Dear Families,

As we move through another busy fortnight at Mitcham Primary School, I want to thank our community for the wonderful way you continue to support our students, staff, and programs. It has been a joy to see students engaged in their learning and participating so positively in all aspects of school life.

I do, however, want to raise a serious concern about road safety around our school—particularly along Mitcham Road. Earlier this week, we experienced a near miss involving a young student and a passing vehicle. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but it was a sobering reminder of how quickly things can go wrong. Drivers travelling along Mitcham Road often do not appear to slow down to the school zone limits, even during busy drop-off and pick-up times. We have reported our concerns to the local council and continue to advocate for improved safety measures, but we also need everyone’s vigilance.

Please remember that young children can be impulsive and unpredictable. Their small size makes them harder for drivers to see, and they often misjudge distances and speed. We ask all parents and carers to hold your child’s hand when crossing roads or moving through the car park. This small action makes a big difference and models the safe behaviours we want our students to learn. Together, by slowing down, staying alert, and holding hands, we can help ensure every child arrives and leaves school safely each day.

Grandparents and Special Friends Morning

On Thursday, November 13th, our Prep to Year 6 students warmly invite their Grandparents and Special Friends to join us for a special celebration from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Guests are welcome to head directly to their grandchild’s classroom for a morning filled with fun activities and memorable moments. Please bring your own morning tea if you would like. We look forward to seeing you there and sharing this special morning with our extended school community.

Prep 2026 Transition

Our Prep 2026 Transition Program has continued with great success. The children absolutely loved making musical instruments with Miss K this week, while parents enjoyed hearing from Mr Delaney about the Mitcham Primary approach to Literacy and Numeracy. We are so proud of how confidently our future Preps are settling into school life, and we look forward to welcoming them again next fortnight for a morning of Sport with Miss Ellis - always a highlight for our youngest learners!

As we continue preparing for 2026, I would like to acknowledge that some movement in and out of schools at this time of year is quite normal. We have already received many new enrolment applications across various year levels. If you know your family will not be returning to Mitcham Primary next year, I would greatly appreciate it if you could let the school know as soon as possible, as this information is invaluable in assisting us with class placement planning.

In the coming weeks, we will also be seeking student friendship preferences and would like to offer parents the opportunity to share any information they would like considered for their child’s placement in 2026. Please ensure any such information is emailed through to me at erin.norman@education.vic.gov.au by Friday, 31st October. While we are unable to accommodate requests for specific teachers, please know that we carefully consider all factors to ensure each child is placed in a class where they will thrive socially, emotionally, and academically.

Step Up Transition

This week also marked the success of our first whole-school ‘Step Up’ transition session, where each class spent time “moving up” to their next year level in preparation for 2026. It was wonderful to see students’ excitement as they met new teachers, explored new learning spaces, and began imagining the year ahead. We will have three more Step Up sessions this term, leading up to our special ‘Meet Your Class Day’ on Tuesday, 9th December, when students will spend time with their 2026 classmates and teachers. These transition activities are such a valuable part of helping students feel confident, settled, and ready for the new school year.

FUNraising Highlights

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for last Saturday’s Pop Culture Trivia Night! It was such a fun evening, full of laughter, creativity, and community spirit. We are so grateful to our teachers Laura Ellis, Kate Price, and Kate Heuston for their hard work in organising the event - it was a fabulous success!

Today’s Student Disco and Sausage Sizzle was another amazing FUNraising event that brought plenty of smiles and excitement to our students. These extracurricular experiences are such an important part of school life; often, they are the moments children remember most. Thank you to Aysha Rowe and everyone who volunteered their time and energy to make it all possible.

Warmly,

Erin

Yarran Dheran