Assistant Principal's Report

Welcome back to a new school year! It’s been great seeing our students return with such enthusiasm. Classrooms already feel settled and positive, and it’s been a pleasure visiting grades and seeing students so happy and engaged

We have a big year ahead with a strong focus on continuing to build consistent, high‑quality curriculum practices across the school. Staff have spent a lot of time preparing for the updated Victorian Curriculum 2.0, and it’s been great to see teams already planning rich, purposeful learning experiences for students.

In Literacy, our early years team will continue to strengthen our structured phonics approach, ensuring every student builds strong foundational reading skills. Across Years 3–6, the focus remains on clear routines, explicit teaching, and building confident, capable readers and writers.

In Numeracy, teachers will be working on developing deep number understanding through hands‑on learning, problem‑solving, and consistent use of assessment to guide teaching. It’s been great seeing teams already using data to shape their planning for the term.

We’re also excited to continue building on our Inquiry work this year. With our environmental area now taking shape, students will have more opportunities to explore Science, Humanities, and Digital Technologies through real‑life, meaningful learning – something our students always respond well to.

Beyond curriculum, I’m looking forward to the many things that make our school such a great place to be: student leadership, community events, wellbeing initiatives, and the everyday moments of growth we get to see in classrooms. Thank you for the support you give your children and our staff. When we work together, our students thrive.

I’m looking forward to another fantastic year and can’t wait to see the learning and achievements ahead.

Term 1 Information Sessions for Families

We warmly invite all families to join us for our Term 1 Information Sessions. These sessions are a great opportunity to meet your child’s teachers, see their learning space, and hear about the exciting year ahead.

Session 1: Wednesday 18th February - Foundation, Year 1 & Year 2Session 2: Thursday 19th February - Year 3, 4, 5 & 6

Time: 3:30pm – 4:30pmLocation: Your child’s classroom

During these sessions, teachers will share key information about curriculum, classroom routines, and upcoming learning experiences. You’ll also have the chance to ask questions and find out how you can best support your child throughout the year.

RSVP forms will be sent home this soon. 

Acceptable Use of Digital Technology

In the coming days, students in Years 1–6 will bring home the Deer Park West Primary School Digital Technology User Agreement.

This important document outlines:• how families can support safe, responsible and respectful use of digital technologies• the school’s expectations when students are using devices both in and outside the classroom

As a school, we are also aligned with the Department of Education’s guidelines on digital technology use in schools. The Department requires that technology be used purposefully, safely, and always balanced with offline learning opportunities to support student wellbeing and engagement. In addition, the Victorian Government has announced new reforms that will place clear limits on screen time in primary schools from 2027, including minimal screen use in Prep–2 and a 90‑minute daily limit for Years 3–6, ensuring technology supports learning rather than dominating it. Our current practices already reflect these principles, with teachers prioritising meaningful, educational use of devices and maintaining a strong focus on hands‑on, collaborative and non‑digital learning. 

Please take some time to read through the agreement with your child, then sign the student agreement and parent acknowledgment on the final page. Returning this signed form is essential for your child to access digital devices at school.

Kind regards,

Joshua Fielding

Assistant Principal

Kind regards,

Deanne Scott

Acting Principal