Acting Principal's Report

Hello DPW Community,

Welcome to the new school year!

The start of a school year always brings a sense of possibility, and walking around the school these past couple of days has reminded me how fortunate we are to learn and grow together in such a vibrant community. It was great to see so many excited young people settle into their new classes, reconnect with friends and start to make new friends.

Starting the new school year on a positive note begins with being at school every day and arriving on time. Our school gate opens at 8:45am, and students may enter their classrooms when the music begins at 8:50am.

Arriving on time helps students settle in, connect with friends, and begin the day calmly. It also ensures they don’t miss any important learning that happens right at the start of the morning. Thank you for supporting your child to arrive promptly each day.

Mrs King is extending her leave this term and I have the privilege of leading this amazing school for the start of the year.

Welcoming New Students, Families, and Staff

A warm welcome to all our new students and their families. We are delighted to have you join our school community and look forward to getting to know you over the coming weeks.

I would also like to welcome and introduce two new staff members who have joined our team this year. They bring wonderful experience and enthusiasm, and we are excited for the contributions they will make to our school.

Sam Dennis 

Year 6B Class Teacher

Meri Kotevski 

Wellbeing Leader (Responsibilities include disability inclusion and mental health & wellbeing)

Breakfast Club

Breakfast Club will continue this year with some minor changes. The days for Breakfast Club this year are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Students wishing to attend Breakfast Club will be let in the front gate on Quinn St at 8:30am. 

Assembly

A reminder that we will be having assembly every 2 weeks, on the even weeks of each school term. This means that the first assembly for 2026 will be on Friday, 6th of February. As always you are welcome to join us for assembly at 2:45pm but please wait until the end of the day to take your children home.

CCTV 

During the holiday break, we had a CCTV system installed. 

Our school has an obligation to ensure the school environment is safe and secure, and fulfil our duty of care to students, staff and visitors.  The CCTV system assists our school to fulfil these obligations and to prevent and manage other inappropriate behaviour on school grounds. CCTV also provides enhanced capability to protect our school’s assets against vandalism and theft.

For further information regarding the CCTV system please refer to the CCTV Privacy Notice that has been added to our school website. Should you prefer a paper copy, please pop into the office to request one.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the use of the CCTV system in our school, please contact the school on 93633519 or email deer.park.west.ps@education.vic.gov.au 

Canteen Service

We are pleased to announce that this year we will be using the lunchtime canteen service provided by Classroom Cuisine. The service will begin on Monday 2nd February. You need to order by 8.30am the day of the service and can order in advance (even a few days before).

The service will deliver only at lunch time. When you order the food, it will all be delivered at the same time, before 1.30pm on our designated days (Monday, Thursday & Friday). You will need to send your child to school with a snack for recess.

Should you wish to use this service, you will need to register to create your own account. For information about how to do this, please use this link:  https://classroomcuisine.com.au/  and click on the Register button. Add your details, then the details of your child/ren and select their class. You will then be ready to order.

School Council 2026

From 2026, parents, carers and community members who would like to join the school council need a working with children (WWC) clearance to nominate. If you are considering nominating for school council, and don’t already have a WWC, I encourage you to apply for a volunteer WWC check as soon as possible. This will allow for processing times, which are estimated to be from 3 to 12 weeks. 

Please note that if you do not hold a WWC clearance, you will not be able to nominate for school council, so it is vital that you prepare in advance. Obtaining a WWC clearance is free for volunteers, and you can apply online at Service Victoria. 

When applying for your volunteer WWC check, please nominate the Department of Education as the organisation you are working for.

If you already hold an employee WWC clearance, you do not need to obtain a volunteer WWC clearance to nominate for school council.

Victorian Institute of Teaching-registered teachers and school students who are interested in joining school council are not required to obtain a WWC clearance. 

Current parents and community members of school council do not need to apply for a WWC check immediately. Current members only need a WWC clearance if their term ends and they wish to nominate or be co-opted again. 

For more information, refer to Ministerial Order 1280 (Constitution of Government School Councils) 2020.

Volunteering at DPW

To be eligible to volunteer at DPW you will need to complete our school volunteer induction session and hold a WWC. Dates for these induction sessions will be in the school newsletter early next year. 

Some ways that you can volunteer with us include assisting with:

• preparation and supervision of our breakfast club program
• supervision of students during excursions or special events
• preparation of whole school events
• listening to students read
• our specialist programs, such as Art, PE and the library
• working with small groups of students e.g. reading a story, playing learning games, publishing writing
• a lunchtime club e.g. gardening, art, sport, etc

• facilitating a lunchtime club around an interest or skill of your own

   

Kindest Regards,

Deanne Scott

Acting Principal