Dear Queenscliff Parents and Carers,
As we wrap up Term 1, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to our incredible teachers and education support staff for their unwavering dedication, professionalism, and care. Throughout the term, they have worked tirelessly to create engaging learning environments, support student wellbeing, and nurture the confidence and curiosity of every child as they have settled into 2026 in new classrooms. Their commitment to our students shines through in every lesson taught, every conversation held, and every moment spent helping our learners feel safe, supported, and ready to thrive. We are deeply grateful for the passion and expertise they all bring to our school community each and every day.
I encourage families over the coming week and into next term to share your appreciation and gratitude for our staff by popping into the classroom to say ‘thank you’ or sending a thoughtful email expressing your appreciation. It is through our actions, words and behaviours that we can embody our school value of ‘Gratitude’ and bring it to life, whilst setting a fine example for our young learners and wider community.
Harmony Day - Friday 20 March
Harmony Day is always a highlight on our school calendar, and this year’s celebration on Friday 20 March was a wonderful reminder of the strength and richness that diversity brings to our community. Guided by the national theme “Everyone Belongs” and this year’s focus “Harmony – Stronger Together”, our school came together in a spirit of unity, respect, and cultural pride.
From the moment families arrived, there was a genuine sense of connection. TheirCare set the tone for the day with a warm and welcoming pancake breakfast, bringing students, staff, and families together to share food and conversation. The bracelet‑making station was a hit with students, who proudly created Harmony‑themed bracelets to wear throughout the day.
Before school, families contributed to our Harmony Day Fence Display by tying orange ribbons to the front fence — a simple but powerful symbol of our shared commitment to inclusivity and acceptance. Many families paused to read the display and talk with their children about the importance of respect and belonging, reinforcing the values we hold as a school community.
Throughout the day, classrooms were filled with creativity, curiosity, and cultural learning. Students worked collaboratively on our whole‑school art installation, “We Stick Together”, using paddle pop sticks to represent unity and connection. Across the week, students also explored their own cultural backgrounds through the My Family Heritage questionnaire, with opportunities to share their stories and traditions with classmates. Some students chose to bring a small food item connected to their heritage, sparking rich conversations about family, culture, and identity.
Classroom activities further deepened students’ understanding of Harmony Day, encouraging them to reflect on what belonging means and how we can each contribute to a culturally safe and inclusive environment. The splash of orange worn by students and staff added to the sense of celebration, symbolising social connection and mutual respect.
Harmony Day is more than a single event — it is a reminder of the values we uphold every day. We are proud of the many cultures, languages, and stories that shape our school, and we remain committed to fostering a community where every student feels valued, respected, and connected.
Thank you to our students, staff, families, and TheirCare team for making Harmony Day 2026 such a meaningful and memorable celebration. A special thank you to Mrs. Megan Fullard, Miss. Teyha Robertson and Mrs. Hannah Petrie in organising our Harmony Day celebrations.
Easter Raffle
Our Easter Raffle has once again shown the incredible generosity and community spirit that defines our school. We are delighted to share that this year’s raffle raised an outstanding $2,805 through ticket sales — a remarkable achievement that will make a meaningful difference for our students and school resources. All funds raised will directly support key learning initiatives, including the purchase of decodable readers for our Prep to Year 2 students, novel study texts, and further development of our Nature Play Space.
A heartfelt thank you goes to all parents, families, staff, and community members who contributed to the creation of our beautiful Easter hampers. The variety and quality of donations were truly impressive, with hampers filled to the brim with chocolates, soaps, vouchers, books, toys, games, and many other thoughtful items. Your contributions helped create something special for our students and added to the excitement leading up to the draw.
We would also like to extend a special thank you to Richard Fewster from Lonnie Fish and Chips, who generously donated $250 worth of vouchers. Also, a huge thank you to Lisa Golightly who spent many hours organising the raffle and creating the hampers for our school community. Thank you Lisa and Richard.
The Easter Raffle will be drawn at our final assembly on Thursday 2 April at 9am.
Division Cross Country
Congratulations to all of our students who represented our school at the District Cross Country event last Thursday 26 March. We had over 50 students qualify for District, reflecting the hard work, persistence and determination of our students.
We are incredibly proud to announce we have 18 students who have qualified to represent our school at the Division Cross Country event, held at the Geelong Racecourse on 19 May 2026 after qualifying at District Cross Country. This is an outstanding achievement and a testament to their dedication, resilience, and commitment to doing their personal best.
