Principal's Report

A HUGELY Successful Month!

August has certainly been a very successful month here at YPS! 

• External Validation

In Week 5, our school went through External Validation, a Department of Education process where an independent panel reviews our practices and achievements against the School Excellence Framework. We are proud to share that YPS was validated at ‘Excelling’ (the highest possible rating) in 13 out of 14 domains! This is an incredible achievement and a reflection of the hard work, expertise, and commitment of our amazing staff. Well done YPS!

• Wakakirri

Congratulations to our incredible YPS Wakakirri team on their spectacular performance of Candy Coated Courage at the WIN Entertainment Centre! Wakakirri Ambassador Samuel McKeown praised the performance as:

“A sweet and spectacular candy land journey bursting with imagination, clever visuals and joyful performances.”

Awards Received

**** State Award! ****

• Production Award for Projection

• Storytelling Award for a Great Blockbuster Production Style

• Storytelling Award for Story Theme & Concept

• Production Award for Soundtrack

• Production Award for Set Movement & Staging

• Spirit of Wakakirri Award

Samuel McKeown also shared:

"This performance was bursting with fun and creativity, from the big acting and strong characterisation to the vibrant sets and costumes. The candy land theme was full of clever touches — the bed set piece, the tiny candy kids, and the TV prop all stood out. The contemporary soundtrack and dancing kept things fresh while the storytelling remained clear. Great projection work enhanced the narrative, and the sense of wonder and curiosity on stage made this a truly engaging and memorable number.”

We are so proud of our students for their hard work, teamwork, and courage. They were outstanding representatives of our school and their behaviour on the day was impeccable. Thank you to our amazing staff, families, and helpers who supported this journey, you’ve helped create memories that will last a lifetime!

Special thanks to: Miss Chesworth, and Mrs Nicoll (choreographers), Miss Hatchell (Art Club assistance), Miss Fiona (backdrop artwork), Mr Brian (helps in more ways than can be listed), Mr & Mrs Liles (props and costumes) and Matt from Logic Transport Specialists (kindly donated his time and truck to take our props and costumes to and from WIN Entertainment Centre) - HUGE thank you!

• Choir

Our amazing choir performed at The Pavillion as part of the SSSMF Jungles Concert. They performed beautifully and were excellent representatives of our school. Thank you to Mrs Greening and Miss Fiona for supporting our choir.

Staffing

On behalf of the whole YPS community, I wish to officially congratulate Mrs Polly Speechley on her retirement. Mrs Speechley has been that friendly, warm and caring office lady that our staff and students have loved since her permanent appointment here in 2014! Mrs Speechley will be coming in for lunch on Tuesday - if you would like us to pass on a card from your family, please give it to the office tomorrow morning.

Mrs Lynch has extended her leave for the remainder of the term and will return to us in Term 4. Mrs Huntingdon will remain in the role Mon-Wed and Mr Cox on a Thursday. 

Mrs Fiona Jordan has joined our SASS team. With 19 years of SLSO experience we are very fortunate to welcome her to our team.

2026

Our student numbers for 2026 are very close to us being able to form 11 classes next year! Do you know someone who is interested in joining our beautiful community here at YPS? Please have them get in touch with us - we would love to show them around!

Yet to enroll your little one for Kindy? Please do so ASAP as we are busy preparing for our Kindy Orientation program which will commence early in Term 4 to give our littlest learners the best start to primary schooling.

Swimming and Water Safety Program

Thank you to Mr Cox for organising the Swimming and Water Safety Program for our Year 2 and 3 students. The School Swimming and Water Safety Program is an essential part of students’ learning, equipping them with vital skills to be safe, confident, and responsible around water. Swimming is not only a lifelong skill that promotes health and fitness, but also a critical safety measure in a country where waterways, pools, and beaches are part of everyday life. By participating in the program, students build water confidence, develop stroke techniques, and learn strategies to prevent and respond to emergencies, helping to reduce the risk of drowning and fostering a culture of safety and wellbeing both in and out of the school environment. Well done to all who attended.

Principals’ Day

I want to sincerely thank you all for the thoughtful messages, kind words, and gestures of appreciation for Principals’ Day. Your acknowledgement truly means so much to me and reminds me of the incredible community I have the privilege of serving.

Being the principal of this school is more than just a role, it is a joy and an honour. Each day I get to work alongside dedicated staff, watch our students grow and thrive, and partner with families who care deeply about their children’s education. YPS is a special place, and I am grateful every day to be part of it.

Thank you again for making me feel so valued. I am proud to be your principal and even prouder of the amazing community we have built together.

