Greetings from Julie 

Business as usual…

I am pleased to be able to report that the reopening has gone very smoothly. A big thank you to our wonderful staff who have gone above and beyond to make this transition so successful. My deepest admiration to you, our parents, who have endured week after week of supervising home learning while juggling so many commitments such as working from home, coping with new-born babies and toddlers, managing your homes, and keeping your families safe.

Maybe I once took for granted the sounds of learning occurring and students playing together outside; it is such a relief to hear those familiar sounds back in our school now. Some of the highlights have been:

• Standing on the Henry Street gate each morning and afternoon, watching our students enter and exit independently and confidently each day. Our kids were well prepared to return to school and our families have supported them incredibly well.
• Visiting classrooms and seeing our students settle back into learning routines like they never left
• Being around our staff each day. I feel very fortunate to work each day with a great group of people; it was very quiet without them on site, and I have really appreciated having everyone back.

I also need to send a huge thank you to our office and administration team, as they have been behind the scenes every day working hard to support us to make this happen. 

Our Priorities

As we return to onsite learning, the focus across every school in Victoria continues to be:

• Attendance: to re-engage those who may have disengaged during remote learning or be reluctant to return to on-site learning.
• Wellbeing: identifying those most at risk as early as possible and addressing this through a range of support mechanisms. 
• Learning: re-engaging students in their full learning program through structures, routines and ongoing development of positive classroom relationships.

Thank you

It was wonderful this week to receive cards from students who made them to welcome me to Northcote Primary School, and to hear from all the parents and carers who have been kind enough to introduce themselves to me at the gate. Please feel free to come and have a chat – I am in the school grounds most mornings. 

Planning for 2022

If you are considering enrolling your child in another school in 2022 please let us know. For many of us, lockdowns have prompted us to re-evaluate our priorities and quite a few people are opting for a “tree change”.  If this is the case for your family, please let us know as it is important for the planning we are currently undertaking for 2022.

Child Safe

Northcote Primary School is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. This will be the primary focus of our care and decision-making. Northcote Primary School has zero tolerance for child abuse and is committed to providing a child safe environment.

Take care and stay safe

Julie Andrews

Acting Principal

Collaboration – Community - Respect