They have to ensure their schools don't resemble building sites, remember hundreds of new names and fit out classrooms with furniture, books and stationery.

We spoke to three principals at new state, independent and Catholic schools about their hopes, dreams and challenges for the year ahead.

Rosemary Cosentino is on a mission.

The principal of the new South Melbourne Park Primary School wants to ensure all her students find their passion.

Her school, in the sprawling Albert Park reserve, will run a weekly initiative called Passion Fridays where students will spend two hours pursuing a new interest.

“It might be sailing on the lake, or walking around the lake and doing environmental studies,” Ms Cosentino said. “It could be golfing, bike riding, robotics, performing arts or writing.”

As the mother of a child who was once disengaged from school, Ms Cosentino knows how important it is for children to discover their passion.

Her son, Australian illusionist Cosentino, was once a shy child who struggled at school. But when he was 12, he stumbled upon a book about magic in the library and his world changed.

“He started to read. He had discovered his passion – magic,” Ms Cosentino said.

The experienced principal, who previously worked at the sought-after Kingswood Primary School, wants to take advantage of her new school’s unique location.

She'll be forging strong ties with the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, just metres away.

Students will have weekly swimming lessons for the entirety of their schooling, and unlike most state schools, South Melbourne Park Primary will offer before and after school sport.

“Learning doesn't just happen at school, we will be connecting with our community,” she said.

“We want kids bouncing into school every day. Their learning is going to be really engaging.”

Jane Macdonald spent years dreaming up the school she wanted her youngest daughter to attend. She wanted her to thrive in a creative school where children learnt by doing, instead of sitting at a desk and following a teacher’s instructions.

This week, the first-time principal’s dream will become a reality when the Maxwell Creative School opens its doors. The independent primary school is on a rural property in Cockatoo, 48 kilometres south-east of Melbourne’s CBD.

Children will learn alongside chickens, ducks, guinea pigs, a pony and a goat called Billy.

“It’s a creative education school which means that the children learn through the creative process rather than through the academic process,” Ms Macdonald said.

Students will follow the Australian curriculum, but they will learn through hands-on projects and by solving problems.

For instance, instead of sitting on the floor with a teacher and learning multiplication tables, and then perhaps completing a work sheet, students might watch leaves fall from a large tree, or count stones to explore mathematical concepts.

Enrolments are capped at 30 students due to the size of the school's facilities and its location.

There will be no year levels and students will choose the class they think bests suits their abilities. For instance, a prep with good reading skills might choose an intermediate reading class, while one still learning to read, might choose the beginners' class.

“They choose which experience to have,” she said.

Dozens of new residents are arriving in Sunbury every week, and Krystine Hocking wants to make sure they consider her school.

She’s the principal of Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School Sunbury, a school that shares its grounds with many endangered species.

“We have the growling green frog, the earless lizard and the golden sun moth,” she explained.

Children at the Catholic school will study these endangered animals and learn about natural habitats and how to be more sustainable.

The school has also forged a partnership with Melbourne Zoo.

It’s the first time in Ms Hocking’s 30-year career in Catholic education that she’s been tasked with the job of leading a school.

Her biggest challenge? “Preparing children for an ever-changing world,” she said.

“I want to give the children of Sunbury a great opportunity to fulfil their potential.”

While 52 children will start at the school next week, enrolments are projected to increase to 600 students within five years.

Ms Hocking also wants to make wellbeing a focus of her new school.

“We have so many children in Australia with anxiety and we know that impacts learning,” she said. “I want our children to be the best for the world, not the best in the world.”