6th Dec 2024

Dear Families,

This afternoon we welcomed back our Yr5/6 campers after 3 days at Camp the Ranch in Cape Schanck at the Mornington Peninsula. They had a wonderful couple of days, they are all very tired and ready for a relax at home. I'd like to thank the staff and Troy Kirwan (parent helper) for attending, without these people volunteering to attend camp these valuable activities would not take place for our students

Statewide Transition Day – Tuesday, 10th December

On this day, all students will spend the morning with their 2025 mentor teacher and new classmates. This is the third session in our internal transition program designed to support our learners and the upcoming changes. Our 2025 Preps will join us, and our Year 6 students will attend their 2025 secondary schools. We wish everyone the best on this exciting day!

Supporting Your Child’s Transition

To help your child with the transition, please talk to them about the upcoming changes for 2025. Take the time to listen to their concerns, acknowledging them without dismissing them. Reassure your child that they have your support, along with the support of the adults at KPS. Remind them of past successful transitions, such as moving from Kindergarten to Primary School, or from Year 3 to Year 4, and how they managed these changes. Reflect on the strategies that worked well in the past and explore new ways to support them moving forward. Your love and encouragement are essential in helping your child feel secure during these sometimes challenging transitions. Learning to manage our emotions during times of change is a very important life skill.

2025 Class Structure

On Tuesday, 10th December, your child will come home with their class placement for 2025. Teachers and Leadership spend many hours carefully placing students in classes, and changes will not be possible, as even one change can affect many other placements. We ask parents to trust the teachers' knowledge of each student and how they learn and interact with their peers.

Here is the 2025 mentor group placement:

Prep (Near end of Green building): Prep A, Prep B
Year 1 (Far end of Green building): 1A, 1B, 1C
Year 2 (Far end of Blue building): 2A, 2B, 2C
Year 3 (Double portable near the Kinder): 3A, 3B, 3C
Year 4 (Portable near the Kinder): 4A, 4B
Year 5/6 (Near end of Blue building): 5/6A, 5/6B, 5/6C

2025 Staffing Changes

With mixed emotions, we share that several valued staff members will be leaving KPS at the end of 2024:

Mr. Robert Cann has been with us since the school’s opening and has taught Prep, Year 2, and PE. We wish him all the best in his new role at Karwan Primary in Tarniet.
Sophie Rosewarne has been with us since our second year and has played a key role in developing our Allied Health Team. Sophie will be moving to Queensland, and we wish her and her partner the best for their next chapter.
Georgina Kaloutsakis joined us at the end of our first year and has taught both Year 5/6 and Prep. Georgina is moving overseas, and we wish her the best with this exciting change.
Paul Munro joined us at the start of 2024 and will be taking on a full-time PE position at Yubup Primary School. We wish him success in this new role.
Mr Jayden Spudvilas-Powell has been with us for 18 months, he is moving to Melton-West PS
Terry (Maintenance) has worked with us for two years, helping keep the school safe and tidy. Due to budget constraints, this role will be reduced in 2025. We wish Terry all the best at Castlemaine Primary School.
Gwen Pringle (Admin) has been a part of our office admin team for the last two years. We will miss her smile and her support, though she may occasionally return to help cover admin absences.
Noah (ES) and Marko (ES) both joined us in recent years and are transitioning into teaching roles. We wish them the best as they pursue their new careers in education.

We will miss each and every one of these wonderful staff members. They will always be a special part of KPS.

New Staff for 2025

We are excited to welcome the following new staff members in 2025:

Jo La Mattina (joining from Meadow Heights Primary School)
Dana Cataldo (new to teaching)
Eda Burka (joining from Dallas Brooks Primary School)

Additionally, Mary Perkins and Nikolina Perkovic will be returning from family leave in part-time roles.

We have one final classroom position to fill, we hope to be able to announce this teacher mid-way through next week.

Assessment and Report Writing

Reports will be distributed to families via Compass on Thursday, 19th December. We encourage families to save the reports electronically, as we do not print copies. Once your child leaves KPS, you will not be able to access these reports. If you do not have access to Compass, please contact the office for assistance.

Delegation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE)

On Thursday 28th November, we had the honor of hosting a delegation of leaders from the United Arab Emirates. Among the distinguished guests were Her Excellency Sarah Al Amiri, Minister of Education at the Ministry of Education (MOE), Her Excellency Hajer Al Thehli, Secretary-General of the Education and Human Resources Community Council (EHRC), and Her Excellency Amna Al Saleh, Assistant Undersecretary of the Curriculum and Assessment Sector at MOE.

The visit was a great success, and the delegation was deeply impressed by the structures and supports we have in place at KPS to meet the needs of every learner. They thoroughly enjoyed engaging with both our students and staff.

Hot Weather

We are grateful that our Air Conditioning Project was completed during winter. Thanks to this, all of our learning and office spaces are now much more comfortable, helping to minimise the impact of the heat on our students' learning time.

Colour Run

We are looking forward to seeing many families at the Colour Run on Wednesday 18th December, 4pm – 7pm. Let’s all keep our fingers crossed for great weather.

Routines

To support your children in managing the final 2 weeks of school we encourage families to maintain as many routines as possible. The security routines provide for our children is invaluable in keeping them regulated during the festive season.

Enjoy the last 2 weeks of the 2024 year,

Loren Peavey

https://keelonithps.vic.edu.au/

https://www.facebook.com/KeelonithPrimarySchool

Wellbeing @ KPS