Greetings from Shaun
Education Week at Northcote PS- Maths Games
We are excited to invite you to our Education Week celebration with a Maths Games Expo on Tuesday the 20th of May, from 3:30 to 4:15 pm. Each student will learn a maths game in class and will have the chance to teach and play it with their family during the Expo. If you have more than one child at our school, you’re welcome to move between classrooms and join in the fun with each of them. It’s a great opportunity to celebrate learning together and enjoy some fun with maths. We hope to see you there for this special event.
Semester 1 Reporting
As we continue to implement updates from the Victorian Curriculum 2.0, our approach to reporting is evolving to reflect the way students learn across subject areas.
With the introduction of the revised Mathematics Victorian Curriculum last year, schools moved to reporting a single overall mark for Mathematics, rather than separate marks for each of the three strands. You will notice that in Mathematics this semester, reports will include a growth point to highlight each student’s progress and areas for development over the year.
This year, teachers will report against the new English Victorian Curriculum. However, the reporting format will remain unchanged, with students continuing to receive separate marks for Reading, Writing, and Speaking & Listening.
The updated Victorian Curriculum 2.0 recognises the interconnected nature of the learning strands within both Mathematics—Number, Algebra, Measurement, Space, Statistics, and Probability—and English, which includes Reading, Writing, and Speaking & Listening. Reflecting this, we will no longer use sub-headings in the achievement comments for these areas, providing a more integrated view of student progress.
In Week 2 of Term 3, parent–teacher conferences will provide an opportunity to discuss future learning goals and strategies to support learning at home.
Election Day Fundraiser
I wanted to share a quick update on our recent Election Day fundraiser. Thanks to the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC), we hosted a voting site at school — which meant the place was buzzing all day with people coming to cast their votes and exercise their democratic right (and maybe sneak a sausage or two).
Our bake sale and sausage sizzle were an absolute hit, thanks to generous families who donated delicious treats and the fantastic support from volunteers on the day. With so many people stopping by, the day was lively, fun, and yes, VERY busy — but that just made our fundraiser even more successful.
Thanks to everyone who helped, we raised just under $5,000. We’re putting that straight toward new digital technology resources for our classrooms, and I’ve already had a chat with Matt our ICT Coordinator about how to make the most of it for the kids.
Parent Payment Arrangements
I want to sincerely thank all the families who have already contributed to Northcote Primary School through voluntary payments. Your generosity makes a real difference and helps us provide the best possible learning experiences for our students.
While the State Government covers free instruction and the standard curriculum, your contributions allow us to go beyond that. Whether you’ve given financially, volunteered your time, or supported fundraising, your involvement strengthens our school community and the opportunities we can offer.
Thanks to you, we can maintain strong classroom teaching and specialist programs in Literacy, Numeracy, Art, Music, Italian, ICT, and Sports and PE. For 2025, the voluntary curriculum contribution helps us keep updating resources, improving digital learning, and providing a balanced education that supports every child.
We are committed to keeping costs affordable and truly appreciate the support of every family. Together, we’re building the best environment for our children to thrive.
Parent Induction - Term 2
Parents and family members interested in supporting classroom activities and events for 2025 are invited to join our Volunteer Induction session. This term, the online session, is scheduled for Wednesday, 21st May at 5:30pm.
Landscaping and Playground Construction
Our playground landscaping project is moving along nicely. After the excitement of installing the new playground equipment during the holidays, we’re now focusing on the next stage of the work.
The footings around the playground have now been concreted to provide a strong and safe foundation. We’ve also received delivery of the larger rocks, boulders, and logs that will form part of the natural play areas, which are currently being installed in various locations, which will give students plenty of opportunities to explore, climb and play.
The locations for the remaining footings have been prepared and are ready for the next stage of work too. These footings will support cosy corners and seating areas where students can gather and relax. Additionally, there is a larger footing planned for a raised garden bed, which will be the home for a semi-advanced tree, adding greenery and some shade to the yard.
Next week, construction will begin on the masonry walls, which will help define the playground spaces and add structure to the new areas as they begin to take shape.
So far everything is on track, and we’re excited to have everything ready for students to enjoy at the start of next term.
Prep Enrolments- 2026
Do you or someone you know have a child starting school in 2026? Starting in Term 2, we will be now accepting enrolments for next year. Weekly tours have already commenced, alternating between Tuesdays and Thursdays, the specific dates are on the website and can be found here:
Additionally, prospective families are invited to join us on Wednesday 28th of May 2025 at 7pm for our Prep 2026 Information Evening. The evening will provide families with information about our school, our curriculum, our community and the 2026 enrolment process. Be sure to spread the word!
Take care,
Shaun.