Acting Principal's Report

Hello DPW Community,

Gosh, here we are, halfway through the term already!

As we reach this halfway point, I would like to take a moment to share why I am so proud of the students at Deer Park West.

Our students consistently demonstrate the values that make our school community so special. Whether they are welcoming new students and helping them feel included from their very first day, or representing our school on excursions, camps and sporting events, they continually make us proud.

We regularly receive positive feedback from camp and excursion staff about our students' enthusiasm, sense of adventure, curiosity and willingness to embrace new experiences. Their behaviour, respect for others and positive attitude are wonderful reflections of our school community.

Of course, like all of us, our students have days when self-regulation can be a challenge. However, what stands out is the way they support one another and work together with staff to overcome these challenges. The care, encouragement and sense of belonging that exist within our school are strengths that we value greatly.

Thank you to our students for the pride they take in being members of the Deer Park West community. They continue to impress us with their kindness, resilience and commitment to living our school values every day.

Pyjama Day

What a great day to have pyjama day! The weather enabled us to feel even cosier in our wonderful array of winter pyjamas. It was exciting watching so many students dress accordingly and bring their gold coin donation to support the Junior School Council’s (JSC) chosen charity – State School’s Relief. DPW raised $256. Congratulations to the JSC and thank you to those students who donated.

Curriculum Day-10th August

On Monday, staff participated in a dedicated Curriculum Day focused on reviewing and refining our Numeracy curriculum documents. This valuable opportunity allowed teachers to concentrate on a single area of learning, engaging in rich professional discussions and collaborative planning to strengthen our collective understanding of effective numeracy teaching and learning practices.

The day enabled staff to ensure that our Numeracy curriculum remains a living document that is regularly reviewed, responsive to student needs, and reflective of current best practice. The work completed will continue to support consistent, high-quality teaching and learning experiences for all students across the school.

Parents / Carers Survey - Please Tell Us What You Think! 

Our school is conducting the annual Parent / Carer Opinion Survey offered by the Department of Education and is seeking your feedback. The survey is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behavior, and student engagement. The survey is optional, but we encourage and appreciate your participation.

Our school will use the survey results to assist in identifying areas for improvement and professional development needs in the school, to target school planning and improvement strategies. 

The Parent / Carer Opinion Survey will be open online from Monday 17 August to Friday 18 September 2026.

All families are invited to participate in the survey. 

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The link to the survey will be sent to families/carers via Compass. We will have some iPads available at the office for use if needed.

The online survey will be available in English and 10 other languages including Arabic, Greek, Hakha Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish, and Vietnamese. Resources are also available in additional languages to assist parents / carers who speak a language other than English at home. Please reach out to your child’s teacher, or the school directly for survey guides in your language.Please speak to the office if you would like more information.

Uniform

I’d like to take this opportunity to advise DPW families that we will be introducing new school uniform shirts and jackets in 2027. The new uniform items will only be compulsory for 2027 Foundation students.

In the meantime, our uniform supplier Academy Uniforms on Robinsons Road, is holding a one-off sale for DPW families who may require uniform for their child/ren who have outgrown their current uniform. Please see the flyer below for the amazing discounts! All DPW students are expected to be wearing the school uniform every day.

The DPW school bag is also included in this sale. I do encourage families to purchase this bag as it comes with a lifetime warranty – this means that if the bag breaks at any time during primary school, it will be repaired/replaced at no cost to you! The DPW school bags are made to have plenty of room for take-home readers, lunches, jackets and a water bottle.

Coughs and Colds

We are noticing that quite a few students are coming to school with a bit of a cold and/or cough. As always, if your child has a fever or is very unwell, please keep them at home so that they can recover quickly.

When they are at school, please remind them to follow the steps to reduce the chance of making others sick:

• Always cover your mouth and nose when you cough (with a tissue or your elbow)
• Wash or sanitise hands after coughing or blowing your nose

Bird Flu – sick or dead birds in our area

Cases of H5 bird flu have been confirmed in birds across Australia, including in south-west Victoria.  Our school has steps to follow if sick or dead birds are found at or near our school. 

If you see a sick or dead bird at or near the school, please let us know. 

If you find a sick or dead bird in the community, the advice from the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is to:   

1. avoid contact and keep your distance 
2. record date, time, location and take photos 
3. report it to using an online form or through the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline: 1800 675 888. 

For current information about reporting, refer to DEECA’s H5 bird flu page. 

For more information, you can check out these bird flu resources from the Australian Government.  

Kind Regards,

Deanne Scott

Acting Principal