About Us
Principal’s Message
I would like to welcome you to Chandler Park Primary School. We are a friendly and caring school providing a quality service to families and an outstanding education for children. Our motto ‘Pride in Excellence’ supports our vision of children achieving to their potential. As children bring a variety of experiences and learning needs to school, we provide a wide range of challenging and flexible programs enabling them to develop as happy, knowledgeable, optimistic, creative and resilient learners who will always do their best and strive for excellence. We have a safe and inclusive learning environment and we expect every student to uphold the values that underpin the management and teaching practices at our school. They are:
- Collaborate – being friends, caring for each other and working together
- Respect – for self, for others, for property and environment.
- Resilience – trusting in ourselves, having a go and not giving up
- Innovate – to use initiative and imagination to create something new.
There are a broad range of activities and learning programs on offer at Chandler Park PS. The staff create exciting and stimulating learning tasks and classrooms that are highly focused on the learning needs and interests of the students. We want students to love coming to school and we want them to strive to achieve their learning goals, take pride in their achievements and value the effort they have put towards that achievement. We want all students to receive explicit instruction that makes sense and is purposeful and we want students to develop social and emotional learning skills such as mutual respect, collaboration, resilience, confidence, persistence and organisation. The school is committed to effective communication, taking a pro-active role ensuring people have their say. Consultative processes have been adopted which enables student voice and agency to grow. Whole school planning is practiced and extra curricula activities are well attended by the school community. Chandler Park has incorporated technology into the curriculum and is proud of efforts to provide a high level of computer availability for students and staff.
All classrooms are shared flexible learning spaces with direct access to ICT devices which are playing an increasing role in student learning. Ipads are increasingly used in specialised learning environments and in the classroom programs. Developing quality partnerships is an integral part of our school culture. We believe that we have a shared role with you in assisting your child to learn effectively and to develop a positive self-esteem. We invite you to be our partners in meeting the needs of your children, helping them to acquire skills for living within a happy, friendly and caring school environment. Parents are welcome at any time. We appreciate your comments and participation in decision making within the school. We anticipate our students will face challenges or problems during their schooling and we will respond with confidence, to achieve a high degree of success. We look forward to a happy and purposeful association with your family and with our open door policy we encourage you to make regular contact with the school either personally, via email or SMS.
School Profile
At Chandler Park we encourage and foster positive attitudes towards learning. We have high expectations of success, a collaborative focus on improving student learning outcomes and an inclusive school environment in which the development of every child is our priority.
We have an expectation that students will have:
- A sense of their own learning strengths- using learning styles, effective learning behaviours, concentration and resilience
- Organisational skills and strategies to work independently
- An emerging repertoire of learning strategies to use in a variety of situations
- Self-confidence to persist in the acquisition of literacy and numeracy skills
- The skills required to research, organise and present data
- The skills required to be a reflective learner.
The facilities at the school include permanent classrooms for 17 classes and portable classrooms for 4 classes. There is also a full sized gymnasium for sport and community use with a modern canteen and utility space for parents to meet as part of the design. Other dedicated classrooms include a performing arts room, visual arts studio, LOTE classroom and STEAM classroom. A Before and After School Care program is operated on site by Theircare, a registered care provider.
The school offers strong specialist programs in Physical Education (PE), Mandarin, Visual Arts, STEAM and Performing Arts. Literacy, Numeracy and Student Wellbeing are priorities for our school. Information technology is intrinsic to all our programs. Constructive and effective student engagement programs ensure that we strive to achieve our motto – Pride In Excellence.
In 2024 the school is continuing to focus on developing a positive school culture with a strong commitment to continuous improvement in student learning outcomes. Our school’s Strategic Plan outlines the future direction for the school in relation to student learning, student wellbeing and student engagement. We are continually reshaping the Teaching and Learning pedagogy and seeking student voice and agency to maximize student engagement in the learning program.
The core values that underpin the teaching practices at Chandler Park are: collaboration, respect, resilience and innovation.
In 2024, the school is focusing on the implementation of the ‘Respectful Relationships’ program. The aim is to further develop a culture that values and respects the efforts and contributions of all community members as well as promoting open and effective communication and community involvement.
The school has 54 dedicated staff members comprising 3 Principal Class Teachers, 1 Inclusion Leader, 3 Learning Specialist Teachers, 21 Classroom Teachers, 5 Specialist Teachers (Visual Arts, Performing Arts, LOTE (Mandarin), STEAM and PE), 2 Learning Support Teachers, Librarian, 2 Information Technology Staff, Business Manager, First Aid Officer, 5 Multicultural Education Aides and another 12 Education Support staff all working effectively in teams and continually striving to improve the learning outcomes for all students.
At Chandler Park, we encourage parent involvement in all areas of the school and the partnership between parent, teacher and each child is highly valued. We offer a variety of opportunities for parent participation. When home and school work closely together, children are able to progress to the best of their abilities. If children have parents with a positive attitude to school, then they are much more likely to succeed.
Parent participation is actively sought and in 2024 parents will be given the opportunity to get involved in school life whether it be as a member of the school Council, attending incursions/excursions, school camps, school swimming program, assisting with the PMP Prep program, covering books, helping out in the library or in the classrooms, or attending the parent teacher student interview meetings we hope to see you at throughout the year.
