Dear parents/caregivers, 

What a week it has been at Carrum Primary. There has been a buzz in the air, and our students have been experiencing all the emotions that go along with the excitement of a concert. What a colourful array of costumes and songs. There have been a lot of tunes on repeat throughout the school this week and many staff and students humming or tapping to the beat. Firstly, a huge shout out to all the helpers behind the scenes for supporting Miss Chiovitti, and finally, and most importantly, Thank you to Ms Bianca Chiovitti for all the hard work, effort and tireless organisation she has put into the concert. There has been a lot of planning, organising, rehearsing to get to the performance and it has been a term in the making. We hope you enjoyed watching our students shine.

A huge thank you to our wonderful school community and all the parents/carers that took time to volunteer for our Father’s/Special person’s day breakfast last Thursday. Also, to Sandra for organising the working Bee last Friday and again to our amazing volunteers. We were fortunate that the rain held off on Friday afternoon and we managed to get a lot of odd jobs done around the school. These opportunities play such an important role in the continuing partnership that is vital to a positive learning experience for our students.

To continue to build on relationships between family and our school we would love it if you could take the opportunity to fill in the Parent survey. This feedback gives us valuable information to help support our students and families to provide the best learning environment for our students. Information about the survey can be found in this newsletter and will be sent out again at the end of this week via Compass.

To complete the survey, simply:

1. Click on the link below or copy and paste the text into your browser. This link will take you directly to the survey. https://research.orima.com/parent
2. Select the School and Campus name below.

School Name: CARRUM PRIMARY SCHOOL
Campus Name: CARRUM PRIMARY SCHOOL
Enter the School PIN below. PIN: 843679

Over the school holidays we will be getting works done on the 5/6 deck. The old deck will be removed and replaced with concrete which will ensure that we have a more stable foundation that will last overtime. When our 5/6 students return, they will be able to access their classrooms more easily. If students are playing at the school over this time, please remind them to be careful as there will be trucks and machinery onsite.

What a whirlwind of a term this has been. The principal selection process has been delayed to Term 4 which means I will be in the Acting role position until the end of the year. Mrs McGregor and Mrs Riley will continue to support me as acting assistant principals. I am grateful for all the support I have been given from the Carrum community and the staff here at Carrum PS. It is a privilege to have the opportunity to take on this role, and I am so proud of our students and what they have achieved this term.

Wishing you all a lovely Term 3 break and hope you all get some time to slow down and have quality family time. Goodluck to whoever’s team is in the Grand final.

Take care,

Cassie Kennedy 

Acting Principal 

Mandarin @ Carrum Primary School – Term  3 Snapshot

Curriculum Overview – Term 3

Prep

Our Prep students have made a fantastic start to their new unit on Fruit! Through lots of repetition, movement, songs, visuals and play-based activities, students have been learning to recognise and say the names of seven different fruits in Mandarin. Throughout the term, they will also learn a catchy fruit song and practise asking and answering the question, "What is your favourite fruit?" in Mandarin.

Year 1 & 2

Year 1 and 2 students have been revisiting the numbers 1–10 in Mandarin through a range of fun and interactive activities. One of the class favourites has been our Monkey King card game, where students enthusiastically practised their number skills while working with their peers. The classroom has been filled with laughter, teamwork and lots of meaningful conversations as students negotiated the rules and encouraged one another. For the remainder of the term, students will begin a new unit on emotions and feelings, learning to recognise and describe different emotions in Mandarin while making connections to this term's Inquiry learning.
           

Year 3 & 4

Year 3 and 4 students have been practising our classroom learning expectations while using mini whiteboards to build confidence and participation. We have also revisited Chinese numbers and extended our counting skills all the way to 1,000. Students especially enjoyed creating their own Counting Fries craft, which combined creativity with number recognition and Chinese character writing in a fun, hands-on way.
 
 

Year 5 & 6

Our Year 5 and 6 students have been exploring the mathematical concept of experimental probability through the classic game of Rock, Paper, Scissors—all played in Mandarin! Students had great fun collecting and analysing class data to investigate which choice was the most popular. This engaging activity combined language learning with mathematics, giving students the opportunity to apply Mandarin in a meaningful and interactive context.
              

Meet our 1/2 Team 




Miss Kenner (1/2A)
How long have you been at Carrum: I’ve been teaching at Carrum since 2017.
Why do you love coming to school: That’s easy peasy. I get to work with the best students and the best staff at the best school!
Favourite subject to teach: Maths and Reading
Favourite past job: JB HiFi, and hockey coaching.
Favourite Colour: Blue
Favourite Food: It’s tricky to choose just one. Probably hot chippies.
Hobbies: I love to do anything crafty, enjoy taking the dog and kids on beach and park adventures, and hanging out with family and friends.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be: I really wish I could teleport. Is that a superpower?

Miss Cadby (1/2B)
How long have you been at Carrum: My Carrum journey started in 2023 as a placement student… and I loved it so much I never left! Last year was my very first year in my own classroom.
Why do you love coming to school: Every day is different! I get to laugh, learn and see my students’ smiley faces as they grow and shine.
Favourite subject to teach: Reading!

Favourite past job: Student Support at RMIT
Favourite Colour: Pink and green.
Favourite Food: Hot chips, pasta, and chocolate… the ultimate trio?!
Hobbies: You’ll usually find me reading, walking along the beach, getting creative with crafts, or doing Pilates
If you could have a superpower, what would it be: To fly anywhere, anytime!

