Dear Parents/Carers,

What an amazing two weeks we have had! All our students have continued to come to school with big smiles on their faces and our prep students are now attending 4 full days a week, what Champions!

Each afternoon last week we saw many families meeting with their new teacher. It has been great to see the students’ showing families around the school and taking them up to the room. If you were unable to meet with your teacher, please make contact through SeeSaw or the office to set up a meeting. It is really important that we begin the year with this meeting.

Last Friday the 16th of February our Student Engagement Team along with our Cultural Strengthening Leader hosted a morning tea for families and community members to walk through our new learning space which was exciting! Feedback we received was great and everyone is looking forward to their child being able to enjoy the space. Our young students are currently learning how we play in the new space with some hands-on lessons where they visit the Outdoor play space in small groups to learn how to share and take turns. We look forward to holding many more Community Connection sessions with our families. Please watch Compass and Seesaw for more times and dates. We also have some exciting plans to celebrate Harmony Week beginning the 18th of March.

New Year, Class Adjustments

Each year we take the first 6 weeks of term 1 to assess the suitability of our class groupings. Our leadership team regularly visit & observe classes to get to know our students. We hold regular conversations with teachers to discuss how students are settling in and progressing. Should any changes need to be made, the Assistant Principal will contact you directly. If you have any concerns, you are yet to raise, please do so over the next week. Thank you to all families who have given feedback.

New Staff members:

Over the past two weeks we have had several new staff join us.

New Teaching staff:

Catherine - Art
Maeve - S02
Rob - Music
Catherine co teaching with Johanna
Paul - S09
Colm covering various middle years classes
Katherine - P17

We are currently recruiting more Teacher Aides to fill the many vacancies we have due to our growing student numbers and will welcome them over the coming weeks.

Parent Drop Off & Pick Up

Please remember the correct procedure for dropping off or picking up your students.

The “loop” opens each morning at approximately 9am & 3pm each day after the busses depart.
All cars must enter via gate 1 & exit through Gate 2.
All vehicles must turn their engine off & display their students name on the dash inside the car.
There will be staff to assist in getting your student to or from the car, please do not leave your car.
Please DO NOT double park in the service road as council regularly patrol the area and fines have been given out.

Mobile phone policy

A reminder that the Department of Education has in place a mobile phone ban that requires students who bring mobiles phones to school to have them switched off and securely put away during school hours.
The department is requiring all schools to ensure this ban is in place and enforced from the start of the 2024 school year.
The ban applies equally to all government schools right across the state.
This helps ensure that school is a learning environment free from unnecessary distractions and disruptions.
By ensuring mobile phones are kept away at recess and lunch times, students can interact with each other face-to-face, without the distractions and social pressures that mobile phones can cause.
I ask for the support of all our families, staff and students in continuing to support the implementation of this policy in our school.
Exceptions: For a small number of students with particular health needs, an exception to the policy may be granted. Please contact your Section Leader if you would like to discuss this.
Emergencies: In the event of an emergency or if you need to immediately contact your child, I ask that families contact the school office who will pass on a message as required.
If you have further questions, please contact the administration office.

Melton Specialist School

Be Responsible Be Safe Be Respectful

Edition 2 · 26 Feb 2024

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