Assistant Principal Reports

Hello Everyone,

Stand-Up Project (SUP)

After school on Tuesday, a number of our SUP Student Leaders co-facilitated our staff professional learning session with Dr Zach Greig. They spoke about the terms ‘friendship fire’, ‘mean on purpose’ and ‘bullying’, and the importance of promoting Upstander behaviour. They enjoyed teaching the teachers, organising a movement break, a game and even setting homework.

The Hub

Our new items have arrived! 

To exchange your PACs for these items will be:

Play Doh - 40 PACs

Batman Lego – 60 PACs

Dreamz, Mr Oz’s Space bus – 100 PACs

Pride and Integrity Raffle 

This raffle, recognizes all of the students who are attending school on time.  This is to acknowledge the students demonstrating Pride and Integrity by being ready to learn each day.

Every student who is at school, and in their classroom, before the bell (9am) will have their name added to the class attendance box. So, if they are present on time, every day of the week, they will have 5 entries into the raffle. 

Last week’s class winners were: 

FA – Ollie, FC – Remi, 1A – Ellie, 1B – Henry, 2A – Luke, 4A – Jensen, 4B – Sabrina, 4C – Will

The raffle winner was Will from 4C! Congratulations! 

Will received 15 PACs for Pride & Integrity

2025 Term 1 Challenge of the Week

Week 6:

Alphabet Challenge –  Feelings

This term, the challenge of the week will be an alphabet challenge. I will set a topic and you need to find a word related to that topic for each letter of the alphabet, or as many as you can. You can find more than one word for each letter.

You must collaborate with at least one other person (a friend, parent, classmate, etc) and no more than 3 other people. If you do not collaborate, you will not receive a PAC for Collaboration.

Students collaborating for week 5’s Challenge earnt a PAC each. 

The students were:

Riley 1A (& mum)

Vitali 2A (& mum)

Isla 2A (& mum, Emma and dad)

Sabrina* 4B (& mum and dad)

Alessio* 4B (& mum and dad)

Yawer 5A (& baba)

Boston, Francois and Johnathan 6C

Ms Reid, Ms Davies, Ms Fu and Mr Camilleri

*Special mention to Sabrina and Alessio for finding a meal that started with X!

Please hand your answers to the office before 3.30pm on Wednesday 12th March.

Kind regards,

Deanne Scott

Assistant Principal 

NAPLAN Testing

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) for our Year 3 and 5 students are held in March each year. In 2025, the NAPLAN test window is between Wednesday 12 March and Monday 24 March. 

Below is the timetable for testing at Deer Park West Primary School. All testing will take place in the morning session. Please ensure that you child is at school on time to avoid disruption. 

Wednesday 12th of March – Writing

Thursday 13th of March – Reading

Friday 14th of March – Conventions of Language

Monday 17th of March – Numeracy

All eligible students are expected to participate in the NAPLAN tests. Catch up tests will be available for individual students who are absent on test days up to and including Monday 24 March 2025.

Students may be withdrawn from NAPLAN by their parent or carer. This is a matter for consideration by parents and carers in consultation with the principal. If, after consultation, you decide to withdraw your child, you must sign a student withdrawal form. These forms are available at the school. This decision must be made prior to NAPLAN testing.  

For parents and carers further information on NAPLAN testing, including translation into different languages, can be found at https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carers ke

Home Learning Habits: Setting Your Child Up for Success

At Deer Park West PS, we know that learning doesn’t stop when the school day ends! Developing strong home learning habits helps children build confidence, independence, and a love for learning. 

Here are some simple ways you can support your child’s learning at home:

1. Create a Learning-Friendly Environment

Set up a quiet, well-lit space for your child to read, complete homework, or explore new ideas. Keep supplies like pencils, paper, and books nearby to make learning easy and accessible.

2. Establish a Routine

Consistency helps children feel secure. Set a regular time each day for reading, homework, or learning activities. Even 10–15 minutes of focused learning can make a big difference!

3. Encourage Daily Reading

Reading together is one of the best ways to support your child’s learning. Encourage them to read books they enjoy, ask questions about the story, and discuss new words to build comprehension skills.

4. Make Learning Part of Everyday Life

Learning doesn’t just happen in books! Get your child involved in real-life learning experiences:

• Counting money while shopping.

• Measuring ingredients while cooking.

• Telling the time on an analogue clock.

• Playing word and number games together.

5. Foster a Growth Mindset

Encourage your child to embrace challenges and keep trying, even when something feels difficult. Praise their effort rather than just the result—for example, “I love how you kept trying to solve that tricky maths problem!”

6. Limit Distractions

Try to keep screen time balanced with other activities. Encourage screen-free time before bed to help your child wind down for a good night’s sleep, which is essential for learning and concentration.

By making small, positive changes at home, you can help your child build strong learning habits that will benefit them for life. If you have any questions or need further support, please reach out to your child’s teacher.

Let’s work together to support our students’ success!

Kind regards,

Joshua Fielding

Assistant Principal