Dear Queenscliff Parents and Carers,

‘Tis the Season of Giving

Thank you to our school community for your generous donations for our Christmas Food Drive to support families in need for Bellarine Feedme. All of your donations were delivered on Monday 15 December to Bellarine Feedme, and they were delighted and blown away by your generosity. The donated food items will be put into food hampers this week, to be delivered to families in need on the Bellarine prior to Christmas. Thank you.

Year 6 Graduation

Last Thursday 11 December, we hosted our Year 6 Graduation evening at 360Q. It was a splendid evening celebrating the success and achievements of our Year 6 students. Families, students and staff enjoyed dinner together and Year 6 students were presented with their Graduation certificates and a special gift bag. Students had fun in the photo booth and families enjoyed the video presentation showcasing the key moments from our Year 6 students' life at Queenscliff Primary School, including videos and photos from their time in Prep. Our School Leaders, Anouk Ulph, Ruby Vistarini, Loretta Boyd and Jack McDonald delivered a thoughtful and well written speech to staff and families. I would like to thank Mrs. Yvette Hurley, Mrs. Ebony Tannouri, Mrs. Hannah Petrie and Mr. Leigh Churchill for their outstanding organisation and planning for the special event. Also, I would like to express my gratitude to the Year 6 Graduation Parent Committee, Hely Harris, Daniela Sayegh, Heidi Boyd, Mel Vistarini and Margi McDonald. Thank you for organising the decorations, baking the delicious Graduation cake and assisting with the preparations. It was a fabulous celebration and we wish our Year 6 students all the best as they begin their next chapter of schooling in 2026.

I would like to thank Anouk Ulph, Ruby Vistarini, Loretta Boyd and Jack McDonald for being outstanding school leaders and ambassadors for our school this year. As leaders, you have done a remarkable job and we have enjoyed witnessing you grow in your roles. I would also like to extend a thank you to our tremendous House Leaders, Performing Arts, SRC and Wellbeing Leaders for 2025.

Year 6 QPS Graduates for 2025:

• Annabelle Clingan

• Anouk Ulph

• Archie Lillingston

• Asher Clayden

• Aydin Sayegh

• Charlie High

• Cooper Harandian

• Dusty Montgomery

• Emilia Horbowsky

• Jack Harris

• Jack McDonald

• Jai Vivian

• Joshi Peters

• Kitty Britton

• Laila Follett

• Lenny Tuttle

• Lily Golightly

• Lottie Boyd

• Mae Gorgievski

• Oli Kent

• Olivia Warring

• Perry Locke

• Ravi Patel

• Ruby Vistarini

• Sass Fitzgerald

• Sol Eldridge

• Sophia Erichsen

• Suhani Kheni

• Tom May

• Willow Krivan

• Willow Lund

• Winter Boyd

Parents and families are welcome to view the Year 6 Graduation Presentation Video.

Their Care Summer Holiday Program

TheirCare will be offering care to families at the end of the year and over the Summer holiday break for the following dates.

• Thursday 18 December (Final Day of Term 4) - 1:00-6:00pm (Service will operate following the early pick up time on the final day of school)

• Friday 19 December - Curriculum Day (all day)

• Summer Holiday Program - Commences Monday 5th January and concludes on Wednesday 28th January.

• Tuesday 27 January and Wednesday 28 January 2026 - Curriculum Day (all day)

TheirCare OSHC service will not operate between Monday 22 December 2025 and Friday 2 January 2025.

Bookings can be made for the above dates using the TheirCare app, visit TheirCare - Family Login or scan the QR code below.

NAPLAN Results 2025

I would like to congratulate students, staff and our school community on our outstanding NAPLAN results in 2025. Our school was ranked number 1 for our NAPLAN results for the Geelong and Surf Coast region. It is an incredible achievement and is a direct result of the effort and perseverance of our students, and commitment and dedication of our teachers and support staff. Our school has been committed to achieving excellence in the classrooms through enhancing our classroom practices, explicit teaching pedagogies and core knowledge curriculum to ensure all students are engaged in learning to the best of their abilities. Thank you to our school community - parents, grandparents, school volunteers who play a vital role in supporting our students to thrive at school. Congratulations QPS!

Class Awards

At our final assembly on Friday 12 December, students from class groups were awarded special awards.

• The Excellence Award, recognising outstanding academic achievement and exceptional performance throughout the year.

