Thursday 16 November

Dear Families,

2024 Parent payment contributions

Please see the news feed with details for our parent payment for 2024 that will have all the details, due dates and arrangements for books. You will also receive a paper copy today in your child’s bag.

Schools provide students with free instruction to fulfil the standard Victorian curriculum and we want to assure you that all contributions are voluntary.

Nevertheless, the ongoing support of our families ensures that our school can offer the best possible education and support for our students. Thank you for all your support, whether that’s through Voluntary Contributions, fundraising or volunteering your time. This makes a huge difference to our school and the programs we can offer. Essentially, it is your contributions that make Menzies Creek Primary School so special! Collectively your contributions allow us to provide opportunities and support above and beyond the traditional educational experience.

Awareness for Annabelle

Next Wednesday students are encouraged to wear pink and blue to support 22q and awareness for Annabelle. Go to 22q.org.au for more information.

Save the date

On Friday 8 December we will celebrating 2023 with some Christmas Carols, professional Santa photos and fun activities for everyone as we close the school year for 2024. Students, staff and families all invited so spread the word and save the date.

Camping program

Last week the Year 3/4 cohort had a wonderful experience down at Portsea for their 3-day camp. Staff and students made the most of the weather and challenged themselves in a supportive environment. We were very impressed with how well they were able to manage themselves.

Next week it is the Year 5/6 camp to Phillip Island where again we are looking forward to a good few days.

Camps are a great opportunity and it is nice to see the enjoyment on faces when they accomplish something. Again, I would like to acknowledge the staff for their efforts in organising these opportunities.

Transition to 2024

This term we will be conducting a number of transition sessions to support all our students prepare for 2024.

Our new Foundation students will come to school this term on the following days:

Thursday 30 November (9:15am – 1:15pm) Note change of date
Tuesday 12th December (9:30am – 3:00pm)

Our students who will be moving year levels will also have a chance to taste what next year can be expected to bring as we start the process of our internal transition sessions and 2024 class creation. Always a fun time!

Placement of staff and students into classes for 2024

Over the last month our school has been confirming our 2023 school structure and staffing. Following that exercise, our staff will begin the task of allocating students to classes for 2024. As per the norm, our staffing allocations and final class structures will then be announced in late December.

As with our teaching teams, class groups are developed after careful consideration, balancing a range of issues and needs. These include factors such as academic ability, behavioural challenges, friendships, and previous teachers.

A valuable part of the process is student input. In the coming weeks students will be given the opportunity to list friends they would like to be with for the following year. They will be placed with at least one friend on that list.

I encourage families to trust our school’s judgement and, like I do, value our teachers as high-calibre people that care first and foremost for your children. Ultimately, it is our current class teachers, as professionals with all available information, that are in the best position to place students in classes. Further, I am sure that you would understand that it is not always possible to accommodate all requests and that an important part of any student’s journey through their schooling is the development of vital life skills. This includes meeting, getting to know, and working with different personalities.

Assembly

We will have assemblies on the following Fridays at 2:45 this term:

November 17 – some rock band performances taking place.
December 15

Take care,

Dale

2024 Booklist