Mr. Carlyle's Message

Hello families and welcome to this week’s newsletter,

We’re now at the end of week eleven of the final term of the year which is normally a few days after the last term would finish for the year, however, there are still three days of school that remain for 2023. It’s been impressive to see how calm the school has remained given its the time of year when we start to feel tired, possibly anxious, and need a holiday recharge!

Our school year finishes on Wednesday the 20th of December at 1:30 pm.  Class activities and celebrations are happening over the Monday and Tuesday of next week, with Wednesday being a chance for classrooms to shift and set up in preparation for next year.  For any families beginning their holidays at the end of this week, have a great break.

2024

For 2024 we have settled on the following class structure.

There will be two straight Foundation Classes and Mr Ross, and Mrs Mauriks will be the Foundation Teachers.  

There will be three composite Junior Classes of year one and two students. Mr Moneghetti, Ms Harney, and Mrs Griffith will be the Junior School Teachers.

There will be three composite middle school classes of year three and four students. Ms. Nicholls, Mr Heeps, and Ms Adcock will be the Middle School teachers. 

Finally, there will be three composite senior school classes of year five and six students. Ms Leehane, Mr Peterson, and Ms Muir will be our Senior School teachers.

Our specialist program will comprise Art, Kitchen Garden, Physical Education, Japanese, and Science. Mrs. Hunter, Mr. Murrell, Mrs Demunk, and Mrs Giannakopoulos are the teachers responsible for these specialist subjects.

Each year when managing enrolment numbers we need to develop a class structure that matches the needs of students across the school. This structure allows for a good spread of class numbers across the school and keeps classes working in collaborative teams which is a vital part of how our teachers work so successfully together. 

Changes in 2023

Farewells

We wish the very best to Mr. Barnett who is heading abroad for 2024. Thank you for all your work with us here, and we wish you the very best in your adventures and hope to see you back here in the future. 

Welcomes 

We welcome Mr. Ross to our Junior team, joining the team from Pentland Primary School. 

Graduating Year 6 Students

Last night we celebrated our graduating class for 2023.  The message I shared with our departing students is.  “Learn as much as you can about as much as you can.” Be prepared to invest time in the things that interest you. Find joy in making other people happy, and never be afraid to share kindness with others.  

To all of you I hope for the very best in your collective journeys beyond Ballan PS, we are so very proud of you. 

Happy Holidays

For many of the families, whose association with the school ends at the completion of this year, thank you for allowing us to educate your child and be a part of their life’s journey. It was truly an honour.

To everyone in our school community, may you have a happy, relaxing, and joyful holiday season. Have fun building memories with one another and stay safe.    See you in 2024. 

Healthy Lunch Box Choices and Nude Food

Please help reduce waste in our school by packing 'Nude Food' (food without excess packaging) and whole foods or unprocessed foods in your child's lunch box.  Click here for further resources and 'Healthy Lunch Box' suggestions or to download the Pick and Mix poster for the fridge!