Miss Dunshae (1/2C)
How long have you been at Carrum: I have been at Carrum since 2023 but did have a ‘gap year’ last year.
Why do you love coming to school: Carrum truly has the best students, best families and best staff, it certainly makes getting up every day very easy.
Favourite subject to teach: You name it, I love it.
Favourite past job: Waitress, pharmacy assistant
Favourite Colour: The colour of the ocean in WA (Gatorade Water)
Favourite Food: Can’t go past a hot chip or potato in any way (except steamed YUCK)
Hobbies: Netball, Reading, CrossStitch, spending time with my dog at the beach
If you could have a superpower, what would it be: Can I ask for Genie powers and be able to grant other people wishes?

Miss Sutton (1/2D)
How long have you been at Carrum: This is my first year at CPS after starting my teaching career at a school in Mitcham four years ago.
Why do you love coming to school: To see my student’s smiling faces and watch them continue to grow their confidence each and every day.
Favourite subject to teach: I love teaching Reading.
Favourite past job: Gymnastics Coaching
Favourite Colour: Pink
Favourite Food: Pasta
Hobbies: Cooking! And taking my dogs out for adventures.
If you could have a superpower, what would it be: I would love to be able to fly!



Miss Ferguson (1/2E)
How long have you been at Carrum: This is my 13th year! 14 if you count my placement.
Why do you love coming to school: I love seeing everyone each day and learning something new.
Favourite subject to teach: Has to be Maths.
Favourite past job: Bakers Delight, teaching athletics was fun too!
Favourite Colour: Light blue.
Favourite Food: Definitely chocolate.
Hobbies: Snuggling with my dog Tilly, playing games and sports like Volleyball (Go the Goats)!
If you could have a superpower, what would it be: Super speed!

Breakfast Club Recap

This Term in Breakfast Club we have introduced toast and spreads and we have had Sandra making porridge too.

We have had some new year 5 helpers join, Kai, Ellie and Imi and they have really taken on the responsibility of serving, setting up and cleaning. Marlow, Austin, Grace and Luke have stayed on since the beginning, Grace now has new adventures on a Wednesday morning. We also thank Amanda and Sailor for helping. 

If you would like to help at all please see Mrs Riley. We could also do another day if we have community helpers or grandparents etc.

Breakfast club is on the 3 / 4 deck area and toast is inside the gallery, we start before 8.30 and need to pack up by 8.50am.

If you haven’t been before please come and try, also if you wake up late or haven't had breakfast come for a feed. We have a variety of fruit and cereal. We also get the oranges ready for class on a Wednesday!

There is plenty of food available. We know it will be cold in Term 3 but still come in all weather conditions. We hope to see you next Term for some yummy breakfast.

By Marlow and Ellie

Local Community Events, things to try and Sports Clubs






Lego Groups





https://library.kingston.vic.gov.au/news/story-lines-writing-competition-2026

Photography competition now open!

https://www.environment.vic.gov.au/sustainability/sustainability-through-your-own-lens







Group Play Therapy Holiday Intensive

Monday 28 September – Friday 2 October 2026
1 hour per day for 5 days

Our Group Play Therapy Holiday Intensive is returning, offering children a fun and supportive space to build confidence, social skills and emotional wellbeing through play.

Two locations:
• Balwyn North Clinic
• St Mark's Primary School, Dingley Village

$850 per child | Groups of up to 6 children and 3 therapists (2:1 ratio)

 Minecraft Therapy Groups

For young people aged 9–17

Following the successful launch of our Minecraft Groups last holidays, we're continuing to offer both Term Groups and Intensive Holiday Groups.

These small, therapist-led groups use Minecraft to support communication, teamwork, emotional regulation, confidence and connection.

Expressions of interest are open, and we'd love for you to share the flyer with anyone who may benefit.

Spaces are limited. To find out more or register your interest, simply reply to this email or give us a call.

    



Piano Dynamics – Patterson Lakes 

Don’t miss this opportunity!!!   Start your children’s musical education today.

What better way than to improve self-esteem and showcase your child’s development than through music.  For younger children, playing the piano helps develop listening skills as well as coordination. Piano also improves cognitive and intellectual abilities such as memory, reading and maths skills.  I  am offering an introductory half price lesson to all new students who wish to develop their musical skills.  Certified  exams also offered.   I am a fully qualified teacher who has extensive experience in teaching all ages and levels.
Ring me now to organise your  introductory half price lesson.

Carolyn Rossis                                                                                                                                                          
Dip of Ed and Grad Dip of Music Toorak                                                                                                                           
Current children’s check and accrediated member of VMTA                  www.pianodynmics.com.au    [email protected]                                                                         (m) 0409 131 961

Students of all ages are tutored in private one-to-one lessons. Children are taught in a positive and nurturing environment. The tuition sessions are designed according to the student’s individual needs, which are regularly evaluated and form part of ongoing assessment. I tailor to the needs of each student, which is delivered in a positive learning environment designed to foster self-esteem and motivate students to achieve their full potential.  Students with special needs are also catered for.

The core work covers the following:

READING: To develop Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency and Expanded Vocabulary.

WRITING: Examines the different genres and includes writing organisations for each genre, essay writing, spelling, punctuation, grammar and editing skills.

MATHEMATICS: Covers Numeracy & Algebra, Measurement & Geometry and Statistics & Probability

EXAM PREPARATIONS: These helps identify the student’s progress and help develop skills for NAPLAN, ICAS, scholarship and entrance exams

Carolyn Susan Rossis

Diploma of Education and Graduate Diploma of Music

Email:  [email protected]

Current children’s check and fully COVID vaccinated

(M) 0409 131 961