Please join us in congratulating the following students:
9/10 Girls
Evelyn Pettigrove
Charlie Berry
Alice Kinsman
Elsie Blythe
Edie Wilkinson
9/10 Boys
Miles Garland
11 Girls
Amelie Stanley
Ruby Stanley
Georgia Ward
Isabelle Berry
11 Boys
George Kent
12/13 Girls
Eve LePage
Sadie Morris
Eleanor Vosbergen
12/13 Boys
Xavier Grainger
Marcel Sayegh
Jude Spencer
Oli Talbot‑Dunn
QPS Choir - One Planet Festival
Congratulations to our QPS Choir and Maddy Serong who performed at the One Planet Festival on Saturday 28 March at Ocean Grove Park. This event was a fantastic opportunity for our students to showcase their creativity, confidence, and beautiful singing to the wider community, and they represented our school with pride.
A heartfelt thank you goes to Maddy Serong for her dedication, organisation, and passion in preparing our choir for this special performance. Maddy’s commitment ensures our students experience meaningful opportunities that strengthen their musical skills and deepen their connection to the arts and the wider community.
Prep Enrolment School Tours
Over the past few weeks, it has been a pleasure welcoming prospective Prep 2027 families to Queenscliff Primary School for our school tours. These visits are a wonderful opportunity to showcase the quality teaching and learning that takes place in every classroom, every day. Families have enjoyed seeing our students engaged in rich, purposeful learning and experiencing firsthand the warm, inclusive culture that makes QPS such a special place to begin a child’s school journey.
We are grateful to the many families who have already joined us for school tours, and we look forward to meeting more throughout Term 2. If you know families considering QPS for Prep in 2027, school tours can be easily booked using the QR code provided below. Further information regarding Enrolment processes can be accessed at Enrolment Information - Queenscliff Primary School
AusKick Superstars
We are thrilled to congratulate William Denmead and Nora Fitzpatrick, who recently had the exciting opportunity to play in the halftime AusKick game during the Geelong Cats vs Adelaide Crows match on Thursday 16 March at GMHBA Stadium. Taking to the field in front of a huge crowd is an unforgettable experience, and both students represented QPS with confidence, enthusiasm, and fantastic sportsmanship. Well done, William and Nora — what an amazing achievement. You’ve done QPS proud.
Lonny Basketball Champions!
Congratulations to students and staff who recently won their basketball grand finals this week. The Lonny Seals (Ella, Betty, Aria, Maisie, Amelia, Eva and Ruby V) won their grand final 32-22, The Lonny Seals are coached by James Clifford. Nyah Lapham had a grand final win representing the Lonny Diamonds 26-33. Lonny Diamond’s are coached by one of our parents, Tess Lapham.
Our staff and parents also celebrated a victory this week playing for ‘Tree Hill’ in the Women’s Division 1, winning their basketball grand final 31-29. Congratulations to Ebony Tannouri, Nicole Bridges, Maddie Serong, Tess Lapham and Zanthe Lapham.
Term 2 Staffing Changes
Congratulations to Mrs Hannah Petrie who has been appointed Acting Assistant Principal for Term 2 and Term 3 whilst Mrs Melissa Fitzgerald will be on Long Service Leave. Hannah will continue to lead our Wellbeing, Disability and Inclusion programs and initiatives across the school.
We are pleased to announce that Rebecca Durran will be joining QPS as our new Health and Physical Education Teacher. Rebecca is a highly experienced educator with over 15 years of teaching experience and is currently a Leading Teacher at North Geelong Secondary College.
Rebecca brings a deep understanding of the Health and Physical Education curriculum and has led a wide range of school‑wide sporting events, Respectful Relationships initiatives, and wellbeing programs across secondary year levels. Many of our families may also know Rebecca through her involvement with the Queenscliff Football and Netball Club, where she has played a key role in leading the netball program.
We are delighted to welcome Rebecca to our team. She will officially commence in Term 2, and will be visiting the school this week to meet with Mel for a handover.
We look forward to the expertise, energy, and passion Rebecca will bring to our Health and Physical Education program
Next term, we also welcome back our Education Support staff members, Mrs Danielle Carson who has been on leave during Term 1. Danielle will be supporting students in classrooms on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Queenscliff Community Market
On Sunday 29 March, the Queenscliff Community Market was hosted at Princess Park, The Queenscliff Community Market is a key fundraiser for our school. Thank you to the Berry, Beekman, Houghton, McVitty, Burgess, Citroen and Cvetkovski families who volunteered their time to support the market and stallholders. Thank you to Richard, Lisa and Fred for your outstanding organisation and planning for another successful market.
The next Queenscliff Community Market will be held on Sunday 26th April.
