Assistant Principal Reports

Hello Everyone,

Lost Property

We seem to have collected a large amount of lost property this term. Please come and have a look to see if you can identify any of the items. We will put these unclaimed items out the front of the school near the office.

Online Safety 

Did you know that WhatsApp has an age rating of 16? 

Age ratings are in place to help protect your child, so we thought we’d provide you with a little reminder of how important it is to check the age ratings of what your child is accessing online. Here are the age ratings of some of the more popular apps that young people are accessing. 

Whether your child is viewing films, accessing apps, playing games online, using social media or downloading other apps – check the age rating first to see if your child is old enough. This will allow you to make an informed decision as to whether it is suitable for your child to access and if it would be beneficial to apply further parental controls. 

ARE YOU SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD TO BREAK THE LAW? 

We are aware that some of our students are using Snapchat, Tik Tok, Instragram etc, and have been behaving online in disrespectful ways. With the school holidays about to start, please take some time to talk with your child/ren about their online habits and support them to develop positive interactions.

There are a range of resources available to support you to support your child to have a safe experience online via the eSafety Commissioner’s website: https://www.esafety.gov.au/

An example of one of the resources is access to family friendly videos and advice sheets in multiple languages to support your family stay safe online, getting started with social media, safer online gaming and getting help when your child is bullied online -https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/resources/online-safety-for-every-family

Parents and carers can prepare their primary school aged child to be safe on social media even if they don’t use it yet. You can do this by building good online habits and staying informed about online safety.

School Holidays – Yard Work

Over the school holidays we will be having our artificial turf replaced on the basketball and pickleball courts, so you may notice people around the school. This turf has been in place for some years and is no longer viable. The sand used to weigh down the turf isn’t being held and has been causing our cleaner a lot more work as it gets walked into classrooms.  It will be exciting to see how the new turf goes with our sports when school returns in October!

We have just had confirmation that the current storage shed near the Foundation Playground will be replaced during the holidays as well. The first part of the work will be the pouring of the new slab, so let’s keep our fingers crossed that the weather is fine! All going well, the new shed will be installed, ready for term 4.

Pride and Integrity Raffle 

This raffle recognizes all 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 – Spencer, FB – Angelica, FC – Amani, 1A – Jackson, 1B – Steven, 2A – Charlize, 2B – Scarlett, 3A – Jolisa, 3B – Freya, 3C – Joaquin, 4A – Kresdaf, 4B – Adelynn, 4C – Marvelee, 5A – Max, 5C – Ethan, 6B – Minh, 6C - Jane

The raffle winner was Max from 5A! Congratulations! 

Max received 15 PACs for Pride & Integrity

2025 Term 3 Challenge of the Week

A HUGE thank you to all the students and their friends or families who participated in this term’s challenge!

Keep your eyes peeled for a new challenge next term. The students collaborating for Week 8’s Word Web Challenge for Art earnt 2 PACs cards for their work! 

The students were:

Amari (FB) & Kyvaan 3C

Riley (& mum) 1A

Alaa & Catherine 3A

Abdullah 3C (& dad)

Sabrina (& mum) 4B

Yawer (& dad) 5A

Rayyan 5C & Rania 3C

Kind regards,

Deanne Scott

Assistant Principal 

Staff Professional Learning - Exploring Best Practice in Mathematics Instruction

Last Friday, our Numeracy Leading Teacher Sharon Rogers and I attended a Numeracy Community of Practice alongside other Principals and Numeracy Leaders from schools across the Deer Park/Sunshine Network. The session was facilitated by Numeracy consultant Brad Nguyen and focused on the research underpinning Explicit Mathematics Instruction. It was a valuable opportunity to collaborate with colleagues, share insights, and reflect on best practices that support high-quality teaching and learning in mathematics.

As part of the day, we also began exploring Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction—a research-based framework that outlines ten key strategies for effective teaching. These principles include practices such as daily review, presenting new material in small steps, asking questions, providing models, and guiding student practice. Rosenshine’s work draws on cognitive science and classroom studies to support teachers in delivering instruction that builds deep understanding and long-term retention. We look forward to continuing this exploration and considering how these principles can enhance our teaching across all learning areas.

At our school, we’re proud to support our teachers with ongoing professional learning. All classroom teachers work alongside a Numeracy Coach each week, receiving in-class support to strengthen their teaching practice and deliver engaging, targeted instruction. This coaching model not only builds teacher capacity but also creates more opportunities for our students to thrive in mathematics.

Source: https://teachinghow2s.com/news/principles-of-instruction

Foundation 2026 Enrolments – Transition Begins Soon!

Starting Thursday 16th October, we will commence our Foundation Transition Program for children beginning school in 2026. This program is designed to support a smooth and confident start to school life. To ensure your child is fully prepared and able to participate in all transition activities, please make sure they are enrolled with us as soon as possible.

Enrolments for Foundation (Prep) 2026 at Deer Park West Primary School are still open!

Starting school is a major milestone, and at Deer Park West Primary School, we are committed to supporting families every step of the way. Our school offers a warm, inclusive, and nurturing environment where every child is encouraged to learn, grow, and thrive.

If you have a child starting Foundation in 2026—or know someone who does—please contact our school office to learn more about the enrolment process and collect a transition pack.

This can also be accessed through our school website. We’re here to make this transition a positive and exciting experience for every child and family.

Kind regards,

Joshua Fielding

Assistant Principal