of the highlights recently was a fantastic House Athletics event organised and led entirely by our student leaders for our Prep to Grade Two students. Our leaders took responsibility for planning and running a range of athletics games and activities on our school oval, creating a wonderful opportunity for our youngest students to participate, have fun and earn points for their Houses. It was particularly rewarding to see our older students encouraging, supporting and celebrating our younger learners. What a terrific example of student leadership in action!

Beyond our school grounds, GIPS students have continued to achieve outstanding results in interschool sporting competitions, with students progressing through various levels of competition in athletics, tennis and basketball. These achievements reflect not only their sporting abilities but also the dedication, perseverance and teamwork they bring to their chosen sports.

A very special congratulations to Miles and Lachie, who have both qualified for the State Athletics Championships! This is an exceptional achievement, and we are incredibly proud of them both. We wish them every success as they represent GIPS at state level.

While we love celebrating sporting success, what makes me proudest is seeing our students give their best, encourage one another, demonstrate good sportsmanship and embrace new challenges. Whether competing at state level, representing GIPS in a team or participating in a House event, every student has an opportunity to shine. Thank you to all of our parents who have helped and supported us at recent events.

Congratulations to all our GIPS athletes and student leaders. Keep aiming high!

Physical Education – Cricket

Over the past two weeks, students have been developing their cricket skills! Prep–2 students have focused on throwing, catching and striking, while Grade 3–6 students have been refining these skills through cricket-based activities. Our Grade 5/6 students have also been designing their own inclusive cricket games, which they will lead with their classmates later in the unit.

Girls' Cricket Program

Starting Tuesday next week, a FREE four-week Girls' Cricket Program will run after school from 3:30–4:30 pm on the oval. This is a great opportunity for girls to develop their skills and get involved in cricket! The registration QR code will be displayed in the library.

In our staffroom

Bringing Literacy to Life at GIPS

Here at GIPS, some of our favourite literacy learning happens when students can draw on experiences they have shared together. Excursions, incursions and whole-school events provide meaningful opportunities for students to develop their reading, writing and speaking skills. They are powerful learning opportunities, giving children new knowledge, vocabulary and ideas to draw on when reading, writing and speaking. At school, we intentionally use excursions, incursions and special events to bring our literacy learning to life.

Recently, our Preps learnt how to write a list as they worked together to prepare for their Prep Breakfast. They practised using bullet points to record items clearly. After the event, even more learning happened. Through class discussions, oral retelling and collaboratively developed vocabulary lists, they practised sequencing events and including specific details in their writing.

Our Year 1 students had a visit from Wild Action Zoo last term as part of their learning on the topic of Australian Animals. This inspired all sorts of wonderful writing, including information reports on their favourite Aussie animals and wonderful descriptive poems.

Our Year 3 students visited the Immigration Museum, where exploring personal stories supported their understanding of biographies. They learnt how to organise information about a person's life, select relevant details and communicate their story meaningfully.

These shared experiences also provide opportunities to extend learning. Students can build on what they have seen and learnt by asking new questions, exploring topics through further reading and making connections with other areas of learning. They might compare their observations with information in books, investigate unfamiliar ideas or consider different perspectives. As their knowledge grows, students can move beyond simply recalling an experience to developing more detailed ideas, choosing precise vocabulary and creating increasingly sophisticated pieces of writing.

These shared experiences are much more than fun days. They give students authentic reasons to read, write and communicate. We look forward to seeing the learning opportunities that come out of our upcoming Fun Fair!

Meagan Cofield, Learning Specialist

A step back in time as we look ahead

During the school holidays, I visited Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village in Warrnambool, where the Common School offers a glimpse into school life in the 1870s. I couldn’t resist taking a look! I love visiting schools when I travel, as I did during my trip to Africa earlier this year. There is always something to learn from seeing how education brings communities together in different places and times.

The schoolhouse replica prompted me to reflect on how much education has changed—from our classroom spaces and resources to the ways we support children’s learning, wellbeing and individual needs. It also reminded me of what remains at the heart of a school: relationships, community and opportunities for children to learn and grow.

As we return to GIPS for Term 4, I feel grateful for our wonderful staff and families, who work together to make our school a place where every child belongs and can thrive.

Term 4 is my favourite term. It’s a time to celebrate how much our students have grown in confidence, learning and friendships throughout the year. We also welcome our new Prep families into the community, help students prepare for their next year level, and support our Grade 6s as they get ready for high school.