Queenscliff Market Parent Volunteer Roster
QPS Fundraising Model – Building Community, Supporting Learning
Over recent months, our school has worked closely with the School Council, Class Representatives, and many parents and carers to develop a refreshed QPS Fundraising Model that reflects the strengths, capacity and spirit of our whole school community. Fundraising plays an important role in enhancing our students’ learning experiences—helping us improve our grounds and gardens, upgrade equipment, and purchase additional resources such as laptops, iPads, sports gear, musical instruments and PA systems. These extras make a real difference to the opportunities we can offer our students.
In previous years, we explored forming a dedicated Parents & Friends Fundraising Committee, a model used successfully in many schools. While we were unable to establish a standalone committee, the conversations highlighted something even more valuable: a strong desire across our community to contribute in ways that are flexible, shared and inclusive.
Our school has a proud history of successful fundraising events, including:
Bunnings Sausage Sizzles
Queenscliff Music Festival BBQ
Trivia Nights
Sausage Sizzles
Hot Cross Bun Drives
Raffles
Each of these events has helped fund important improvements to our school environment and resources.
To continue this positive momentum, School Council has endorsed a new whole‑school fundraising approach, where each year level takes responsibility for organising one fundraising event across the year. This model:
Gives year levels and class groups full autonomy to choose the type of fundraiser that suits them
Encourages teamwork and shared ownership
Spreads the workload fairly across the school
Ensures fundraising remains purposeful and aligned with school needs
Strengthens community connection through collaborative events
All fundraising will continue to be planned in consultation with the school’s leadership team to ensure events are safe, achievable and aligned with school priorities.
2026 Year‑Level Fundraising Schedule
Class | Event |
Prep | Term 2 Sausage Sizzle – Final Day of Term 2 (Friday 26 June) |
Year 1 & Year 2 | Term 2 Event - TBC |
Year 3 | Term 3 Footy Day Lunch – Final Day of Term 3 (Friday 18 September) |
Year 4 | Term 3 Event – TBC |
Year 5 | Term 4 Event – TBC |
Year 6 | Term 4 End‑of‑Year Special Lunch |
Year levels have complete freedom to select the fundraiser that best suits their group. Our school also welcomes class groups to put forward fundraising suggestions and ideas for specific resources, projects or equipment to enhance the learning and wellbeing of our students. Class Representatives will soon reach out via WhatsApp class groups to gather ideas and begin planning.
Over the past week, I have enjoyed have conversations with parents who have brilliant ideas about possible fundraising initiatives for their class groups. I encourage families to connect with each other through Whatsapp or in the playground at pick up or drop offs times to begin planning and brainstorming ideas. All ideas are good ideas!
Popular Fundraising Ideas
Some common and much‑loved options include:
Twilight or Outdoor Movie Night
Fun Run
Trivia Night
Disco Night
Bingo or Games Night
Breakfasts for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day
Sausage Sizzles
Bake Sale
Hot Cross Bun or Pie Drive
Pizza or Sushi Lunch Days
Easter or Christmas Raffles
Mother’s Day / Father’s Day Stalls
Tea Towel or Calendar Fundraiser
Cookie Dough, Chocolates or Mango Drive
Walk‑a‑thon, Read‑a‑thon or Spell‑a‑thon
Bike‑a‑thon or Scooter‑a‑thon
Recycling Drives (cans, bottles, e‑waste)
Pre‑loved Book or Toy Sale
Casual Clothes or Dress‑Up Days
Guessing Jars
Online Silent Auction
Art Show - Saltwater Dreaming - Student Workshops and Canvas Art Auction
We are excited to announce that Queenscliff Primary School will be hosting another Art Show this year, with the theme “Saltwater Dreaming.” The exhibition will celebrate the creativity of our students and will be open to the community for one week.
This year’s event will include some exciting new features, including student-led art workshops and an auction of large canvases painted by students.
Based on feedback from our 2024 Art Show, student artworks will also be available for purchase. Artworks can be purchased by parents, grandparents, family members or members of the wider Borough of Queenscliff community. This will add to the excitement of the event, celebrate our students as young artists, and provide a wonderful fundraising opportunity for the school.
Student-lead Art Workshops
Some selected students will have the opportunity to teach their own art workshop during the Art Show.
Students can run a workshop individually or in pairs. Workshops will:
Run during school hours
Last approximately 1–1.5 hours
Be supported by teachers and parent helpers
Have materials provided by the school
Participants from the school and community will book and pay to attend the workshop, create an artwork guided by the student presenters, and take their artwork home. The school will also provide morning tea for workshop attendees.
Workshop Auditions
Students who wish to teach a workshop will present their workshop idea at an audition.
