Message from Principal Sarah

Welcome to our Week 4, Term 4 newsletter. As always, NMPS proves to be a very busy place and we have already packed so much into this term already.

Prep Transition Program

We have started our Prep Transition Program with our 2023 Preps engaging in Storytime sessions in our current Library. It has been lovely to see how these students are already starting to settle into NMPS. Thank you to Alice and our Prep team for their preparation and participation in these sessions. Our next Storytime session is on Monday 7th November. Ahead of this, we have our 2023 Prep Information Night on Wednesday 2nd November.

Police Camp

At the end of Week 2, twelve of our Year 6 students had the opportunity to attend Police Camp in Geelong over the weekend. Students had the opportunity to develop team building and life skills as well as participate in adventure activities. From all accounts, the students had a great time! Read more about Police Camp in this newsletter.

World Teachers Day

On Friday 28th October we celebrate World Teachers’ Day. The theme for World Teachers’ Day this year is ‘Hats off to teachers’. Our teachers at NMPS are extremely dedicated to each and every one of our students and have shown great resilience over the last couple of years. To all our teachers at North Melbourne Primary School – we take our hats off to you! Thank you for everything that you do, day in and day out. Thank you for always bringing your best to work and continuing to put our students first.

Around the World Fete

Our ‘Around the World’ Fete is coming up on Friday 4th November. We are very excited to welcome families back into the school for this special occasion. Our Parents and Friends Association has been working hard to coordinate this event, however still require extra hands to volunteer on the day. Please refer to the Fete page in this newsletter for further information, including information about how to get involved.

NMPS Communication Survey

North Melbourne Primary School considers an informed school community as one that feels connected and supportive of each other’s achievements and experiences.

The School Council recently formed a Communications and Engagement Sub-Committee to address the changing communication needs of our growing school community. Their first action is to create a Communication Strategy to determine how we can better connect with our families and the broader school community. To achieve this, we ask you to take a few moments to complete this short, anonymous survey on how you would like to receive information from the school.

This survey has 28 questions and should only take 5 minutes to complete.

Thank you in advance for helping shape the school’s future communication activities and engagement approach.

2023 Grade Placements

As we begin the planning process for the 2023 school year and organising classes, we would appreciate it if parents could notify the school if their child/ren will not be returning to NMPS in 2023, as soon as possible. 

We also wanted to share some information with families about our process for student grade allocations. 

NMPS is such a large school and as such we are not in a position to accommodate parent requests for grade placements.  

Classes are randomly generated and then teaching teams to review these grades considering the needs of all students from a social, academic, and behavioural perspective. Teachers look for compatible learning partners, consider current friendship groups, and encourage the development of new friendships. 

A range of factors are considered based on some simple principles:

• Classes need to have a gender balance
• Classes need an academically compatible balance
• Classes need a ‘social behaviour’ balance
• Children need to be place with familiar faces while at the same time acknowledging that some children work better with certain students than others irrespective of friendships.

At NMPS, we strongly believe it is essential for children to have the opportunity to make new friends as this experience often leads to wonderful new friendships and stronger social skills.

As we have shared in previous communications, in 2023 our Prep – 2 cohorts will be learning at our Molesworth Street Campus and our 3 - 6 students will be learning at our Errol Street Campus.

Molesworth Street Campus Update

Construction works are aiming for new heights at North Melbourne Primary School. Walls have been installed and the ceiling grid is in place on level 4. On level 3, the ceiling has been painted, while amenities areas are now tiled, with internal and external windows being installed. Ceiling sheeting and painting are ongoing across the ground floor, as well as levels 1 and 2. The gym ceiling is almost finished, and the lower ground amenities are nearing completion. The façade is on the home stretch, too.

Upcoming works

Over the next fortnight, work will be inching closer to the finish line. Ceiling sheeting is scheduled to be completed across most levels, and many internal and external walls will be finished. Tiling for amenities will continue and the first licks of paint on lower ground and level 3 will appear. Work on the roof is ongoing with the roof installed, and the playground area is set to begin waterproofing works. 

For project updates, visit  https://www.schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au/north-melbourne-primary-school

Molesworth Street Kindergarten 

Molesworth Street Kindergarten will open on level 5 of the new Molesworth Street Campus next year.

The kinder will be run by Northern Schools Early Years Cluster and will offer 3 and 4-year-old kindergarten programs.

To learn more or for enrolment enquiries email office@nseyc.org.au or phone 9306 1662.

Enrolment packs can also be collected from our NMPS Errol Street Campus at the front office.