Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you had a lovely extra-long weekend with the Curriculum Day and Melbourne Cup Day providing for a 4-day weekend. The staff worked together on Monday to strengthen and refine our approach to student wellbeing. We have been working on this throughout the year. The afternoon the teachers started writing student semester 2 reports and the Education Support staff investigated options for working in 2026.

Next week I am having a week of Long Service Leave, as I prepare for my daughter’s engagement party the following weekend. It is a special time to celebrate with family and friends and so much to do when hosting at your own house. I leave the school in the capable hands of my Assistant Principals, so please reach out to them, through the office, if you need anything.

Office Baby Number 1: Rhiannon left a few weeks ago to prepare for the birth of her second child. She had her daughter, Aurora Alice Munro, on 3/11/2025, a little sister to big brother Erik. By all accounts he is loving having her around, which is so cute. Wishing you and your family all the best as you settle into a family of 4.

Pam Pryor – Lollypop Lady Extraordinaire: Congratulations Pam on making it into the Woman’s Day, as one of the longest serving lollipop ladies. She has been working at the Rathdowne Circuit crossing since 1974, apart from a short stint at a nearby high school. She was greatly missed at Melton West by all, so some parents wrote a letter asking her to be put back, and they listened. Well done, Pam, we all love your smiling face and cheery presence. It makes coming to school each day a treat!

Class Dojo: is a great tool where messages can be sent direct to the teachers. It is important to remember that it is a written form of communication, like text messaging, so lengthy detailed descriptions are not appropriate in this context. If you have a concern, a short text asking the teacher to contact you is preferable to writing the whole incident down. Please note, I do not get the chance to check Class Dojo very often, so if you need to contact me, please call the office and leave a message rather than placing it on Class Dojo. It may not get seen for a few days!

Prep Transition Program: The 2026 Prep Transition Program will commence next week. All families with children enrolled to start Prep in 2026 should have already received an invitation to attend. The dates are:

Tuesday 11th November 10:00am – 10:50am
Tuesday 18th November 10:00am – 10:50am
Tuesday 25th November 10:00am – 10:50am
Tuesday 9th December 9:30am – 10:45am. (Children will meet their teacher for 2026 on this day)

Whilst these sessions are occurring for the children, parents are encouraged to stay on-site and hear about the wonderful programs our school has to offer, as well as how to help prepare your child for their first year of school. These sessions will also have guest speakers such as the School Nursing Service, our Out of Home Care service and much more. We look forward to meeting you and your child during these sessions.

2026 Plans: We will be beginning the process of forming new class grouping for 2026 over the next few weeks. In order to know how many classes we will have, we need to know if there are any children not returning in 2026. Please contact the office to let us know if you know your child will not be returning in 2026 for any reason so we can plan accordingly. If you are unsure of the new school that is okay, we do not need to know that information now. This is also important because your child might be the allocated person for another child in their 2026 class and if they are not attending, their friend may find themselves without a buddy in their class in 2026.

Year 6/7 Orientation Day: On Tuesday 9th December, all year 6 students attending a government school in Year 7 will participate in the statewide Year 7 Orientation Day. However, some students may need additional time to help them feel ready for secondary school. If you feel your child needs additional support, please speak to your child’s teacher and we will arrange additional visits.

High Levels of Learning for All

Michelle Costa

Principal

Library