• The Endeavour Award, celebrating the continuous effort, perseverance, and a commitment to improvement,

and

• the Citizenship Award, honouring individuals who have demonstrated exemplary character, leadership, and a positive impact on the school community.

Congratulations to the following students.

Year 5 and 6 Community Awards

Congratulations to the following Year 5 and 6 students who were recipients of awards and bursaries at our final assembly:

Student Leaders for 2026

Congratulations to our Year 6 Student Leaders for 2026.

Final Day of 2025

Classes will host end of year celebrations on the last day of school on Thursday 18 December. Students will be invited to bring in a plate of food to contribute to their class’ celebration.

On Thursday 18 December, school will conclude at 1pm. TheirCare will be offering After School Care from 1pm-6pm. McHarry’s Bus Service will not be coordinating a pick up for students at 1pm. We encourage families to organise their own transport options for their child.

Shrek Jnr Photobook

Our school will be selling ‘Shrek Jnr’ photobooks at the beginning of next year to all families. The photobooks have captured the highlights of the musical production, including every performer, and the photos are of excellent standard taken by a professional photographer. The photobooks are an opportunity for families and students to have a special memento of the ‘Shrek Jnr’ musical production. We encourage families to look out for information on how to purchase a photobook on Compass. The photobooks will be professionally produced, and will cost $75.00. Photobooks are optional for families to purchase.

Holiday Capital Works Project

Over December and January, our school will undergo capital works construction in the main building with the establishment of walls separating individual classrooms. We are absolutely delighted with this new project and are grateful to have been successful with funding grants. The new walls will greatly support and improve the acoustics in the main building between classrooms, fostering calmer and more focused learning environments for our students and teachers.

Thank you

As they say “It takes a village to raise a child”, or in our case “educate a child”, and with this I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the QPS parent community for your support in 2025. Your commitment to supporting our school and your child’s education is valued and makes our school community so unique and special. Thank you for volunteering on excursions, sports days and in classrooms, supporting fundraisers with your donations and time, and assisting with grounds and gardens projects. Your involvement and contributions have had a significant impact in making our school a great school. I would like to extend a special thank you to our amazing Class Reps who have done a tremendous job in bringing class parent groups together and improving the communication between home and school. Thank you!

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the dedicated efforts of our outstanding teachers and support staff this year. They truly go above and beyond to support the learning and wellbeing of every student at Queenscliff Primary School, ensuring they have a place where you feel safe, connected, valued and supported. I say thank you for your dedication, commitment, passion for learning and for improving your own practice, openness to change, your collegiality and sense of fun. Each of our staff members work hard to ensure our school and classrooms are safe, inclusive and engaging spaces where students feel they can take a risk and thrive. It truly is a privilege to work alongside each and every one of our staff members.

Thank you to our School Council members, Daniela, Fleur, Richard, Naomi, Lisa, Heidi, Mrs Hickey, Mrs Young and Mrs Fitzgerald. We are grateful for your contributions, encouragement and insights to support our school’s improvement and operations. Each of you have given up so much of your own time, attending School Council meetings, organising key fundraisers and school events and supporting our school grounds and gardens projects. Thank you!

I am extremely proud of our students and teachers and what they have accomplished in 2025. I hope all our students, families and friends of Queenscliff Primary School have a wonderful Christmas with loved ones and have a relaxing and safe holiday season. Relax. Connect. Refresh! I look forward to seeing you all in 2026 for another spectacular year of learning, challenges and opportunities.

Merry Christmas!

Nyatne baa Gobata

(Thank you and take care)

Mat McRae

Principal

Year 1 News – Mathematics

Year 1 students have been exploring shapes in our Space unit. They have been learning to identify and classify both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes by describing features such as edges, vertices, faces, and curved or straight lines. Students used topic vocabulary including quadrilateral, polygon, prism, regular, and irregular as they compared shapes and discussed their similarities and differences. They also investigated how shapes appear in real-life environments, spotting familiar shapes in houses, playgrounds, and around the classroom.

Through hands-on investigative activities, students built and created shapes using blocks, geoboard paper, icy-pole sticks, and paper pieces. A highlight was making 2D shape designs and explaining how different shapes contributed to their creation. Students also experimented with building towers using 3D objects and discussed which shapes provided stability and why orientation mattered. Lots of fun in Year 1 Maths!