Principal's Report

Vandalism at Middle Gully

We are incredibly disappointed to share that the maze at Middle Gully was recently targeted by vandals, causing significant damage.

The damage is extensive and will cost approximately $3,500 to repair. More importantly, the incident has meant that our students have been unable to access and enjoy this much-loved area while repairs are organised.

Middle Gully is a special part of our school and provides wonderful learning and play opportunities for our students. It is extremely upsetting to see a community resource that is so valued by our students and families deliberately damaged.

If anyone has any information that may assist in identifying those responsible, we ask that you please contact local police.

Parent/Carer Opinion Survey

Parent/Carer Opinion Survey – Reminder

Thank you to the 11 families who have already completed the 2026 Parent / Carer Opinion Survey.

The survey is open until Friday 18 September and takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. Your feedback helps inform our future planning and school improvement priorities.

Survey: https://research.orima.com/parentSchool: Macedon Primary SchoolPIN: 338209

Responses are anonymous and confidential. We would love to hear from as many families as possible before the survey closes.

Request for PFA Members.

Our Parents and Friends Association (PFA) is looking for new members to join the team.

The PFA plays an important role in supporting Macedon Primary School through fundraising, community events and activities that benefit our students and families.

We would love to welcome more parents and carers who are interested in getting involved. Whether you can help regularly or just from time to time, all support is appreciated.

If you are interested in joining the PFA or would like to find out more, please contact the PFA by email: pfamacedonps@gmail.com.

Hot Food at School

A reminder to families that students should not bring food to school that requires hot water to be added or reheating in a microwave.

For Occupational Health and Safety reasons, staff are unable to provide hot water for noodles or other foods and are also unable to reheat student lunches using school microwaves.

If your child would like to bring a hot lunch, we recommend using an insulated food container or thermos so that the food remains warm until lunchtime.

Thank you for your understanding and support in helping us maintain a safe school environment.

Wait Mate – Supporting Families to Delay Smartphones

Over recent weeks, a number of parents have spoken with me about Wait Mate and expressed an interest in becoming involved. Several families have also asked if I could share some information with our wider school community so that other parents and carers can learn more about the initiative.

Wait Mate is an Australian not-for-profit movement that supports parents and carers who would like to delay giving their children a smartphone. The idea is based on the understanding that making this decision can be much easier when families know that other children in their child's year level are also waiting.

Families can join Wait Mate, nominate how long they would ideally like to wait before giving their child a smartphone, and connect with other families from the same school and year level who are making a similar choice. Families can also change their commitment at any time.

Wait Mate describes its approach as being about timing rather than being anti-technology. Its aim is to reduce some of the social pressure children and families can experience around getting their first smartphone by allowing families who wish to delay to do so together.

This is, of course, an individual decision for every family. We are sharing the information following interest from members of our parent community and to provide families with the opportunity to explore the initiative if it is something that aligns with their own approach.

You can find out more, access parent resources or join the movement at waitmate.org.au.

2027 Parent Placement Requests

A reminder that parent/carer requests for 2027 class placements are due by Friday 9 October.

Requests may relate to friendships, learning needs or other factors that may support your child’s successful placement. Please note that we do not accept requests for specific teachers.

While we cannot guarantee every request can be accommodated, all information provided will be carefully considered as part of the class placement process.

Students Leaving

As part of our preparations for the 2027 school year, we are beginning to plan our class structures, staffing and resources for next year. Having an accurate picture of our expected student numbers is an important part of this process.

If your child will be leaving Macedon Primary School at the end of this year to attend another school in 2027, we ask that you please let us know as soon as possible.

We would be very grateful for your assistance, as accurate enrolment information helps us plan effectively for the year ahead.

Attendance Update

Regular attendance is very important and makes a significant difference to student learning. In Victoria, all children aged 6 to 17 are required to attend school every day unless an exemption has been granted, and parents and carers must provide an explanation for any absence.

At Macedon Primary School, we are aiming for our average number of absences per child to be under 16.5 days for the year. If a child is averaging more than 5 days absent per term, Sue, our Mental Health and Wellbeing teacher, will contact families to discuss how we can work together to support improved attendance. We also ask that any family holidays during school time are discussed with the school and approved in advance.

Andrew Bloomfield

andrew.bloomfield@education.vic.gov.au