Melton West Primary School

Principal's Report 

Dear Parents and Carers,

 

What a wonderful afternoon we had on Friday as part of the Colour Fun Run. All children who participated were full of smiles and enjoyed themselves immensely. This event was mostly organised by Mrs Maria Robinson, and we thank her for the time and effort she put into it to make it such a successful event. Maria was well supported by many volunteers, who seemed to enjoy themselves as much as the students. Thank you all for supporting this fundraising event in this way. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COVID Rapid Antigen Tests Available: Just a reminder we have plenty of RATs available if anyone in your family is experiencing symptoms of COVID. If you require a box, please let the office know by calling them on 9743 5818 and they can send a box home with your child, or you can come past the office and pick up a box.

 

Prep Enrolments for 2024: If you have a child in preschool, or is turning 5 before 30th April 2022, we are accepting enrolments for Prep 2024. Please call the office for details and to book an appointment with a member of the Principal Class team. If you have family or friends with children who should start school next year, please encourage them to contact the school for a Prep Enrolment Pack and a tour. The 2023 Prep Transition Program will commence in November. If they are enrolled by then they will be invited to be part of this wonderful experience.

 

Prep Transition Program: The 2024 Prep Transition Program will commence next month. All families with children enrolled to start Prep in 2024 will receive an invitation in the near future if they have enrolled. The dates are:

  • Tuesday 21st November 10:00am – 10:50am
  • Tuesday 28th November 10:00am – 10:50am
  • Tuesday 5th December 10:00am – 10:50am
  • Tuesday 12th December 9:30am – 10:45am. (Children will meet their teacher for 2024 on this day)

Whilst these sessions are occurring for the children, parents are encouraged to stay on-site and hear about the wonderful programs our school has to offer, as well as how to help prepare your child for their first year of school. These session will also have guest speakers such as the School Nursing Service, our Out of Home Care service and much more. We look forward to meeting you and your child during these sessions.

 

2024 Plans: We will be beginning the process of forming new class grouping for 2024 during Term 4. In order to know how many classes, we will need please contact the office to let us know if you know your child will not be returning in 2024 for any reason so we can plan accordingly. If you are unsure of the new school that is okay, we do not need to know that information now. This is also important because your child might be the allocated person for another child in their 2024 class and if they are not attending, their friend may find themselves without a buddy in their class in 2024.

 

Year 6/7 Orientation Day: On Tuesday 12th December, all year 6 students attending a government school in Year 7 will participate in the statewide Year 7 Orientation Day. However, some students may need additional time to help them feel ready for secondary school. If you feel your child needs additional support, please speak to your child’s teacher and we will arrange additional visits.

 

Behaviour in the Yard: Unfortunately we have made a decision to cancel playing rugby for the remainder of the year. We have some children who find it difficult to play ‘tag’ rugby and prefer to tackle. This can often lead to frustration and anger, resulting in dangerous behaviour and inappropriate language directed at other students and staff, as well as students getting hurt. We have tried many strategies, including spending time during PE lessons clarifying how to play safely, however this has not had the positive impact we were hoping for. I know some students are very disappointed and I feel deeply disappointed for the students who do play correctly and safely and I apologise to them. We will re-instate next year, after going through the expectations clearly again.

 

Mobile Phones: It is a statewide Education Department Policy that any students who bring a mobile phone or smart watch to school, they must sign them in at the office at the start of the day and collect them at the end of the day. Please remind your children of these expectations.

 

LOTE Survey Results: Thank you to the 68 families who completed the recent survey about which language we should teacher in 2024. The results were in favour of changing to Auslan. A decision will be made at our next school council meeting, where I will share the results from the staff and student survey. Please stay tuned for the final decision after our next meeting.

Parent/Carer Survey Results:       68 respondents 

Chinese – 25.8%; Auslan – 74.2%

  • Music: 50%
  • Robotics/Coding: 24.2%
  • Performing Arts: 16.7%
  • Drama: 7.6%
  • Other: 1.5%

 

High Levels of Learning for All

Michelle Costa

Principal