Tuesday 28 April – Lunchtime (we may allocate more time to this depending on the amount of children that want to try out)
At the Workshop Audition, students will present their idea to a small panel of teachers. They will need to:
Explain their idea
Show a finished example of the artwork
Explain the process
Explain the materials needed
Auction Canvases
The school will also be auctioning five large student-painted canvases as part of the Art Show.
Students interested in painting one of these special canvases will need to submit a proposal, including:
Their name
A simple sketch of their idea for the canvas
A short paragraph explaining the meaning/description of their artwork that will accompany the final artwork.
Students are to submit their application to do a canvas artwork by using a set written template. Templates can be collected at the school office.
Submissions for the Auction Canvas are due by Tuesday 21 April
Please place submissions in the box at the school office. Canvases will then be painted at school during school time.
We are really looking forward to celebrating the creativity of our students and sharing this special event with our community.
Congratulations Lachie! - Laps for Life
Lachie Foott has been making waves—literally—in support of Youth Mental Health through his inspiring participation in Laps for Life. This term, Lachie completed an impressive 850‑metre swim and is now pushing himself towards a remarkable goal of swimming over 2 kilometres, training regularly at Bellarine Aquatic Centre. His dedication in and out of the water has already helped him raise more than $1,300, setting him clear of his target of $1,000. Thank you to all of our parents, staff and community members who have donated to Lachie’s efforts to fundraise.
If you would like to support Lachie with a donation, please visit the link below to assist Lachie in achieving his goal. Congratulations Lachie! Lachie is fundraising alongside other family members and friends, including his dad, Matt Foott. So far the Foott Brothers team has raised over $28, 000. What an incredible effort!
Battle of the Houses – Dress Up Day
On Thursday 2 April, the final day of Term 1, we will be celebrating our school spirit with our much‑loved Battle of the Houses event.
Students are encouraged to come dressed in the colour of their school house and proudly show their team spirit. This is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to get creative and celebrate the sense of belonging that makes our school community so special.
Students might choose to:
Wear clothing in their house colour
Dress up as their house mascot
Create an outfit inspired by something that represents their house colour
Add fun accessories such as hats, socks, face paint, ribbons, or jewellery in their house colour
Throughout the day, students will enjoy a range of activities that build teamwork, cooperation, and friendly competition. In the afternoon, house groups will come together for a series of exciting team games designed to promote collaboration, encouragement, and school pride.
We can not wait to see the school filled with bright colours, imaginative costumes, and enthusiastic house spirit. It’s always a highlight of the term, and we look forward to celebrating with all our students.
TheirCare iSpy Kids Holiday Program
Get ready for an action‑packed autumn break! TheirCare is excited to host its upcoming Holiday Program, themed iSpy Kids, at Ocean Grove Primary School. Designed for curious minds and budding detectives, this program is filled with hands‑on activities, creative challenges, outdoor adventures, and plenty of mystery‑solving fun.
Whether your child loves cracking clues, exploring new ideas, or teaming up with friends for imaginative missions, the iSpy Kids program promises a holiday full of excitement, learning, and laughter.
Families can register easily by scanning the QR code provided below or by visiting TheirCare | Where Kids Love To Be
Assembly
Our final assembly for Term 1 will be hosted on Thursday 2 April at 9am. We will draw the Easter Raffle, and have class showcases from PE, Performing Arts, Visual Arts and our Prep Class. Parents, carers and community members are invited to attend our final celebration for Term 1.
School Council
Our next School Council meetings in Term 2 will be held on Monday 4 May and Monday 1 June.
If you have correspondence or feedback you would like to provide to the School Council, parents and carers are invited to email our School Council President, Daniela Sayegh at daniela.sayegh@education.vic.gov.au .
Term Dates
The final day of Term 1 is Thursday 2 April, with Good Friday Public Holiday being held on Friday 3 April. Term 2 will commence for students on Tuesday 21 April, with our school staff participating in a Curriculum Day on Monday 20 April.
As we come to the end of a busy and rewarding Term 1, I want to thank our students, staff, and families for the energy, enthusiasm, and support that have shaped such a positive start to the year. From rich learning experiences in classrooms to whole‑school events, excursions, sporting achievements, creative projects, and community celebrations, Term 1 at Queenscliff Primary School has been filled with growth, connection, and countless moments of pride. I wish all families a safe, relaxing, and enjoyable Easter break. May it be a chance to rest, recharge, and spend time with loved ones. We look forward to welcoming everyone back for an exciting Term 2 for an exciting term ahead.
Nyatne baa Gobata
(Thank you and take care)
Mat McRae
Principal