The external environment of the school is extremely attractive and our gardens are maintained regularly. The school grounds have been extensively upgraded with a large number of quiet shaded areas as well as a soccer field/ football oval, a netball court, 2 basketball courts and a turf running track with an attached long/triple jump pit. With the completion of the Wattle Learning Centre, we are now focused on seeking student opinion regarding the further development of playground court space and play equipment including sandpits to provide engaging areas for play. The school places a great deal of importance in creating attractive gardens and a variety of interesting play areas in our school grounds.
We welcome visitors to experience the school and to see for themselves and their families, whether Chandler Park is the right school of choice. Chandler Park Primary School’s philosophy is based on a commitment to lifelong learning and developing every child’s social, emotional and academic learning and physical well-being.
School Values & Vision
We are a friendly and caring school providing a quality service to families and an outstanding education for children. Our motto ‘Pride in Excellence’ supports our vision of children achieving to their potential. As children bring a variety of experiences and learning needs to school, we provide a wide range of challenging and flexible programs enabling them to develop as happy, knowledgeable, optimistic, creative and resilient learners who will always do their best and strive for excellence.
We have a safe and inclusive learning environment and we expect every student to uphold the values that underpin the management and teaching practices at our school.
They are:
- Collaborate – being friends, caring for each other and working together.
- Respect – For self, for others, for property and environment.
- Resilience – trusting in ourselves, having a go and not giving up.
- Innovate – to use initiative and imagination to create something new.
School Council
Chandler Park Primary School Council comprises parents, the principal, staff and community members.
School Council elections are held annually in February or March each year. All parents or guardians of students enrolled at the school are eligible to vote for parent members, and staff vote for staff members. School Council members are elected for a two-year term. Half the School Council retire each year but can stand for re-election.
School Council is comprised of 10 members:
- 3 DET members
- 6 parent members
- 1 community member
School Houses
The school operates four house groups which came into place after the school merger in 2009 when the two communities of Maralinga and Chandler came together as one school. The four houses are:
Hutton (Red) Luxford (Blue) Keys (Yellow) Blackmore (Green)
During special class events and sporting events, the children are organised into their house teams and each house has Year 6 House Leaders who have the responsibility of collecting the House points from the classrooms each week and announcing the winning team at Assemblies. There is a trophy for the winning House.
The choice of House names was decided by the School Board in 2010 in consultation with the school community and each House name has a historical significance to the Keysborough community.
Hutton
Colonel Thomas Bruce Hutton was a veteran of the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny. He came to Noble Park in 1873 and purchased a house named “Cumberoona” It was situated in the vicinity of Dunblane Rd oval and it consisted of 464 acres of land. This occupied most of the land bordered by Corrigan Rd, the railway line, Heatherton Rd, Chandler Rd and the Princess Highway. He ran sheep and was elected to the Dandenong Council in 1877 and remained until 1893. He died at the age of 80 in the fire that burnt Cumberoona to the ground. On his demise the estate was subdivided and sold.
Luxford
The Luxford family came to Noble Park with other families after the gold rush came to an end at Walhalla. The Luxfords cut and supplied timber to be used for support in the “Happy Go Lucky” mine located about four miles from Walhalla. Charles Luxford worked clearing his property while his sons looked elsewhere for employment. David assisted in the building of the house on the corner of Leonard Avenue and Stuart Street (now Kirk Street). George left Noble Park in 1919 and returned in 1933 to take over and develop the 11 acre block. George worked on the railway siding and was heavily involved in the local organisations and was a life governor of the Dandenong District Hospital.
Keys
Keysborough was named after the Keys family. In 1839, William Keys acquired land in Carrum and in 1841 George Keys established his family of 8 on land between Mordialloc and Dandenong. The Federal electorate takes its name from one of the sons, namely Issacs. John Keys became a member of the Legislative Assembly for Dandenong and Berwick and two of the Keys brothers were chairmen of the Roads Boards before one of them became the first Shire President in 1873. He was involved in the building and opening of our existing Town Hall, the establishment of the Dandenong Market, the Dandenong cricket club and he was responsible for building the first Post Office on Lonsdale Street as well as the Methodist Church.
Blackmore
The Blackmore family is a classic example of pioneering stock. Edward Kirkham purchased 20 acres of land on the Dandenong side of the creek in 1850 on the road that carries his name. He worked as a builder and also constructed post and rail fences in the district. His daughter Jane Alice Kirkham married William Blackmore– and this union created Arthur (Arty) Blackmore. Arty selected 15 acres of land in 1912 on Chandler Road. The three boys Arthur, Gordon and Walter and one girl Murial all worked on the property. In 1956 the entire property was subdivided into building blocks, roads and services were supplied and the property sold. The street names all have family connections and Murial and Walter today have homes on the estate.
Policies
(Plans & Reports)
School Zone Information
Our school zone is available on findmyschool.vic.gov.au. Find my school hosts the most up-to-date information about Victorian school zones for 2024 onwards.
Students residing in this zone are guaranteed a place at our school, which is determined on the basis of your permanent residential address.
The Department provides guidance through the School Placement Policy to ensure that students have access to their designated neighbourhood school and the freedom to choose other schools, subject to facility limitations.
You can find more information and answers to frequently asked questions on the Department’s website under School zones.
