Mini Mudder

What a great afternoon we had on Friday with the DPS Mini Mudder challenge. Despite the hot weather it was great to see so many students running around the course and having a great time, although they did come away looking like creatures from a swamp!!!

A massive THANK YOU to all the volunteers who sweated away in the heat to set up and pack up.

A big THANK YOU goes out to Parents and Friends for making it all possible.

2025 Classroom Teachers

Thank you for your patience as we have worked through getting teacher placements for 2025 organised. We still have interviews for two classroom teacher positions, but we can now let you know most of the structure.

Prep: Elizabeth Elliot, Olivia Martin, Aaron McKinnis

Juniors: Tara Van Winkel, Rachel Bright, Josh Burnie, Taylah Renkin

Middles: Alice Kuenzer, Rebecca Hoyne/Nikki Hyndman, Josh Bride, Ruby Gleeson, TBC

Seniors: Denise Dean, Lucy Croxford, Raelee Hovey, Kellie Thomas, TBC

Specialists: Shane Kennedy, Bridget Garbutt, Trent Stevens, Melinda Henderson/Bron Osbourne

MHWL/Inclusion: Nic Alonso

Learning Specialist: Simon Keogh

Tutors: Denise McPhee, Fleur Martin

Education Support positions will be announced soon.

Invitation To Drysdale PS Families  
Come along to the school, 7th December at 9am to 11am for a FREE BBQ breaky of egg and bacon rolls, pancakes, and fun run by the Geelong Lions Club.

This is a great opportunity to come together to celebrate the great year we’ve had.

Supported by the local Lions Clubs, Geelong Food Relief, Feed me Bellarine and Alison Marchant Member for Bellarine.

Possible visit from Santa on the Drysdale CFA truck.

See you there!

The Victorian government has outlined below the items that the School Saving Bonus can and cannot be used for.

Some common examples of school activities for which the School Saving Bonus may be used include:

• school camps, trips, excursions and incursions
• swimming and sporting programs
• outdoor education programs
• graduations

The School Saving Bonus cannot be used towards:

• activities required for the school’s delivery of the curriculum (eg. WINC Stationery Packs and laptops/devices)
• before/after school care
• locker hire
• classroom and homework materials
• formals or debutante balls.
• School fees

Alternatively, the parent/carer can purchase uniforms and/or textbooks via an in-store or online purchase, with an approved supplier.  The bonus can be used to purchase second-hand items where the sale of items is managed by the school (that is, where the school is the supplier).  Generic uniform items, including shoes, can also be purchased through State Schools’ Relief.  The bonus cannot be used for purchases at general retailers (for example, Kmart, Big W, Best&Less) or to support transactions between individuals.

On November 12th we had our second transition session for the school. It was great to see students getting to know each other through games and tasks and feel more connected and comfortable in the spaces they are going to be in next year.

Our next transition morning is on Thursday November 28th from 9.30-10.30am. We will have our final transition on December 10th, in a couple of weeks. Teachers are currently working with leadership in the development of next year’s classes, thank you to families for helping complete Friendship Hands as part of this process.

Please see read more for photos.

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Tea Towels

We would like to thank everyone who purchased a tea towel this year, all the drawings were fantastic. We raised just over $900 to go towards new seating for in the hall.

Mini Mudder

What a great day the kids had on Friday with Mini Mudder, despite the heat it was a huge success. Parents and friends would like to thank all the volunteers who endured the heat and helped on the day.

A massive THANK YOU to Jagger, Brody, Max, Otis, Toby and Sid from year 6, their help on the day was invaluable.

Lastly a massive THANK YOU to Alycia, Jen, Caitrin, Michelle, Carissa, Tegan, Lee, Lisa, Gus and Glen for volunteering with set up and the running of the event, your help on the day is greatly appreciated, the event would not have been possible without your valuable time.

We raised just over $2,200, which will go towards new seating in the hall.

Please note the last day of Term 4 is Friday 20th December, with an early finish of 1.30pm.

Term 1 2025 commences for all students on Wednesday 29th January.

On Friday 6^th December our school will be celebrating Go Green Day, an exciting initiative to raise awareness about sustainability and keep our school environment clean and green!

Dress Code:
Students are encouraged to wear their usual school uniform but with a green twist! Whether it’s a green hat, t-shirt, or even green accessories, let’s show our support for the environment.

Clean-Up Campaign:
As part of this special day, students will work together to clean up our school yard. This is a great opportunity to learn about the importance of keeping our surroundings tidy and reducing waste. Let’s show how much we care for our school and the planet!

Parents Invited!
We invite all families to join us from 2:30pm onwards for our Termly Working Bee. Your support will be invaluable as we work to improve the school grounds. Please bring along any gardening tools or cleaning equipment that can help with the tasks on the day.

Sausage Sizzle Finale:
To end the day on a high note, we’ll have a Sausage Sizzle at 4:15pm. It will be a great way to relax, enjoy a meal, and chat with fellow parents and teachers about our sustainability efforts.

We can’t wait to see everyone there, dressed in green and ready to make a positive impact on our school environment! Let’s work together to make this day a success and take small steps toward a greener future!

We’re excited to announce an easy and impactful way for our school community to contribute to sustainability efforts: the Container Deposit Scheme! By recycling your bottles and cans, you can help raise funds for our school while also doing your part to protect the environment.

How It Works:
Simply collect your eligible drink containers (bottles and cans) and drop them off at your local collection point. Each container is worth 10 cents, and the best part is—the money raised will come straight back to the school to support our sustainability projects and initiatives!

Why Participate?

• Support Sustainability: Every recycled bottle and can reduces waste and helps keep our environment clean.
• Raise Funds: The funds we receive will go directly towards sustainability needs within the school, such as green initiatives, educational programs, and eco-friendly resources.
• Make a Difference: Your small action can lead to a big impact. The more containers we recycle, the more funds we raise to improve our school and planet.

How You Can Help:

1. Collect your empty drink bottles and cans at home, at events, or wherever you go.
2. Drop them off at a participating collection point. Using the App and find Drysdale Primary School to begin donating
3. Spread the Word! Encourage friends, family, and neighbours to get involved and donate their containers to our school.

Let’s work together to make our school a leader in sustainability. Every can counts, and together, we can make a huge difference! Thank you for your support in helping us create a greener future for our school and community.

We appreciate your contributions and look forward to seeing the positive impact we can achieve together!

Hi everyone we are JSC, on Friday the 13th of December, you can wear all your festive gear to school and celebrate Christmas.

In order to be able to wear your groovy outfits you will be required to bring in a gold coin donation going towards the Salvation Army Christmas Fundraiser, this fundraiser raises money for kids who don’t get presents for Christmas and gives them a present.

Thank You JSC Team

On Tuesday, 3 December – we will be holding a Maths Open Afternoon right across the school. This will be an opportunity for you to come into school and spend some time with your child/children, taking part in some fun and exciting maths activities and games in their classrooms.

The afternoon will run from 2.45pm – 3.25pm, all classrooms will be taking part so you will have the opportunity to visit multiple rooms if needed.

We hope to see as many of you there as possible, as it may give you some ideas which you can use at home to help your children support their learning in Maths.

The Drysdale Family Support Foodbank has been helping families on the Bellarine Peninsula, who are experiencing Food Insecurity, for the past 25 years.  As well as providing this service through the year, the Foodbank also provides Christmas Hampers for regular clients.

Donations can be dropped off at the Drysdale Primary School office – donations of food items can be donated at the school office until 1st December and other items, until 8th December.

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Please read more for TheirCare’s latest newsletter;

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Please ‘read more’ for information about events and activities in the region;

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