Principal’s Message – Term 2

It has been another busy and highly productive term at Chelsea Primary School, with a wide range of learning experiences, events and opportunities for our students across all year levels.

We began Term 2 with great energy, including the Year 5/6 Camp to Phillip Island, which was a highlight for our senior students and a fantastic opportunity to build independence and teamwork. Throughout the term, our students have been actively engaged in a variety of excursions, incursions and sporting events, including cross country, athletics carnivals and interschool sport, showcasing both their enthusiasm and commitment.

A particular highlight this term has been the large number of school tours and visits. It has been wonderful to welcome so many prospective families into our school, and I would like to thank our staff and students for consistently presenting our school so positively. These tours are a reflection of the strong reputation of Chelsea Primary School in our community.

We have also seen continued connections with our local kinders, with multiple Kinder visits across the term helping to strengthen our transition programs and build excitement for our future students.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our Year 3 and 4 teachers, along with our specialist teachers, for their flexibility and resilience while working in make-shift classroom arrangements. Your professionalism and commitment to maintaining high-quality teaching and learning during this time has been outstanding.

At the same time, we are incredibly excited about the completion of our new Mod 10 building. The feedback from both staff and students has been overwhelmingly positive — there is a real sense of energy and excitement across the school. Our students have absolutely loved returning to their Art room, and it has been fantastic to see specialist programs back in their purpose-built spaces. Staff are equally energised by the new learning environment, and it has been wonderful to see students so engaged and proud of their new spaces.

There have been many other memorable moments across the term, including Mother’s Day celebrations, the Year 3 and 4 swimming program, STEM excursions, and our ongoing iSea iCare involvement, all contributing to a rich and engaging learning environment.

As we move through the final days of Term 2, there is still a great deal to look forward to across the school. Our whole school assembly was held earlier this week, where we celebrated student achievements, including special awards and performances from our choir.

Later this week, on Friday morning, students will take part in a Smoking Ceremony, followed by a special cultural session with Scott Darlow and his daughter Kiah, providing a valuable opportunity to connect with culture, identity and language.

On Friday, we will also be coming together as a school to watch the World Cup soccer match and support the Socceroos. Students are encouraged to wear or bring along some green and gold as we get behind this exciting national event.

As a result, Chelsea’s Got Talent has been postponed and will now take place on Friday 17th July (Term 3) from 11:30am–1:30pm. This much-loved tradition remains a highlight of our school calendar, and we look forward to celebrating the creativity, confidence and spirit of our students early next term. We acknowledge the dedication of our performers who have been rehearsing all term and thank our community for their understanding.

Thank you to our students, staff and families for your ongoing support and commitment. It continues to be a privilege to lead such a vibrant and positive school community.

Taylor Irish
Principal
Chelsea Primary School

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Foundation enrolments for 2027 are open!

We urge all parents who wich to enrol their child at Chelsea Primary School for 2027 to enrol by Friday 31st July.

This year enrolments are online and can be made through the Vic Students portal Home

We would appreciate if existing families could advise us of siblings enrolling as soon as possible to assist with our planning.

Please reach out to our office if you require assistance. 

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Important dates to remember:

Friday 26th June
Last day of Term 2
Assembly beginning with a Smoking Ceremony at 9:15
School Finishes at 2:30pm

Monday 13th July
Term 3 begins!

Wednesday 15th July
Kinet2Dance Production Rehearsals

Friday 17th July
Chelsea's Got Talent 11:30am-1:30pm

Monday 20th July
Smile Squad Dental Van at school for 2-3 weeks

Wednesday 22nd July
Kinet2Dance Production Rehearsals

Friday 24th July
100 Days of Prep

Monday 27th July
5A Kinder visit
Student First Aid Training - Whole School

Monday 28th July
Student First Aid Training - Whole School

Wednesday 29th July
Kinet2Dance Production Rehearsals
5D Kinder visit

Thursday 30th July
4H Kinder visit

Wednesday 5th August
Kinet2Dance Production Rehearsals 

Wednesday 12th August
Kinet2Dance Production Rehearsals 

Monday 17th August
SCIENCE WEEK
Twisted Science Excursion - Grad 5/6

Wednesday 19th August
Kinet2Dance Production Rehearsals 
Thursday 20th August
STEM Bioeyes Incursion

Wednesday 2nd September
Kinet2Dance Production Rehearsals 

Friday 4th September
Father's Day Stall
Father's Day Afternoon

Tuesday 8th September
Melbourne United Basketball Clinic - Grades 3-6

Wednesday 9th September
Kinet2Dance Production Rehearsals 

Friday 11th September
District Athletics at Ballam Park

Monday 14th September
iSee iCare Big Green Conference

Wednesday 16th September
Kinet2Dance Production Rehearsals 

Thursday 17th September
Production Night at Robert Blackwood Hall, Monash Uni

Friday 18th September
Last Day of Term 3
Footy Colours Day
Staff vs Grade 6 footy match
School finishes at 2:30pm

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ART ROOM NEWS 

Prep  

Prep students started the term making connections to their classroom learning and exploring different drawing and collage techniques. Using simple shapes and lines, students developed their portrait drawing skills, to show more detail and features.  

