Delacombe Primary School

From The Principal's Desk

Dear Parents and Carers, 

 

This week we look forward to another occasion where we can look to come together as a school community and celebrate our school Fete.  Besides being an occasion where we can provide a sense of excitement and enjoyment for our students, it can also provide some terrific fundraising for our school.  Fundraising that will be used by our Facilities team to continue to improve the school grounds and provide the best of resources for our students and staff.  Therefore, I encourage you to invite your friends and family along to our Delacombe PS Fete.

 

 

Tuesday 28th February was the Census day for Victorian Government schools.  Our school enrolment for 2023 is 516 students, which is a slight increase from the 503 students from last year.  Enrolments can continue to occur in schools beyond this date but funding for schools is taken from the Census date.   

 

 

Last week I attended the Grade 6 Camp with the students and staff and we managed to see the sites of Melbourne and navigate our way through the train and tram network without too many issues (apart from a bag or two left behind).

Our Grade 6 students proudly represented our school at various sites such as the Shrine and MCG and were able to enjoy each other's company and get to sleep without too many distractions.  I would like to acknowledge the Grade 6 team and supporting staff that attended the camp and supported the students whilst away from their own families.  

 

 

This week we will present our next group of up and coming leaders in the school with the badges for the 2023 Junior School Council (JSC).  Our JSC is an integral part of giving the students voice in the school and they will work with Mrs Svilicic to act on some improvements they would like to see happening around the school.  Unfortunately a swimming pool is not one I can make happen!

 

School Council

Our February meeting was held on Monday evening. At the meeting the following was discussed:

  • Feedback was provided on the Open House - overall the feedback was positive and a great chance to connect.  The students knew what to show their parents.
  • We discussed Semester reports and the idea of when Parent teacher interviews could occur.  The feedback was to open Term 4 reports earlier and not leave this to the very last day.  Portfolios will continue to have a comment sheet at the end of each term.
  • Time in Lieu was discussed and the change in this will have some impact on the school budget.  The agreement does set out that teachers who attend camp are entitled to time off or payment for time beyond the 38 hour week.
  • We discussed the School Uniform supplier and agreed to explore some other options beyond just Lowes.
  • Our DASH report indicated the need for more spaces to allow for more bookings.
  • We looked at and ratified 1 policy, the Camps and Excursion policy.

Annual General meeting

On Monday 20th March we will be holding our Annual General meeting and be tabling the Annual Report for 2023 in the School Staffroom at 6.45pm. The AGM will detail the achievements for 2023 and include department data to support this document.  If you wish to attend the AGM and you are not on School Council could you let us know, you are most welcome to attend.

 

 School Update : 

As of today, we are calling for nominations for parents to join School Council for 2023.  Official notice of this appears below.  We have 3 Parent member vacancies for a two year term and 1 Community member vacancy. If you would like to join School Council, just pop in and collect a nomination form which is available at the General Office and must be completed and returned by Friday March 3rd.  If you are unable to make it into the office, please call and we can send a nomination form home. If nominations exceed available positions, a ballot will be conducted from March 6th to 10th. We will let parents know how they can participate in that ballot if one is required.

 We ask you to please consider joining School Council and playing a part in shaping the direction taken by our school.  The role is most satisfying as councillors get to see their ideas put into practice and have a positive impact on students, teachers and parents in our school community. Parent members are critical in providing School Council with a parent perspective. No experience is required, just an interest in the education of your child/ren and other children attending our School.  The commitment is not huge - just one meeting per month.  Meetings start at 6:45pm and finish between 8:00 and 8.30pm.  If you would like more information, give Scott, Marnie or Steph a call.

 

 Advanced Notice:

Some key dates and events coming up:

  • March 15th -March 21st is NAPLAN testing for our Grade 3 and Grade 5 students
  • Friday 17th March we will practise our first Evacuation drill for the year.  This practise we prepare the students for and plan for a calm exit to a safe place.
  • House Athletics Day on Thursday 23rd March for Grade 3-6

 

Have a great week – Scott, Marnie and Stephanie