Principal’s Message

Over the past few weeks, Chelsea Primary School has continued to be a vibrant and busy place of learning, with a range of events including Junior Swimming, NAPLAN, Harmony Day and our recent School Review.

School Review – What this means

Last week, our school undertook its School Review, a Department of Education process that occurs every four years.

The purpose of the review is to evaluate the school’s performance and improvement journey. This includes:

• classroom observations
• student, staff and leadership voice
• analysis of student learning and wellbeing data
• review of whole-school systems and practices

The outcome of this process helps shape the direction of the school and informs the development of our next four-year strategic plan.

Feedback from the review

The feedback from the review panel was overwhelmingly positive.

Across the school, there was a high level of consistency in teaching practice, strong routines, and classrooms that were calm, focused and centred on learning. Students were highly engaged and clear about their role as learners.

As shared by our Senior Education Improvement Leader, Stuart Edwards:

“The highlights for me were your incredibly committed staff, the visible culture of inclusion and high expectations for the success of every child, and the consistently high-quality, predictable teaching where students clearly understood their role as learners. It was obvious that your staff are deeply committed to Chelsea PS, the continuous improvement agenda and proud to work for you and your leaders.”

This level of consistent feedback across an entire school is not something that is commonly seen.

Student voice

A highlight of the review was the feedback from our students.

The reviewer commented on how strongly students spoke about their learning — particularly their enjoyment of subjects such as Mathematics, English and Writing. This is not always typical, and it reflects the quality of teaching and engagement across the school.

A message from our School Council President

Following the review, our School Council President, Janosh Biczok, wrote to the school to share his reflections.

With Janosh’s permission, I have included his message below. I do so not to highlight individuals, but to recognise and acknowledge the collective work of our staff.

Dear Taylor,
I felt compelled to write following the privilege of participating in the Chelsea Primary School Review earlier this week, and to share the enormous sense of pride and joy I felt as a result of that experience.

I write both in my capacity as School Council President, and as a parent of two children at the school. As I do so, I hope you will forgive any incorrect terminology — I am still very much on a learning curve — but please be assured that these reflections are offered with the utmost respect and appreciation.

Having the opportunity to personally observe CPS teachers, education support staff, and specialists in action, coupled with the overwhelmingly positive feedback shared by the review panel, made it absolutely clear that CPS is home to an exceptionally high performing and deeply committed team of educators.

Seeing the school assessed as Excelling across multiple key performance indicators only reinforced our confidence that we have made the right choice in sending our children to CPS — and perhaps goes some way to explaining the extraordinary growth the school has experienced over many years.

The word is out: Chelsea Primary School is the place to be!

What struck me most was the evident pride staff take in their work, reflected so clearly in the students themselves. Hearing the facilitator share that students consistently expressed that “they love school” was deeply affirming. Equally striking — and pleasantly surprising — was the breadth of subjects students identified as their favourites. That Mathematics, English and Korean featured so strongly, rather than the more predictable choices, speaks volumes about the effectiveness of the school’s approach to teaching and learning, and the positive impact of CPS’s methodology on student engagement and fulfilment.

In lieu of being able to thank each CPS individual personally, I would appreciate if you could please extend my sincere gratitude to every teacher, education support staff member, specialist and staff member at CPS. Their deep commitment to ensuring that Every Child Matters, Every Day is evident — and I would add, highly capable. A workforce that so clearly combines capability with passion is something truly special.

I would also like to take this opportunity to personally congratulate you on all that you have achieved. You are clearly held in high regard by both educators and parents alike, and I can only imagine that this hasn't been a smooth journey for you. You should be immensely proud of what CPS has achieved — and continues to achieve. Well done, and thank you.

Somewhat selfishly — knowing our own children will benefit — I wish you every success in sustaining this high-performance culture... and naturally, make those 'tweaks' in improvements where required.

Please accept my thanks, both as a very grateful School Council President and as a parent.