The second half of this term has focused on printmaking. Students investigated artwork by Piet Mondrian and used his work as inspiration for printing their own art. Students learnt about primary colours, vertical and horizontal lines and used these to form shape art. This artwork required persistence and care with presentation skills.  

   

Year One 

Year One started the term with a focus on Ancient Egyptian art. Students worked hard to model clever representations of a cartouche, with their name in hieroglyphs. Following this, there was a focus on line, shape and colour to design an Egyptian headwear. These eye-catching artworks showed lots of skill and patience.  

Our second unit for the term focused on printmaking. Students used black printing to create butterflies, which demonstrated their understanding of symmetry. Following this, students investigated printmaking with a range of tools to create a cityscape.  

  

Year Two 

Year Two students spent the first half of the term working hard to create a beautiful, painted collage of Uluru. These unique pieces demonstrated student understanding of texture, line, shape and colour. 

The second half of the term focused on printmaking. Students learnt about symmetry and then painted their own brightly coloured, printed cicadas. We finished the term by creating a collagraph to create a colourful oil pastel relief print. 

    

  

Year Three 

Year Three students spent the majority of term 2 creating, making and decorating a woven wool loom. The students showed such great persistence, learning to tie knots and repeat the same action over and over, when weaving wool. Once complete, they brought their loom to life by adding accessories to turn it into an animal. They look excellent!  

To finish off the term we linked to their classroom learning about Vikings. The students explored painting texture and blending shades together to create a collaged Viking ship sailing through the ocean.

            

Year Four 

Year 4 students explored design and architecture through an art project inspired by the TV show ‘The Block’. Students designed their own homes, selected colour schemes, and created landscapes to match their ideas. Along the way, they learnt about how houses have changed over time and explored the artistic and architectural features of different styles and eras. This creative project encouraged students to use their imagination while developing their understanding of colour, design, and space.




    

Year Five and Six 

Year 5 and 6 students started off the term exploring street art and artists. They designed their own brick walls, with their names written in graffiti style. Next, they worked on landscape drawing, inspired by a photo Mr Maddox took while on camp. They used crayons and oil pastels to blend different colours, create texture and depth. 
 
The Year 5 students finished off the term with a favourite in paper mache. The students created a mold, before covering with layers of newspaper and glue. Early next term they will finish them off with paint and accessories. Year 6 students created collages, using painted paper, focusing on colour value and texture, to further expand their knowledge of their class text, Boy Overboard.

   

Lots of these artworks are on display around the office area and Art room. Next time you're around the school, make sure you have a look! 

 

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Korean 

In Term 2, our Grade 4, 5 and 6 students were each paired with a buddy from one of our partner primary schools in Daegu, South Korea. Students participated in video conferences with their buddy class, where they got to know one another and compared their daily schedules, discovering what they had in common and what was different.

One of the biggest surprises for our students was learning that Korean primary school students do not wear school uniforms — unlike here in Australia, where uniforms are an everyday part of school life. They also discovered that while Korean students finish school earlier in the day, their afternoons are packed with after-school programs run at the school itself, followed by attendance at private academies known as 학원 (hagwon) for subjects like English and Mathematics, as well as extracurricular activities such as Taekwondo and jump rope. It was a fascinating glimpse into a very different school experience!

To continue building their connection, students wrote letters to their Korean buddies in both Korean and English. They are now eagerly awaiting replies. It was a wonderful cultural exchange and our students thoroughly enjoyed the experience!

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Foundation:

Our Foundation students have been making excellent progress across all learning areas.

In Phonics, students are beginning to explore simple spelling rules while continuing to consolidate their knowledge of letter sounds. This strong foundation is supporting their confidence in both reading and writing.

In English, we have been developing our recount writing by focusing on sequencing events in the correct order. Students are also continuing to build their reading skills through structured decoding sessions. We are now extending this learning by introducing consonant blends and supporting students to recognise common digraphs within words.

