Greetings from Shaun

Reminder- Working with Children Checks for all Volunteers

We’ve been working hard to support parents and carers in obtaining their Working with Children Check (WWCC) so they can assist in the classroom, at athletics, during swimming, on camp, or the big one coming up—volunteering at the fete! As part of our commitment to child safety, we require all fete volunteers to have a WWCC, in line with the Victorian Government's Child Safe Standards. These standards ensure that students feel safe and supported by fostering child-safe environments.  Why, you ask? Fete day can be riddled with various risks, and requiring a WWCC for all volunteers is one effective way to enhance safety for everyone involved. The WWCC confirms that volunteers have undergone necessary background checks, which is essential in protecting children from harm. This confirms their suitability to work with children. Additionally, providing training on child safety protocols empowers volunteers to recognise and report suspicious actions. 

When this newsletter is published, there will be 5 months and 3 days before the fete, or 154 days (but who’s counting?). So, if you have volunteered in the past or are thinking of volunteering for the first time and don't have a WWCC, I urge you to start the process of applying for your WWCC. 

It’s a 15 minute job that can be done from a phone and the link is-

If you have any trouble at all, please come in and see Sarah, Donna, or Caterina in the office, and they will gladly help you out. While obtaining the WWCC is another admin task in our busy lives, I know you'll agree that prioritising student safety is something we all play a role in. 

Thank you for helping keep our school community safe and secure.

Class Placement Requests

As you can imagine, determining class placements is a lengthy and complex process. Therefore, we will soon begin forming our classes for 2025. We strive to ensure the best possible placements are made to support each student’s needs.

Several factors are taken into consideration when placing students in classes. These include academic achievement, interpersonal development, learning needs, friendships, and the ratio of each year level within composite classes. With so many elements to weigh, it’s important to understand that not every request can be accommodated.

As part of the process, each student will be asked to nominate five friends they work well with and would like to have in their class next year. Please note that this list is not ranked in order of priority, but each child is guaranteed to have at least one of their nominated friends in their 2025 homegroup class. Teachers will also work closely with students to make decisions about friendships and identify good learning friends. Sometimes, good friends do not always make good learning friends. It would be helpful if you could support this conversation at home, encouraging your child to think about who they work best with in a learning environment.

If you have a request for your child not to be placed with a specific student, please submit this in writing to northcote.ps@education.vic.gov.au 

This needs to be completed by 4pm on Friday, November 1st, 2024, so it can be considered for the 2025 class placements.

Please note that we do not take requests for specific teacher into consideration. 

Please note that it is unlikely that changes can be accommodated in the new year, especially if no request was made during this period.

If you have submitted a request in previous years and wish for it to be considered again, please resubmit it.

Lastly, please ensure that any requests are in line with our "Class Placements Policy" (see link below).

Supporting Literacy Growth: Changes to Curriculum and Classroom Structures

This year as you would be aware, our school has begun implementing the new 2.0 Maths curriculum. Next year we will begin using the new English 2.0 curriculum and our staff are currently undergoing professional learning sessions unpacking it and understanding the changes and implications for teaching and learning.

Some of the key changes for the English curriculum are:

• Clearer progression of skills sets from Foundation to 6
• Refined content descriptions and stronger links between the modes of reading, writing, and speaking and listening
• Stronger focus on phonics and phonemic awareness in Foundation and Year 1, shifting to morphemic knowledge from Year 2.
• Use of decodable texts in Foundation and Year 1 to support phonics learning.

Alongside the introduction of the new English curriculum, the Victorian Department of Education is set to implement significant changes to its literacy teaching approach, particularly in early childhood education (F-2). Starting in 2025, a systematic synthetic phonics model will be introduced across all government schools. This method emphasises explicit teaching of the relationship between sounds and letters, requiring a minimum of 25 minutes of phonics instruction daily and using a scope and sequence for phonics that progresses from single letters and sounds, to more complex grapheme-phoneme correspondence and morphology.

The aim is to enhance foundational literacy skills, including phonemic awareness, oral language, vocabulary, reading fluency, and comprehension​. These changes are based on recent research and evidence, often referred to as the science of reading,  indicating that explicit teaching methods, particularly those utilising systematic synthetic phonics, are highly effective in improving student literacy outcomes. ​This initiative aims to ensure all students, especially those at risk, receive the best possible start in their literacy journey

After careful consideration of the upcoming changes and our students' needs, we will be transitioning away from multi-age class groupings in our junior school (Prep, Grade 1, and Grade 2) starting in 2025. Instead, we will have two Prep classes, two Grade 1 classes, and two Grade 2 classes. This shift aligns with the new structured and sequential approach to teaching phonics under the revised curriculum. Straight grades will not only help students master foundational literacy skills before moving on to more complex concepts but will also support teachers. This approach ensures a strong foundation for future growth while allowing more targeted teaching interventions.

While we are excited about these changes and the benefits they will bring, we also want to emphasise that we remain committed to fostering the strong sense of community that multi-aged classes have cultivated at Northcote Primary School. Our Grade 3/4 and 5/6 classes will remain as composites. As the curriculum broadens and deepens in these levels, multi-age classes bring both learning and social benefits to our students. 

For our Grade 1/2 students, while they may not be in composite classes, they will still have plenty of opportunities to collaborate and learn together in different ways. Through shared activities, group projects, and mixed-class events, we will ensure that all students experience the benefits of working alongside peers of varying ages and abilities.

Landscaping and Playground Update 

The landscaping and playground project is progressing well, with many developments occurring behind the scenes. We remain on schedule for the bulk of the work to take place in December and January. I have been collaborating with the landscape architect to finalise design elements and meticulously review technical specifications from design to construction. 

All documentation and cost estimates are finalised and have been submitted to the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA) for review, which should take about 3 to 4 days. We are also awaiting the results of our playground audit, ensuring that the selected designs for our junior and senior playgrounds meet Australian safety standards and durability requirements. 

One minor setback involves the playground installation; although we’ve ordered and paid deposits for the playgrounds, they won’t be ready for installation until early March. We will keep you updated on how this impacts the overall project timeline. 

After the VSBA review, the project will go out to tender for construction, a process expected to take 2 to 3 weeks. 

We are excited about these developments and look forward to enhancing our school’s outdoor spaces!

BYOD Information Session 

Grade 2 families, we’re excited to announce your child’s participation in the BYOD program for 2025. This initiative allows students to bring personal devices to enhance their learning, bridging the gap in school technology funding. 

An online information session will be held on Wednesday, 23rd October at 6:30pm, discussing the program’s rationale and purchasing options. For those ready to proceed, devices can be purchased via our online portal.

For questions, please contact Matthew Atanasovski at matthew.atanasovski@education.vic.gov.au 

Northcote High School Speech Writing Competition 

We are thrilled to share the outstanding achievements of our students at the Northcote High School Speech Writing Competition! Their dedication, creativity, and passion shone through in their speeches, showcasing their remarkable talent and hard work. While they didn’t win a place, each participant did an exceptional job and should be proud of their efforts. Their performances not only highlighted their individual strengths but also reflected the supportive environment fostered at our school. Congratulations to all who participated—your efforts truly made us proud!

Long Service Leave

Finally, I want to let you know that at the end of next week, I will be taking some long service leave. My last day of work will be Friday, 25th October, and I won’t return until Monday, 25th November. I’m heading to South America to explore a part of the world I haven’t experienced before, and I am very much looking forward to the trip. Bale will be Acting Principal in my absence and Bec will be Acting Assistant Principal.

I appreciate your support and understanding during my absence. If I don’t see you before I go, please take care, and I will see you in Week 8!

Take Care,

Shaun.