Dear Parents and Carers,

Thank you all for your support this year as we reflect on the outstanding learning journey our students have been on in 2023. Thank you to our wonderful families and everyone who has contributed to the success of our school in any way. Your support for our school is greatly appreciated. Most of our new enrolments report that they’ve heard great things about our school. It is important that we continue to share all the great things about our school with the wider community. We have such a wonderful school community and I am very proud of how we all come together to make our school a great school. Thank you all very much.

Our Year 6 Graduation was an exceptional celebration of the Year 6 students time at Somerville Primary School. Each of them has developed over the last 7 years to become outstanding future leaders of our community. Sharing in their success and achievement is a highlight of the year. From Somerville Primary School, we wish you all the very best for your future and please remember, once a Somerville Student, always a Somerville Student! Come back and visit us, share your success and achievements in the future.

As we shift into 2024 there are some adjustments to the specialist program for students at Somerville. Following feedback and advice about improving the support for our student’s literacy we are shifting from Indigenous Studies to AUSLAN. AUSLAN will provide better support for our Structured Synthetic Phonics as well as students Reading and Writing skills. Students will still explore and learn about Indigenous topics through our Inquiry units throughout the year. Science will continue through our Inquiry program as well. All students will have an hour of PE, Performing Arts, Visual Arts and AUSLAN each week.

We have a number of new staff who are beginning at Somerville for 2024. We would like to welcome Jo Dow, Taylor Dale and Caleb Nennstiel. Jo will be in Grade 4; she is joining us from Mount Eliza North Primary School and is a highly experienced teacher. Taylor will be in Grade 1; she is joining us following working as a CRT, most recently Edithvale Primary School. Caleb will be in Grade 4; he has worked within the local area as a Swimming Instructor as well as an education support member for Red Hill Primary School.

I am extremely proud to announce our 2024 Class Teachers below.

Year Level/Class	Staff Member
Prep L	Kristy Lund
Prep B	Jamie Bello
Prep G	Ebony Gruar

1G	Gemma Gooding
1A	Anne Goodman
1D	Taylor Dale

2M	Sarah McCann/Melissa Dowdle
2K	Sarah Kerr
2W	Chris Williams

3R	Prue Richards
3B	Eliza Bedin

4E	Felicity Elliott
4D	Joanna Dow
4N	Caleb Nennstiel

5J	Tiffany Johnston
5D	Donna Dower

6D	Jo Dewar
6B	Stephanie Barth

Performing Arts	Jessica Emery
PE	Lachlan Smith
Visual Art	Katie Bingham
AUSLAN	Danielle Antoniou

Disability and Inclusion Leader	Samantha Lord
Inclusion Intervention	Jo Ritchie
Disability and Inclusion Support	Julie Davie
Inclusion Support	Judy Bray
Inclusion Support	Danielle French
Inclusion Support	Jennifer Langendorf
Inclusion Support	Braithyn Kerr
Inclusion Support	Belinda Smith
Inclusion Support	Heather Fairclough

Business Manager	Melissa Barrett
Admin Manager	Lisa Cliff
Admin Assistant	Jen Langendorf

School Leadership
Principal	TBC
Assistant Principal	Shane Gagiero
Learning Specialist	Prue Richards
Learning Specialist	Felicity Elliott
Learning Specialist	Samantha Lord

We have two teachers who are moving on at the end of the year, Katie Spring who will begin working at Eastbourne Primary School in Rosebud, this is significantly closer to Katie’s home. We wish her all the very best for the future. Yolande Kerin will be moving to Nar Nar Goon Primary School; again closer to home for Yolande. We wish her all the best for her future.

I would like to thank our school community for their support over the last four years as Principal of Somerville Primary School. The best school in the State! Whilst we have faced hardships due to the pandemic; I am extremely proud of everything our school has achieved. To the parent community, thank you for always supporting our school and our students. To our staff, they are an exceptionally talented team, who always strive for excellence for each child. Thank you for your support and all of the hard work, dedication and going above and beyond everyday. Our community are very fortunate to have such an amazing group of teachers. To our students, I will miss each and everyone of you; making everyday a great day at Somerville Primary School. Your inquisitive nature and desire to challenge yourselves with learning makes me extremely proud of everything each of you have achieved. I wish everyone in our community, students, staff and the wider community all the very best for the future.

Finally from our school staff team; we wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and safe and Happy New Year. Our School Team will see everyone back in 2024.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

David Tapp

Principal

Somerville Primary School Newsletter

Inspiring Excellence in Education, Every Student, Every Time

Issue 20 · 14 Dec 2023

In this issue