In Mathematics, we have been strengthening our number knowledge, with a particular focus on teen numbers. Students are now beginning to explore the concept of place value, helping them understand how numbers are constructed.

We had lots of fun events happen this term including celebrating the wonderful mum’s or special people in our classrooms for Mother’s Day, Junior Athletics Day, Hot Dog Day, and many more!

A highlight of this term was the excursion to our local library. Students enjoyed listening to a story read by the librarian and had the opportunity to explore the space independently. They spent time browsing and reading a variety of books, and some students even used their own library cards to borrow books to take home. This was a highly engaging and positive experience, helping to foster a love of reading while also building students’ confidence in accessing community resources.

Looking forward to what Term 3 has instore!

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Junior – Term 2 Newsletter Update

Term 2 has been an absolute whirlwind of learning, laughter and growth. Our Year 1 and 2 students have been busy, brilliant, and bursting with enthusiasm.

Library Adventures

This term we set off on a grand expedition to the library — on foot, of course, because nothing builds anticipation like a good stroll with 20 excited six/seven‑year‑olds. Once we arrived, we settled in for a beautiful story that had everyone captivated. Students then explored the shelves like tiny book‑hunters on a mission and proudly borrowed books to take home. It truly was a lovely day — sunshine, stories, and not a single lost hat.

Junior Athletics Day

Junior Athletics was a spectacular mix of speed, skill, and pure determination. Students rotated through a huge range of events, including:

• Sprints — where legs moved so fast they were practically a blur
• Hurdles — graceful leaps (and a few very enthusiastic ones)
• Sack races — equal parts hopping and giggling
• Rocket throwing — impressive arm strength on display
• Giant’s Treasure — stealth, strategy, and dramatic tip‑toeing

The sportsmanship was outstanding, and the cheering could probably be heard from the next suburb.

English

In English, we’ve been diving deep into the world of persuasive writing — and let’s just say, Year 1 & 2 students are very convincing.

We’ve been learning how to:

• Write thesis statements
• Analyse persuasive examples
• Paragraph effectively

Students have crafted arguments on extremely important topics such as:

• Why we absolutely deserve free lunch
• Why thorny devils are clearly the greatest pets ever
• Why Mr Irish should definitely give us extra play time

Some of these arguments were so strong we almost believed them ourselves.

As part of our integrated studies, Year 2 have been exploring Uluru — its cultural significance, its geography, and its place in Australian identity. Students have been weaving this knowledge into discussions and writing with growing confidence. Year 1 have had a focus on Egypt, it’s landmarks and history.

Maths

Maths this term has been all about building fluency and automaticity — making number facts so familiar they practically dance out of our heads.

We’ve been working on:

• Addition — using strategies to solve problems quickly
• Subtraction — thinking flexibly and checking our work
• Shapes — identifying, describing, and exploring the world of 2D and 3D forms

Students have been practising mental maths, hands‑on activities, and games that make learning feel like play.

It has been a joyful, energetic, and wonderfully productive term. We are so proud of the curiosity, kindness, and effort our Juniors bring to school each day.

 

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Wow, what an awesome Term 2 we have had so far in the Middle Years!

This term we have continued our schoolwide focus on ‘Responsibility’ and our Good Learning Behaviours. It has been amazing to see the students demonstrate this focus through all their hard work as we near the end of Term 2.

Across the Middle Years, students have loved taking part in all of the additional physical activities the term has had to offer! We got to enjoy the Year 3 and Year 4 intensive swimming program, and the students had so much fun during the Chelsea Primary School Athletics Day! It was wonderful to see the students decked out in their house colours, trying their best, and cheering one another on. The kids all behaved beautifully and did so well to make the day amazing.

In Year 3, students have been enhancing their knowledge of persuasive writing and developing their historical understanding, with a specific focus on The Vikings. The Year 3s have been absolutely loving this topic of learning, and their highlight this term was definitely their Viking Day. During this, they got to dress as Vikings, enjoy axe throwing, battler wielding, and longship rowing races, just to name a few events! In Numeracy, Year 3 have been learning about jump strategy, multiplication, division and grid references. They can’t wait to see what more they learn next term!

In Year 4, students have enhanced their knowledge of history. They have been focussing on the journey of the First Fleet, what prompted the migration of individuals from England, and the impacts this has had on The First Nations peoples of Australia. To enhance students’ understanding of the First Fleet journey, the Year 4s travelled to The Polly Woodside in Melbourne. The cohort loved every moment of the day, from catching replacement busses and trains, to their historical learning, alongside the experience of being on a ship!