Regards,
Janosh

Acknowledgement

I would like to sincerely thank our staff for the work they do each and every day.

What was observed during the review reflects the consistency, professionalism and commitment that exists across our school. It is something we should all be proud of.

Looking ahead

As part of this process, the next stage is the development of our School Strategic Plan. Once the strategic report is finalised, I look forward to sharing our four-year direction and priorities with the Chelsea Primary School community.

Taylor Irish
Principal
Chelsea Primary School

Important Dates to Remember:

Wednesday 1st April
SMR Swimming - YAWA Aquatic Centre

Thursday 2nd April
Easter Bonnet Parade and Raffle starting at 9:10am
Chelsea Cross Country - Grades 3-6
Last day of Term 1 - 2:30pm dismissal

Monday 20th April
First day of Term 2 begins at 9am

Wednesday 22nd April
Mordialloc College visit to Grade 6

Wednesday 29th April
Grade 5/6 Phillip Island Camp

Thursday 30th April
Grade 5/6 Phillip Island Camp

Friday 1st May
Grade 5/6 Phillip Island Camp

Wednesday 6th May
Grade 4 excursion to Polly Woodside

Friday 8th May
Mother's Day Stall
Mother's Day Afternoon

Wednesday 11th May
Grade 3/4 Swimming

Tuesday 12th May
Grade 3/4 Swimming

Wednesday 13th May
Grade 3/4 Swimming

Thursday 14th May
Grade 3/4 Swimming
Grade 6 Shrine of Rememberance excursion

Friday 15th May
Grade 3/4 Swimming
District Cross Country - Cornish College

Monday 18th May
Grade 3/4 Swimming

Tuesday 19th May
Grade 3/4 Swimming

Wednesday 20th May
Grade 3/4 Swimming

Friday 22nd May
Grade 3-6 Athletics Carnival

Tuesday 26th May
Hot Dog Day

Wednesday 27th May
Divisional Cross Country - Cornish College

Friday 29th May
F-2 Junior Athletics Day (Fowler St Oval)

Friday 5th June
Curriculum Day - No students on site

Monday 8th June
Public Holiday - King's Birthday

Friday 12th June
ISS Winter Lightning Premiership

Tuesday 16th June
iSee iCare Catchment Workshop

Mobile Phones Policy

Chelsea Primary School understands that students may bring a personal mobile phone (or devices) to school, particularly if they are travelling independently to and from school.

Students who choose to bring mobile phones (or devices) to school must have them switched off and securely stored during school hours.  The school will provide secure storage (i.e. not readily accessed by those without permission to do so), such as a lockable cupboard in the administration office or in the classroom. 

Mobile phones (or devices) owned by students are considered valuable items and are brought to school at the owner’s risk.  Please note that Chelsea Primary School does not have accident insurance for accidental property damage or theft. Students and their parents/caregivers are encouraged to obtain appropriate insurance for valuable items. Refer to the Department’s Claims for Property Damage and Medical Expenses policy.

If wearable devices such as smart watches are brought to school, students can hand these in to the office at the start of the day, or switch off notifications (set to school mode) between 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Exceptions to this policy may be applied during school hours if certain conditions are met, specifically health and wellbeing-related exceptions, or exceptions related to managing risk when students are offsite.  Approval of exceptions will be granted by the Principal or classroom teacher, in accordance with the Department’s Mobile Phones — Student Use Policy.

Chelsea Primary School will provide students and their parents and carers with information about items that can or cannot be brought to camps, excursions, special activities and events, including personal mobile phones or devices.

What a wonderful start it has been to the year in Foundation! We are so proud of how smoothly our Preps have transitioned into school life. They have settled in beautifully, quickly becoming familiar with the structure and routines of the school day, and showing increasing confidence as they navigate their new learning environment.

