Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to our Prep Students & Staff Commissioning Mass

Since our last newsletter, the school staff and prep families gathered for Mass on Sunday, 8th February, for the commissioning of school staff and welcoming of new families.

Thank you to the parish for the wonderful hospitality of a sauagage sizzle afterwards.

NAPLAN 2026

Please click here to find out more about NAPLAN assessments for Years 3 and 5 students for Term 1.

Supervision: School Drop Off and Pick up

As we begin the school year, it's an excellent opportunity to share a reminder about the school supervision times. Child safety is the highest priority of any school and these arrangements are in place to support this.

Morning

The school gates and grounds are open for student arrival at 8:20am and this is when staff supervision commences. Any student arriving before 8:20am must be checked into the Before School Care program or be accompanied by a supervising adult.

The classroom doors open at 8:30am with the first bell ringing at 8:40am, whole school prayer at 8:42am followed by a second bell at 8:45am to commence formal instructional learning time. The external gates to the school are closed between 8:45-8:50pm. From 8:50, any parents or carers remaining on the school site must exit through the school office doors.

If your child arrives at school after 8:50am, a responsible person must sign in the student at the school office with a late pass.

Afternoon

The pedestrian gates for school dismissal are unlocked at approximately 3:05pm which allows parents and carers to enter the school grounds to wait for the 3:15pm dismissal bell.

Supervision of the dismissal time commences from 3:15 pm until 3:30pm. Any students who have not been picked up by this time will be taken to the school office. Parents and carers will be contacted.

If you are collecting your child early from school you must sign out via the school office.

Car Park Safety and Protocols

Parking is only permitted in the designated spaces. Parents are welcome to park in the upper car park on the side closest to the school oval (East side of carpark). Parking spaces on the Taylors Lane side (West side if carpark) and all spaces in the lower car park (Gate 2) are for staff vehicles.
Disabled\Wheelchair parking is available in the Gate 4 carpark at the of the carpark on the left-hand (East side) side.
NO school pick or drop off traffic is to enter GATE 2 during peak times.
The speed limit within the car park is walking pace - 5 km/h
Children, especially young children, often react without thinking and so accidents can occur in the safest environments. Everyone’s co-operation is essential.
Due to the high level of vehicles at drop off and pick up times we encourage parents to park in surrounding streets and walk into the school property. Not only will this ease congestion but offers children an opportunity for some incidental exercise and a relaxed time to talk about their day

St Simon’s Staff and Contact details

A complete staff list for 2026 is available through the newsletter each week by going to Staff Contacts and General Information section

School Canteen returns Friday 20th February

Our Friday school canteen is something that students and family enjoy and value and we look forward to the service returning on Friday 20th February. Our canteen exists because of the generosity and commitment of parent and family volunteers, for which we are very grateful.

Photo Consent

The St Simon’s School Social Media consent form is now active on nForma for all school families to review. Please complete the consent form as soon as possible so that our records reflect your consent regarding students' use of images for school publication and social media.

Last year, a "roll over" of consent data was used with the express understanding that it can be changed at any time by contacting the school office.

This year, we will take a fresh snapshot of consent information.

The Digital Image consent form is available on nForma. Please note that families with more than one child at the School will need to complete a consent form for each child attending.

Road Safety with Lottie - School Crossing Education Session P-3 Students

It was wonderful to see such positive enagagement from families and students for our crossing safety visit for from Knox Council and Lottie.

The interactive session had some important protocols to share for all users of the school crossings and this was shared in a fun and interactive manner.

Thank you to Mary and John Poke our resident crossing supervisors for joining the session to reinforce the message.

nForma

We continue to work through the rollout of the main communication platform, nForma. Thank you to the parents who have been providing feedback on the "parent" experience of the app. We will continue to refine and adapt our processes using nForma throughout the year.

In preparation for camps and excursions, please ensure that all Medical and Health information in nForma for your children is up to date.

Raising Kids in a Digital World

CLICK HERE TO REGISITER

bit.ly/19febwebinar

A link will be available after the webinar for community to view for 30 days in the event you cant make the live session.

Reminder: Student and Family Morning Drop-off and Afternoon Pick-up in 2026

In 2026, the following areas will be open for students and families during the school drop and pick up time period.

The double gates between the school and church will no longer be available for regular school drop-off and pick-up routines.

The aim of these arrangements is to have pedestrians coming to and from the school, use the designated footpaths and pathways, avoiding carpark driveways and throughways.

These changes will be monitored closely over the coming weeks, with further communication to clarify the arrangements.

Check out our Community News for the latest activities happening in and around Rowville.

Naplan 2026