Message from Acting Principal Sarah 

School Events

Ride 2 School Day

This week we have our Ride2School Day on Friday 19th March. We encourage all families to walk, scoot, ride or catch public transport to our school on this day and as often as possible every other day. Later in this newsletter, you will find a detailed map of  'Start here' locations to join our school community to ride, scoot, or walk to school. 

There are plenty of bike racks at school to park bikes and scooters so please buckle up your helmet and get riding (or scooting). There will be some 'spot prizes' at the gates for students who add a bit of style to their ride on the day. Walking is an easy option too – there is no hassle with equipment or trying to find a park.

We understand that you may need to drive to school some days. If so, please park away from the school and walk your children to their designated gate. This can be quicker and safer for everyone. 

Reducing the number of cars around our school makes it safer for everyone. 

If you do need to drive to school, please ensure the following:

• Slow down
• Do not double park next to another car
• Do not stop in a ‘no standing’ zone
• Do not park and leave your car in a no-parking zone

If we all work together to follow the above rules, we can ensure NMPS is a safe place for everyone.

Cross Country

On Friday 12th March, we held our Year 3-6 Cross Country event at Royal Park. I would like to congratulate all students who ran in the event and those that made it to the next stage. While I was only able to visit for a short amount of time, it was lovely to see so many families come along and support the students. As we continue through the year, we encourage families to come along to school events where they are able to reconnect with staff and students after the disjointed year we had in 2020.

Three-Way Conferences

Our Three-Way Conferences will take place in Week 10 on Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st March. These conferences are an important avenue for involving parents and students in the learning process and help parents understand the teaching and learning, assessment, and reporting process. Parents are encouraged to book a time through Compass to attend the conference. 

Three-way conferences provide a forum for teachers, students, and parents to acknowledge student progress and achievement. Students typically lead the Three-Way Conference by explaining their learning achievements, as well as areas for further improvement. Students use their work and individual learning goals as the driver when sharing their learning. 

School Council Election Outcome

I sincerely thank all parents, guardians, and staff who cast their vote in the 2021 School Council ballot. I wish to inform you that at the close of the ballot, the successful candidates for the vacancies are as follows: 

Parent Member Category

Noriko Yamazaki, Nick Sissons, Megan Cusack, and Emily Miller 

School Employee Member Category

Gabrielle Panozzo 

We thank all applicants who expressed interest in contributing to our school in this important way. The first School Council meeting will be held on Thursday 18th March in which the co-option of community members and the election of office-bearers will take place to finalise the election process. These details will be shared with the community in the next newsletter.

Teacher Professional Learning

This week our teachers are participating in their Professional Practice Days. This gives staff the opportunity to work together for a day focused on teaching, learning, and cohort-based professional learning. The students will have a modified timetable this week to support this program.

In Week 9, educational consultant, Deb Sukarna, will also be working with teachers in their implementation of the Writer’s Workshop. Deb has worked with the staff at NMPS since 2018 supporting teacher practice in Writing, in order to work towards achieving our School Strategic Goals.

North Melbourne Primary School Website Upgrade

We are currently in the process of updating our NMPS website to make it more ‘user-friendly'. If you have any ideas or suggestions for our website upgrade, please feel free to contact Joe Grabin at Joe.Grabin@education.vic.gov.au

North Melbourne Hill Primary School

On Wednesday 17th February the NMPS School Council were advised of the development of North Melbourne Hill Primary School, scheduled to open in 2023. John Dainutis, Area Executive Director for Western Melbourne, Natalie Bakai, Acting Senior Education Improvement Leader, and Ella McPherson, Acting CEO of the Victorian Schools Building Authority presented to the School Council via WebEx. 

Further information regarding North Melbourne Hill Primary School can be found via the following link.

https://www.schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au/schools/Pages/NorthMelbourneHill.aspx

Building & Grounds Works Update

Earlier in the term, I shared information with the community regarding Building and Grounds works. While these works have been delayed due to a number of factors, they are still scheduled to begin before the end of the term. I will continue to update the community on these works as more information becomes available.