In Phonics, our students have been busy learning single consonants and their corresponding sounds. They are beginning to use this knowledge to decode and read simple words, while also applying it to their own writing. It has been fantastic to see them working hard to spell words accurately and with growing confidence. Handwriting has played a HUGE role in this process, with explicit teaching focused on correct letter formation and sizing using our dirt/grass/sky whiteboards. The progress already made in this area has been incredible!

In Mathematics, the Preps have been exploring numbers between 1 and 10. They have been practising counting using tens frames and number lines, learning to write numbers correctly, and have been introduced to basic addition and subtraction concepts through number bonds. Students have also enjoyed working with a range of concrete materials, including Numicon, to support their understanding.

Our Wellbeing program has been a meaningful part of the term. Students have been learning about their emotions through the Zones of Regulation and exploring how to show kindness by being ‘bucket fillers.’ We have also been discussing how the brain is like a muscle that needs to be trained to ‘think green,’ helping students to take on challenges, try new things, and develop a growth mindset.

In Integrated Studies, we have been delving into the big, wide world of nursery rhymes and fables. Students have loved reciting timeless rhymes such as Humpty Dumpty and Little Boy Blue, as well as exploring important life lessons through fables like The Boy Who Cried Wolf and The Tortoise and the Hare.

Some special highlights from the term have included meeting our buddies, participating in our two-week swimming program at Toby Haenen, and celebrating Harmony Day together.

What a fantastic start to the year it has been! We look forward to all the continued growth and learning in the term ahead.

From the Foundation Team

Term One Junior Newsletter 

The Junior Years are off to a wonderful start to the year! 

The first term has been dedicated to settling the students into their new classroom environments. We have had a huge focus on student wellbeing through our Friendology program, we’ve unpacked Good Learning Behaviours, the school Values, Zones of Regulation and our Schoolwide Positive Behaviours. It has been awesome to witness the student`s discussions and understandings in these areas. We`ve enjoyed watching them practise and role model these behaviours in our school community. 

Students have enjoyed getting back into their classroom routines. Year 1 have started with Explicit Phonics lessons and Year 2 have moved straight into Spelling Mastery. We have been reading rich mentor texts in English (Year One- Jetty Jumping and Wilfrid Jordon Donald McPartridge, Year Two- Fantastic Mr Fox), reviewing sentence structure, vowel awareness and grammar concepts, as well as experimenting with recount, narrative and rhyming writing. In Maths, we have had a focus on numbers and place value. The Year Two’s have also focused on vertical addition and subtraction.  

This term we have enjoyed so many fun activities. We have participated in buddy activities (including making their Easter Bonnets) swimming, Harmony Day, Ride to School Day, assemblies and Year One Cohort Fun. 

We have much to look forward to as the term progresses. We can`t wait for the Easter Bonnet Parade at the end of term (Thursday April 2).  

We look forward to all the things Term 1 still has in store for us!

Middle Years News – Term 1

What a fantastic start to the year we’ve had in the Middle Years!

Year 3 students have been busy developing their narrative and persuasive writing, reading Matilda and focusing on realistic characters and settings. They’ve been learning to build stories step by step, describe feelings, and show careful decision-making in their characters’ actions. In Literacy, they’ve also created information reports inspired by The Mess That We Made, researching and organising facts about ocean pollution.

In Numeracy, Year 3 have consolidated place value, additive strategies including split strategies and bar models, and time. Weeks 7 and 8 focused on NAPLAN preparation and testing. We were very proud to see students approach the assessments with resilience, focus, and a positive mindset – they should feel proud of their efforts and themselves.

Year 4 students have had an equally exciting term, diving into narrative writing with Kensuke’s Kingdom as their mentor text. They’ve been crafting engaging stories, building tension, and developing well-rounded characters, showing creativity and imagination in their problem-solving. In Maths, they’ve strengthened their understanding of place value and addition, while exploring statistics and angles. In ICT, students have worked on “All About Me” presentations, combining text, images, and creative layouts. They’ve done an amazing job showcasing their own personalities and individual flair, producing slideshows that are both creative and informative.

