Greetings from Shaun

Just like that, this is our very last newsletter for the year, and what a year it has certainly been!

With just one more "week" to go (two days really), it doesn't feel like the year should be ending! The end of the school year is such a bittersweet time, there is so much to reflect on and to celebrate. So much to be proud of and so much we have achieved together. We look back at what has been a year of challenges of different sorts. While there is so much to look forward to for our holidays and new year ahead, it is also a time to say goodbye; a time of endings and farewells. 

While we are excited to meet our new Prep 2023 students and their families for 2023, it is also the end of the primary school journey for a number of our Northcote families. For some, an end of an era. This week we acknowledged our Grade Six students with their Graduation. We will bid goodbye to families and familiar faces that have been within our school community for many years and some with older siblings families that are almost part of the furniture. We also say goodbye to students and their families moving to new places and starting new adventures together. We thank you all for your contributions to Northcote Primary School and we are grateful for our time with you. Our school community is richer because of you all. 

Staff Update

We have a couple of staff who have made the decision to take some time off next year to travel, enjoy some down time and spend more time with their friends and families. While we will be so very sad to not see their faces everyday, I would like to wish these people all the very best: Olivia Gibson, Laura Wandke, Keziah Graham and Andrea Read and look forward to seeing them in 2024.

I would also like to wish Leah Gibson all the best, as she has accepted a teaching position at Abbotsford PS for term 1 and we are looking forward to seeing Leah back with us in Term 2. 

We thank these staff members for their endless contributions to our school, to our students and to our staff. Like I said, it is such a bittersweet time of year.  

It is with a heavy heart we say farewell to someone of our NPS teaching team, we wish all the very best to Edwina Atkins who will be moving to Preston Primary School, Heather Fletcher who is going to Essendon Primary School, Brooke Lopuszanski going to Sunbury Heights Primary School, Hilary Stack who will be joining Ivanhoe Girls Grammar School. Even though we are sad to see them go we want to congratulate them on the exciting new chapters in their lives and such successful appointments. 

We would like to thank Isobel Humphrey's and Harry Downing for all their hard work in supporting our school this semester. 

We wish Elena Frazzetto all the very best in her well deserved retirement.

And finally a big thank you to Keith McNeil and Andrew Kozak for their unwavering support during a tough term 4. 

We thank these staff members for all their efforts while at Northcote Primary School, whether it was a short or a long journey. 

Meet the New Staff

I would also like to take this opportunity to share with you some information about the new staff for 2023:

Hi, I’m Natalie Dean and I’m very excited to be joining the wonderful community of Northcote Primary. I have been teaching for 12 years and have spent the last 5 years teaching at Hampton Park Primary School in South East Melbourne. I love teaching because every day is a new, exciting adventure and I love making learning fun and engaging! I love travelling to new places and have even spent a couple of years teaching in London. My favourite things to do outside of school is walk my gorgeous (but cheeky!) pug puppies, go to the movies with my husband and support my NBL team, the South East Melbourne Phoenix. I’m looking forward to being part of such a collaborative community at Northcote Primary and can’t wait to meet you all!

Hi, I’m Matt Atanasovski and next year will be my 10th year of teaching, having spent the first nine years teaching at Bell Primary School in Preston. 

I love building connections with students and making learning applicable to real life and fun. Outside of school, you will quite often find me exploring High Street as I am a local. I am looking forward to engaging with the Northcote PS community.

Hi, my name is Brigitte O’Neill and 2023 will be my first year as a primary school teacher. I am currently working as a Learning Support Officer at St Joseph’s Primary School in Hawthorn.  Outside of school, I love playing basketball and any kind of outdoor adventure.

I’m looking forward to getting to know the students and staff at NPS and being a part of the great community. 

Hi, my name is Meg Garland and I’m currently teaching Year 1/2 at St Kilda Park Primary School. The things I love about teaching are getting to meet and work with so many interesting and wonderful people. I also love being surrounded by books all day! 

I love reading, cooking and baking, camping and spending time with my two cats (if I can call that a hobby!). I’m looking forward to meeting all of the new Prep students and their families starting in 2023 and getting involved in the school fete!

Hi, my name is Amy Murray and I am thrilled to be joining the team at Northcote Primary School as the new art teacher. I am looking forward to meeting everyone and seeing the students' imaginations run wild in the art room. Next year will be my ninth year of teaching having previously taught at Glen Katherine Primary School and Watsonia Heights Primary School. I really enjoy seeing the development of students' knowledge and skills and am looking forward to seeing this continue at Northcote Primary School. In my free time I love to paint, knit, walk my dogs and watch movies. 

Can’t wait to meet you all!

A new Specialist area for 2023: Music

For those of you following along, you will have noticed that we have added a new specialist program for 2023. As a part of our commitment to music and the arts, and to provide the additional non face-to-face time for teaching staff as a condition of the new Victorian Schools Agreement, we have added a fourth specialist class to the weekly timetable. Our very own Anita Hillman will lead this, and she is very excited about the possibilities of a Music program again at Northcote PS. 

Grade 6 Graduation 

On Tuesday night, we celebrated our Grade 6 students. Family members and staff were able to witness a beautiful formal ceremony as well as some fun and a celebration of the students time and journey at Northcote PS. Thank you to the teachers, the parents and the students for the countless hours put in to making that evening such a special occasion. 

Semester 2 Reports

You will hopefully have seen that reports went live this week. Please note that we always recommend that families download their reports. Please also be aware that if/when a family leaves the school, they will no longer have access to Compass and therefore relinquish access to any reports. 

Final Whole School Assembly 

On Tuesday 20th of December at 12:30pm, we will have a final whole school assembly on the top turf . For parents and families attending, we will open the Henry Street and Hawthorn Road gate from 12:25pm for entry. The weather forecast is very promising and we ask that all visitors are sun smart. 

How nice it will be able to celebrate our last afternoon, all together!

2023 Start of School Year and Curriculum Days

The Department of Education (DET) mandates that all schools use the first day of the school year as a Curriculum Day for teacher planning and preparation. The first curriculum day for 2023 is therefore on Friday 27th January and we have also elected to take our second Curriculum day on Monday the 30th of January.

All students will have their first day of school on Tuesday 31st of January. Prep students will have each Wednesday in February off school as a rest day and for their scheduled 1:1 assessments. 

Thank you…

While it has been yet another complex and challenging year, we have made it through together. I would like to thank each and every one of you in our beautiful Northcote Primary School community. Have a wonderful weekend, a great last week of the 2022 school year, and a safe and happy holiday season. 

Shaun Wells

Principal