In Numeracy, Year 4 have continued to consolidate their number sense, multiplication and division strategies, and space. They should be so proud of their growing abilities in mathematics, and we hope they look forward to extending their learning even further next term. The Year 4s have also been loving their termly Homework Projects, this term presenting a book or author review. It has been great for the cohort to get exposed to so many new books, authors, and genres, whilst students practise their presenting skills.

We hope you all have a lovely holidays and look forward to seeing you again at the beginning of Term 3!

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SENIOR SCHOOL NEWS – TERM 2

Term 2 was another HUGE term for the Senior School! It seemed like something new and exciting was on each week.

Our first fortnight of term started off in the biggest way possible with our Summer Lightning Premiership Day in week 1, with the students representing the school excellently across basketball, cricket, volleyball and kickball.

We followed it up in week 2 with our senior school camp at Phillip Island Adventure Resort. Camp offered all the students an awesome opportunity at challenging themselves on activities like the giant swing, twin-flying fox and Circotron. It was a wonderful time to deepen connections amongst the cohort and have fun with their friends whilst being out of the classroom.

The Year 5s have continued to regularly visit our younger neighbours at Chelsea Kindergarten across the road, building wonderful relationships that no doubt will result in some amazing buddy friendships in 2027. What a wonderful investment by the 5s.

Representing your school is always a special memory for a child, and across the term, numerous Year 6 students were afforded a great opportunity to show off their creativity and responsibility via the Kingston Junior Mayor Competition (4 x school captains), Big Green Conference (Environmental Leaders) and Twisted Science Workshop (STEM Extension and Environmental).

It was a huge athletics term for the senior school, with not only a big fun day at the Year 3-6 Athletics Carnival but also seeing numerous students further representing our school proudly at District and Divisional cross-country. Well done to all those who participated and beat personal bests! We concluded our sporting commitment to the term by having an exciting time at the Winter Lightning Premiership Day, across football (soccer), Aussie Rules football, netball and tee-ball. We were so proud of all the students.

This term was also filled with numerous incursions and excursions. Fo the 5s this included heading off to Patterson River Secondary College for a taste of secondary school and walking to the local Chelsea Library. The 6s ventured out to the Shrine of Remembrance (thank you Longbeach RSL) to deepen our national military history and sacrifice, and both grades received very informative visits from the local Chelsea SES team as well as Sexual Health Victoria.

In the classroom for English, the Year 5’s and 6’s have both enjoyed reading and making strong connections to great novels – Holes (Year 5) and Boy Overboard (Year 6). The Year 5s developed their writing and critical thinking through an analytical writing unit followed by a persuasive writing focus for the remainder of the term. The Year 6s initially deepened their persuasive writing abilities - linked to the comparison of life in Afghanistan versus Australia, and completed the term with a four-week debating unit that combined their persuasive skills with the formal structure of evidenced arguments and rebuttals. The increase in speaking confidence has been awesome to witness. 

In Maths, Year 5 focused the first half of the term on a deep learning of fractions, before transitioning to area and perimeter, prior to finishing with transformations and symmetry. In Year 6, the students developed the critical skill of interpreting timetables (e.g. school, transport), which culminated in the students planning their own day trip on public transport from home to a local shopping centre for a movie and meal. The middle portion of the term was dedicated to multiplying and dividing decimal numbers, prior to a focus on investigating area and perimeter of compound shapes. Both grades ensured that a robust system of review remained routine, with mental Maths and multiplication fluency maintained throughout.

For Humanities, Term 2 was all about Geography. In Year 5, the students are building their European country projects to showcase at their Geography Travel Expo earlier in Term 3. As a concurrent home project, the 5s created interesting visual presentations on a country in South America, which they presented in the final weeks of term. In Year 6, it was ‘All About Asia’ in term 3. The students learned about the amazing cultural and physical diversity of the world’s biggest continent, including a comparison of what school life is like and Australia’s critical connection to our northern neighbours. The Year 6’s home project centered on creating a presentation to their classmates as if the class was taking a cultural exchange to their selected country of Asia. Some great cultural intelligence on display by the seniors!

Finally, the whole Senior School education team wish all our Year 5 and Year 6 students and families a wonderfully well-deserved mid-year break. We look forward to seeing the senior school students back and ready for a great Term 3 on Monday 13^th July.

Kindest regards,

Miss D, Miss A, Mr Maddock, Mr Munday and the amazing Senior School ES team

 

 

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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.

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