Across the Middle Years, students have loved 3/4 Sport, PE challenges, and practising the beep test in preparation for Cross Country on the final day of school. Seasonal activities like Easter bonnet making have added a touch of creativity and fun to the term. We are so proud of the enthusiasm, curiosity, and determination shown by all our Middle Years students – it’s been a term full of growth, learning, and wonderful achievements, and we can’t wait to see what comes next!

SENIOR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER – TERM 1

What a beautiful start to 2026 the wonderful Grade 5s and 6s have made. It has been lovely getting to know the children and understanding how they learn best. They are already setting high standards for the younger years (and their beautiful Prep buddy classes) to follow - displaying our school values, bucket filling and green thinking!  

Start-Up Program & Wellbeing 

Our focus during the first term has been on establishing routines, developing positive learning habits, and building respectful relationships both in the classroom and in the yard. As part of this, we have worked through our whole-school Start-Up Program, which encourages students to reflect on how they can demonstrate our school values of Respect, Responsibility, Resilience and Relationships and act as positive leaders within our school community.

We have also revisited the Zones of Regulation (Green, Yellow, Blue and Red) to remind students that it is normal to experience a range of emotions. Through this work, students are learning positive ways to manage their feelings and seek help when needed.

This year, Wellbeing is also taught as a separate specialist class by Mr J. In each lesson, Mr J unpacks the content from our Start-Up Program at a deeper, more relatable level, giving students practical strategies to manage emotions and relationships. In addition to these specialist lessons, we continue to conduct weekly class-based Wellbeing blocks to reinforce these skills.

Friendships and relationships can be very dynamic during these ‘tween’ years, and we have been discussing strategies to navigate them in a respectful and positive way. Supporting students during this stage often requires a strong partnership between school and home, and we truly appreciate the opportunity to work closely with families to support your child’s wellbeing and development.

 English 

This term, our Grade 5 students have been exploring a Core Knowledge unit on the Age of Exploration, learning about the Spice Islands, the navigational tools of the era, and the famous explorers who embarked on these voyages. Alongside this, they have focused on narrative structure and persuasive writing in preparation for their NAPLAN assessments. Our new narrative structure has been especially valuable, providing clear scaffolding and support to help students develop each part of their stories.

Meanwhile, Grade 6 students have begun their first novel study of the year with Wonder by R.J. Palacio, which links beautifully with wellbeing themes. This study has given students the opportunity to practise the writing technique “show, don’t tell” when expressing emotions and developing character perspectives.

BTN (Behind the News) has continued to be a highlight in weekly English lessons, keeping students connected to global events and broadening their understanding of the world beyond our bayside community. In addition, Spelling Mastery is completed multiple times each week, following a scripted EDI approach to reinforce consistent and effective learning.

Maths

We continue to place a high priority on our Maths content and lesson structure, with the students reconnecting with the highly regarded 90-minute instruction setup (with brain breaks in-between).  Our lesson content so far has been based on number and algebra and some measurement. The green-thinking and support for each other amongst the students has been awesome! 

Sport 

It was awesome to see the Year 5s commence their Interschool Sport (ISS) experience alongside their Year 6 teammates. With the approach of ‘having fun with your friends while being active’, the students have instantly shown wonderful teamwork and support for each other and their rival schools. We can’t wait for the Lightning Premiership on the 27^th of March. A whole day of sport! This is a highlight in the senior school calendar ?

Our school Cross Country will be occurring on the last day of term (2^nd of April) at Bicentennial Park nearby the dog park end. Time to get some running going! ?? A great way to do this is by attending our new movement club run every Tuesday and Thursday morning by Mr Hine and Ms Ebbott.