I look forward to sharing a busy and rewarding final term with you all!

Deborah McDermott, Assistant Principal

Wellbeing

Listening to Our Students - Student Wellbeing Surveys

Every student deserves to feel safe, connected and ready to learn. One of the ways we check in on how our students are travelling is through student wellbeing surveys, which we run regularly throughout the school year.

These short, age-appropriate surveys give children a voice. They ask about things like friendships, feeling safe at school, relationships with teachers and how students are coping with day-to-day challenges. For our younger students, questions are simple and supported by staff, so every child can share their thoughts in a way that suits them.

Because the surveys are repeated across the year, we can see how things change over time, not just capture a single moment. We use the results to spot trends, celebrate what’s working and decide where to focus our wellbeing programs and supports. Responses are used to guide school-wide planning rather than to single out individual children.

At home, you can build on this by chatting with your child about their day and what makes them feel happy, safe and supported at school. If you ever have a concern about your child’s wellbeing, please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher.

Together, we can make sure every student feels heard.

Megan Lillingston, Leading Teacher

In our community

Cyber Safety Project Upcoming Webinar

Just a reminder that the Cyber Safety Project are holding their final Cyberbullying & Resilience Webinar next Tuesday 27th October.

🎡 GIPS FUN FAIR BLAST #3! 🎡

Saturday 21 November 2026

The countdown to our 2026 GIPS Fun Fair is on! Thank you to all our wonderful families who have already contributed donations and supported our preparations. With just over a month to go, there's plenty happening behind the scenes, and we have some exciting updates to share!

🙋‍♀️ Volunteers – We Need You! 👉 Sign up to volunteer here: https://signup.com/go/SMmvtvy

Our Fun Fair simply wouldn't be possible without the wonderful support of our parent and carer volunteers!

We've made it easy to sign up for a shift, and there are lots of different ways to help. We need volunteers across several days:

• Friday 20 November: Helping set up and prepare for the big day.
• Saturday 21 November: Helping run stalls, activities and attractions throughout the Fun Fair.
• Sunday 22 November: Helping with packing up and cleaning up.
• The following week: A few smaller jobs to help us finish everything off.

Whether you can spare an hour or several hours, your help will make a huge difference. You don't need any special skills – just a willingness to lend a hand!

👉 Sign up to volunteer here: https://signup.com/go/SMmvtvy

We encourage every family who can to consider volunteering for a shift. Many hands make light work, and it's a wonderful way to get involved in our school community.

🛍️ Calling All Entrepreneurs – Run Your Own Fun Fair Stall!

Have a great idea for a Fun Fair stall? We'd love to hear it!

This year, we're offering up to three opportunities for GIPS parents or students to run their very own stall at the Fun Fair!

Whether you're a budding young entrepreneur, a creative parent or a family with a fantastic idea, this is your chance to get involved, share your talents and raise money for our school.

💰 How does it work?

Profits will be split 50/50 between the stallholder and the school. It's a wonderful opportunity to develop entrepreneurial skills while supporting GIPS!

📝 How to apply

We're inviting Expressions of Interest (EOIs) outlining:

• Your stall idea: What will you be selling or offering, and what is the purpose of your stall?
• Supplies and equipment: What materials, equipment or space will you need?
• Staffing: Who will be responsible for running and supervising your stall?
• Operations: How will your stall work on the day?

📅 Deadline: Monday 26 October, by the end of the day.

Please email your EOI to the Fun Fair Committee via the GIPS school email address.

The Fun Fair Committee will review submissions and select up to three stalls to be part of this year's event.

We can't wait to see the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of our GIPS community!

🏆 Fun Fair Cup – Congratulations 1J Week 3!

A huge congratulations to 1J, our Fun Fair Cup winners for this week! What an amazing effort from the students and families of 1J!

Remember, there are still plenty of opportunities for classes to win prizes through the Fun Fair Cup. Every donation helps your class climb the leaderboard!

How can your class win?

• 🏆 Weekly prize: The winning class receives 20 extra minutes of recess in the lead-up to the Fun Fair!
• 🍕 Overall prize: A pizza party for the class with the highest overall donation total!
• 🍦 Year-level prizes: An icy pole party for the class in each year level with the highest overall donation total!

