Message from Principal Sarah

Welcome Back to the 2024 School Year

As we enter our third week of the 2024 school year, it is pleasing to see how students have settled into positive and productive learning environments, including new students to NMPS and our Prep students. Moving schools and starting Prep are such big milestones for the whole family, and we are very proud of all our new students for their positivity, resilience and independence. We welcome you all to NMPS.

The beginning of the school year provides a great opportunity for staff, students and families to begin to build positive relationships and get to know each other well. This is a major focus across the school in the first few weeks of school, as it builds the strong foundation for learning, personal and social growth and achievement. 

Along with the new families to NMPS, I’d like to take an opportunity to welcome the new staff who have started with us this year. As we move through the term, our new staff will feature in our newsletter, so please keep your eyes open so you can put faces to names. A full 2024 staff list can be found on our website.

Parent Communication & our upcoming Information Evening

At NMPS, we recognise the importance of communication, and we would like all families to know we are available to discuss your child’s learning journey. If you have any concerns or questions about your child’s schooling – academic or wellbeing, please do not hesitate to get in touch with their classroom teacher via Compass. If there is an urgent matter, we advise that you phone the school. To review our full Communication policy, including which staff members to contact for particular matters, please refer to our website.

Our main portal of whole school communication is through Compass. Important updates will be sent via Compass so please ensure you have access to this portal. If you do not yet have access to Compass, please speak to our office staff who will be able to help you. It is also advisable to please check to ensure your email address and contact details recorded in Compass are current.

Along with Compass, Year Level and Specialist teams also use SeeSaw to enhance and share your child’s learning journey. Information about the SeeSaw app will be communicated to families at a cohort level.

Year Level Curriculum and Specialist Overviews for Term 1 have been published on our website. This information will give you a summary of the curriculum content that will be taught throughout the term.

In addition to the Curriculum and Specialist Overviews, we will be having an Open Classroom and Year Level Information Evening on Thursday 22nd February. This will give parents the opportunity to meet the teachers of each year level and find out about the curriculum content covered throughout the year. The information sessions will be split into two starting times so families with children in multiple year levels will be able to attend more than one session. More information about our Open Classroom and Information Evening will be distributed via Compass.

We look forward to working together with our community to ensure all students have a positive, successful school year.

Calendar Dates & Term Dates for 2024

If you haven’t already received your 2024 NMPS School Calendar, please call into our front office at either campus to collect one. This has pre-planned important school dates that you need to be aware of, such as Camps, Parent Teacher Interviews, and other school events. We also recommend you check the newsletter for important calendar dates regularly as dates will be added throughout the year.

In order to assist parents with planning please see the term dates for 2024 below. Please note our Pupil Free Days (Curriculum Days) and Whole School Professional Practice Day are also listed here. Student instruction does not occur on these days.

                        Start Date                                 Finish Date

Term 1              30 January                                28 March (2:30pm dismissal)

Term 2             16 April                                    28 June (2:30pm dismissal)

                        Pupil Free Day 15 April

Term 3             16 July                                      20 September (2:30pm dismissal)

                        Pupil Free Day 15 July

                        Professional Practice Day 23 August

Term 4             7 October                                 20 December (1:30pm dismissal)

                        Pupil Free Day 4 November

School Council Elections

The North Melbourne Primary School Council election process has now started. Please see the information posted to Compass for more information. Nomination forms can also be accessed via Compass.

Baby News 

Over the holidays our NMPS family grew with the addition of two new arrivals. 

We congratulate Risa and Redmond on the early arrival of Atlas who was born on 22nd December 2023. Risa, Redmond, and Atlas are having an exciting time and enjoying quality time together as a new family.

We also send our congratulations to Sarah M and Nick who welcomed Thomas into the world on Saturday 13th January. Sarah and Nick are very much smitten with Thomas and adjusting to their new life!

Leave

I will be on personal leave from Thursday 15th February until 28th February. Gabi Panozzo will step up as Acting Principal in my absence, with the support of Tom Drummond (3-6 Assistant Principal) and Adrienne Maisano (P-2 Assistant Principal). Please direct any communication to north.melbourne.ps@education.vic.gov.au and we will ensure your query is directed to someone who can assist you.