Coming up ahead 

There is plenty going on in the upcoming months -

• ISS Lightning Premiership (27th March)
• Miss A’s Birthday! (27^th March)  
• Easter Bonnet Parade (2^nd April @9:15am)
• Cross Country (2^nd April)
• First day of term 2 (20^th April)
• Mordialloc to talk to the year 6s (22^nd April)
• 5/6 Phillip Island Camp (29^th April – 1^st May)
• Mother’s Day stall and afternoon (8^th May)
• Year 6 excursion to the Shrine of Remembrance (14^th May)
• District Cross Country (15^th May)
• Years 3-6 Athletic Carnival (22^nd May)

Thank you! 

The first couple of months of school after a summer break is always a time of change and mixed emotions for the students in the Senior School. We wish to thank you as the fabulous families of our Senior School kids for your support to the kids, to us as staff and for being a wonderful local primary school community. It takes a village.

Please stay in touch with us with any questions, queries or doubtful points,

Your Senior School Team: Mr Munday, Mr Maddock, Miss A and Miss D

STEM UPDATE

Students have made a wonderful start to STEM this semester. Their curiosity and enthusiasm are always impressive.

Grade One and Two students have been immersed in Physical Science this semester, developing their inquiry skills through guided investigations. These inquiries have focused on understanding push and pull forces and what makes objects move and change direction. Throughout the unit, students designed and created car ramps, launchers, spinning wheels, and boats as they explored the impact of different forces.




   

Grade Three students completed the LEGO Spike ‘Happy Traveller’ program, where they followed sequences and worked collaboratively on a range of building and coding projects.

Students also explored Physical Science by investigating push and pull forces, including the effects of friction, gravity and magnets. They examined heat transfer and energy through a variety of hands-on investigations, including conduction and observing changes in corn kernels when heated.

iSea iCare Ambassadors
This term, our iSea iCare team participated in a peer teaching workshop, representing CPS with pride and enthusiasm. Our ambassadors are looking forward to sharing their knowledge with the junior school next term. The team also launched our annual Easter Foil Competition!

Did you know?

• Aluminium foil is 100% recyclable, just like aluminium cans, and can be reused repeatedly without losing quality.
• Recycling aluminium foil uses around 95% less energy than producing new aluminium from raw materials.
• If aluminium foil ends up in landfill, it can take 200–500 years to break down.
• Clean foil can be scrunched into a ball and placed in recycling bins to help ensure it is sorted correctly.

Keep an eye out for flyers with competition details and prizes!

John Monash Science School
This term, twelve Grade 6 students participated in the Little Scientists, Big Science and SPIKE Primary programs at John Monash Science School. Students explored the exciting world of design and coding, biology, chemistry, and physical science—including dancing oobleck!

Kitchen Lab
After a successful first year, Kitchen Lab has returned this term, with participating students enjoying the opportunity to learn new skills while preparing simple and delicious snacks and meals. Working together, students have been sharing tasks, building confidence, and connecting with one another as they create and sample their dishes, exchanging ideas about their favourite foods along the way.

Congratulations to all students on a fantastic term of PE.

Well done to the foundation students on their first term of PE, and along with the F-2 students completing swimming. We only heard positive feedback. The grade 3,4,5 & 6 students have been getting ready for cross country, had hockey incursions, soccer & kickball. We cannot wait to finish the term with a big cross country for grades 3-6. I hope you all have a magnificent holidays, and I cannot wait to see you in term 2! – Mr Hine ?

Wellbeing News

Wow! What a start to Wellbeing at Chelsea Primary School!

The welcome I have received by the staff and students at the school has been incredible. It’s been a pleasure getting to know all the classes and helping them on their wellbeing journey through a range of targeted lessons.

Throughout Term One, the main focus has been on Emotional Literacy. Students have developed their understanding of emotions, including how they affect us, how to manage them, and how to better read and respond to the emotions of others.

Other lessons have included what good friendship looks like, how to deal with conflicts, what bullying is and what to do about it, and how to stay safe when using electronic devices. The topics and themes of these lessons will be reiterated throughout the rest of the year, and I look forward to seeing how the students grow in this space as they learn.

Thank you for such a warm welcome to the school. I hope you all have a happy and safe Easter break!