🍫🍷🥤 Donations – Here's What We Really Need!

Thanks to your incredible generosity, we are almost at capacity for books and no longer need any nail polish donations. Thank you to everyone who has contributed!

Our focus is now on three key items:

• 🍫 Large, flat chocolate bars – Perfect for our popular Choc Toss!
• 🍷 White wine valued at $15 or more – We particularly need WHITE WINE for our Wine Lucky Dip. This was one of our most popular attractions last year and sold out quickly!
• 🥤 Slabs of sparkling water cans – We're particularly low on cans that grown-ups might enjoy as an alternative to soft drink, such as kombucha and sparkling water.

🎪 Sneak Peek – What's New at the 2026 Fun Fair?

Get ready, GIPS! This year's Fun Fair is shaping up to be bigger and better than ever, with some exciting NEW attractions joining our much-loved favourites!

💦 Dunk Tank – Who will be brave enough to take a seat? Get ready to test your aim and make a splash! “He's kicked over 600 goals, but can he dodge a direct hit? Our mystery dunk tank guest is an AFL legend!”

🧪 Slime Bar – Get ready for some squishy, stretchy, gooey fun! A hands-on experience that's sure to be a hit!

🎯 Sideshow Alley – Step right up! Test your skills, take on the challenges and enjoy some classic carnival fun!

🎢 NEW Rides! – We've got some exciting new rides joining the line-up this year. Stay tuned for more details!

And that's just a taste of what's coming! We'll be revealing more surprises as we count down to Saturday 21 November.

💜 Thank You, GIPS!

Our Fun Fair is about so much more than rides, stalls and prizes. It's a chance to come together, celebrate our wonderful school community and put our vision, Growth through belonging: a community where every child thrives, into action.

Thank you for your continued generosity, enthusiasm and support. We can't wait to see you on Saturday 21 November!

The GIPS Fun Fair Team 💜💛

Debbie, Maddie, Sam, Karen and Gigi W

Fun Fair Cup Leaders

So Far- Anything Could Change!

In the lead for the ultimate prize... a pizza party!:

2GJ with Prep K close in second and 3M just behind in third!

In the lead for the year level icy pole party!:

Prep: Prep K

Grade One: 1L

Grade Two: 2GJ

Grade Three: 3M

Grade Four: 4DS

Grade Five: 5C

Grade Six: 6M

Halloween Disco 30 October

As shared in our newsletter, we would like to inform you of the upcoming annual Halloween Disco on the 30th of October. Students will have the opportunity to wear and show their Halloween costumes. The costumes need to be school appropriate. We are encouraging students to have fun and dress up in their costumes to get in the Halloween spirit. Please do not wear costumes that cover up your eyes or face because then it will be hard to learn and play. Please do not wear costumes with fake weapons.

Not sure what is school appropriate? Our best advice is not to be too scary as that might upset our preppies. If you prefer not to wear a costume, you can come in your school uniform, dress up as yourself or wear a fun accessory in your hair. Have questions? Please reach out to your classroom teacher.

Session times:

Grades 1 and 2 – 10:00 am-10:30 am

Prep – 11:30 am-12:00 pm

Grades 5 and 6 – 12:10 pm - 12:40 pm

Grades 3 and 4 – 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm

The Halloween disco will be a fun event that students can attend during school time.

From our Third Party Providers

Register now for soccer!

Soccer registrations through SportsX

Furniture Fundraiser

Thanks to your generous donations, we have been able to upgrade school chairs across the entire school and new tables in Prep, Grade 1GL, Grade 5 and Grade 6! We want to thank all students who helped us rigorously choose the very best tables and chairs these past nine months. With more donations and proceeds from our Fun Fair, we hope to refurnish the entire school.

Class Requests for 2027

Considerations for 2027 class placements are now open for exceptional circumstances. In Term 4, students will nominate six learning partners, and we guarantee that at least one partner will be honoured.

Please note:

• Parents may not request specific teachers or specific learning partners for their child

If you have an exceptional circumstance that you would like us to consider when structuring 2027 class groupings, please email the front office at glen.iris.ps@education.vic.gov.au:
Attn: Maddie Witter – Class Request

Whilst every request will be carefully considered, not all can be honoured. This is due to the complex nature of creating balanced classes that meet the academic, social, and wellbeing needs of all students. Please note the deadline below.

Deadline: Friday 23 October