About our school
Elsternwick Primary School is in Brighton, just 10km from Melbourne CBD, in a lush landscape of gum trees and native birds. We provide a challenging and comprehensive curriculum in a supportive environment focusing on the whole child — their academic progress and their overall wellbeing, in and outside our community.
We value:
RESPONSIBILITY
We are self-managers. We develop our capabilities as leaders and as valuable members of our community.
RESPECT
We collaborate, communicate and encourage each other. We develop an appreciation of our own self-worth and that of others.
PERSONAL EXCELLENCE
We embrace positive thinking and agency as we set and strive to achieve our personal learning goals.
CURIOSITY
We ask questions, reflect on our theories and think critically and creatively as we inquire into the world in which we live.
Hello from the Principal, Michael Portaro
On behalf of the staff and school council, I welcome all children, parents and carers to the Elsternwick Primary School (EPS) community. I’m proud to be this wonderful school’s Principal and it’s a privilege to be part of the journey that shapes our most precious resource — our children.
Our Students
Our goal is to ensure the success of our students in every possible way: academically, emotionally, physically, and socially. We understand that each child is unique, with their own personality and needs, so we’re here to help them grow and develop their full potential.
Our Staff
Our staff members bring a wealth of knowledge and dedication to guide students through their seven years of primary education. Their commitment and skill directly contribute to our high academic achievement. They consistently provide our students with diverse, rich, engaging, and outstanding educational programs.
We consider teaching a dynamic profession, and as new knowledge emerges, we require new learning, teaching, and school leadership expertise and skills. Therefore, our teachers engage in ongoing professional learning to continuously learn and improve.
Our Community
There has been a school on this site since 1888 and we take pride in the strong bond we share with our school community. We believe in working together to provide a high standard of education and engagement at EPS, and parents and carers play an integral part in this equation. We value your input and involvement in our curriculum programs, school activities, and various groups, such as the School Council, sub-committees, and the Parents and Carers Association. Your contribution is key to strengthening the connection between home and school, enhancing your children’s educational achievements and outcomes.
Speaking of connection, my door is always open to parents and carers wishing to discuss their child’s progress or anything related to the school. I look forward to meeting you and sharing our passion for giving our students every opportunity to thrive.
Warm regards,
Michael Portaro
2024 Leadership Team
L-R: Cheryl Clarke – Leading Teacher English, Leanne Williams – Learning Specialist Engagement, Michael Portaro – Principal, Nicola Smith Assistant Principal – Wellbeing, Jac Curlis – Leading Teacher Mathematics
School funding
The Department of Education funds schools to deliver the ‘standard’ Victorian Curriculum; thus, the Department states parent/carer payments are voluntary. However, the voluntary contributions from parents and carers at EPS allow us to provide a strong and diverse program that operates far above the ‘standard’.
We ask for three levels of payments from families:
Curriculum Contributions:
This funds general classroom materials and equipment, including stationery, resources, and access to shared technology. EPS has supplied and managed this centrally for convenience, consistency and equity and to minimise waste.
Other Contribution:
These payments allow us to deliver an innovative, diverse and robust program operating well above the standard.
We provide:
- Maths and Literacy specialist leadership
- Specialist teachers for STEAM, LOTE, art, PE and Performing Arts
- Intervention and Extension Tutors
- Getting the best outside knowledge and innovation
- Providing experience-based learning opportunities
- Our exceptional wellbeing program
Extracurricular Items and Activities:
Incursions/excursions, camps, the Year 6 Study Tour to Canberra, and swimming lessons.
In all cases, if there’s a financial hardship, flexible payment options and support are available, and all items required are provided regardless of payment.
Laptops and tablets at EPS
Providing students with the skills and knowledge to thrive in the 21st century is a priority at EPS. We believe that the Digital Technologies Curriculum is best taught in an integrated and seamless way across the whole breadth of the curriculum.
Students in Years 2-6 bring their own laptops (BYOD Program), and specifications are provided. Families experiencing hardship will be supported to provide a device for their child/ren.
In the younger year levels, we use school iPads to complement learning. We’re proud to be an eSmart school, focusing on teaching digital skills and promoting online safety for students.
Sustainability
We’re so lucky to be surrounded by native flora and home to precious wildlife — and we want to keep it that way! We’ve embedded several sustainability initiatives into life at EPS, including:
- A complete transition to solar energy in 2022 and 2023
- ‘Nude Food’, minimising packaging brought to school
- Recycling bins to save recyclable waste from landfill
- Classroom and communal compost bins
- Water tanks to help nourish our gardens
Our students have also attended programs like Bayside Council’s Sustainability and Leadership program, run by educators from the Port Phillip EcoCentre.
We’re proud to live and learn on Kulin land
We are proud to be learning on the land of the Boonwurrung people of the Kulin Nation. Every morning in our classrooms and at assemblies and school events, we acknowledge the country we’re on. We acknowledge past and present elders and extend this acknowledgement to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
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