Open Day

Many thanks to those that attended our Public Education Week Open Day. It was a beautiful day, sharing our classrooms, watching our talented students perform and enjoying the company of our community. Thank you Mrs Paine and Mrs Thomas for organising our Open Day and to our P&C for the afternoon tea snack boxes.

Zone Athletics

Congratulations to all our students that represented YPS at the Zone Athletics Carnival. We are pleased to report that 13 of our students have made it through to the Regional Carnival to be held on the 17 September. We wish them all the best and thank Mr Robson for his organisation and support.

Public Speaking

Congratulations to all of our students on completing their speeches in class. You should be very proud of the effort, courage, and confidence you showed in sharing your ideas. Public speaking is a wonderful skill that takes practice and bravery, and each of you rose to the challenge. We now look forward to supporting our class representatives as they take the stage in the finals tomorrow. We wish them the very best of luck as they showcase their talents and thank Mrs Bryant for her support and organisation.

Nyumbar Incursion

Our students had a wonderful time at our Nyumbar Incursion last week. The whole school dance performance was a real highlight. Thank you Mrs Burton for bringing this opportunity to our students and thank you Nyumbar for your ongoing support of our school.

Professional Learning

It’s not just our students who are becoming lifelong learners… our teachers enjoyed a day of learning last Thursday, focusing on latest evidence-based practice in literacy teaching and learning Key Word Sign thanks to Steph from Celebrate T21. These days are vital to improving student outcomes, and our results speak for themselves!

Playground Buddies

Our students are loving playing with some new toys in the sensory garden area as part of our wellbeing initiatives here at YPS. Developmental play offers a wide range of benefits that support children’s growth across physical, cognitive, social, and emotional domains. Through play, children build fine and gross motor skills, strengthen coordination, and improve overall health and wellbeing. Play also nurtures creativity and problem-solving, encouraging imagination, curiosity, and critical thinking. Socially, it provides opportunities to practise communication, cooperation, sharing, and conflict resolution, laying the foundation for positive relationships. On an emotional level, play helps children express feelings, develop resilience, and build self-confidence in a safe and supportive environment. Overall, developmental play is a powerful tool that fosters holistic growth and prepares children for lifelong learning. Thank you to our Playground Buddies - Max, Leigh, Logan, Eloise, Siena and Joey for all your help in looking after these toys. So much fun!

Principal for a Day / Lunch time DJ Madz / Prefect for a Day

As part of our annual P&C Trivia Night, the staff always select something ‘fun’ to auction off on the evening. This year, Olivia and Jacob enjoyed being “Principal for a Day” - greeting our students at gate duty, making a morning announcement on the loud speaker, doing class ‘checks’, writing their assembly speech, giving Golden Tickets to superstar workers and presenting the Principal’s Report at assembly. They even got to be part of a Gold Award presentation!

DJ Madz ‘spun the decks’ for a lunch and recess time dance party on the oval. Students enjoyed listening, singing and dancing to some very popular tunes and the fun was contagious! Thanks Mr Robson for your help in making this happen - the students loved it!

Emma and Anna were also honorary members of our Prefect team last Friday. They did a fantastic job helping to run the assembly - the current Prefects and teachers were very impressed. Thanks Mr K for supporting this initiative.

Well done Olivia, Jacob, Madison, Emma and Anna and thank you to their families for their donation to the fundraising efforts of our P&C. I trust you all had fun and will remember this day in years to come.

P&C Meeting

Our next P&C meeting will be held in the staff room at 7pm on Monday 8 September. All welcome!

Father’s Day

Wishing all YPS fathers and father figures a wonderful day on Sunday and I hope to see many of you at our P&C Father’s Day breakfast on Friday.

SASS Week

This week marks School Administrative and Support Staff (SASS) Week, a time dedicated to recognising the vital role our amazing SASS team play in making our school a thriving, welcoming, and successful place for students, staff, and families alike.

Every day, our SASS team contribute in ways that often happen behind the scenes but make an enormous difference, from ensuring our students are safe and supported, to keeping our school running smoothly, to creating an environment where both teaching and learning can truly flourish. Their professionalism, care, and dedication form the backbone of our school community.

On behalf of our staff, students, and families, I want to sincerely thank them for all that they do. This week is about celebrating the best SASS team out there! You truly are at the heart of our school and we could not do this important work without your efforts. We are extremely lucky to have you!

I encourage everyone to take a moment to personally thank our amazing SASS team.

Miss Michelle, Miss Olivia, Mr Brian, Mrs Lewis, Miss Fiona, Miss Mollie, Mrs Camelotti, Mr Jai, Miss Nicole, Mrs Morando, Mr Lewis, and Mrs Jordan - thank you!

Kind regards,

Kyleigh Nash

Principal