Dear Families,

It is hard to believe that it is the 1st of December on Sunday.

This time of year is always exciting as we begin to celebrate student achievements and the end of the 2024 school year.

Teachers are currently writing reports for students and it is always so rewarding to see the growth and learning achievements they have made.

Reports will go home on Sentral, please speak to Belinda if you need support with this.

I am so proud of our students! This year they have really displayed the values of the school each and every day. SHNPS is a great place to see students shine with their learning and well-being. On the day before Melbourne Cup day, staff unpacked student and staff data and it is evident how strong our relationships are between students and their teachers. Our data showed that we are similar to the state with our student data showing they are connected to the school and motivated to complete their learning. Students also state they feel safe at school. These are all areas we are really proud of!

The staff data is also pleasing with staff working collaboratively to improve all student data! Staff have been working on professional learning on reading and this data supports the great work they have been doing! I am so excited to see what is in store for next year.

Whole School Step up

Today we started our whole school step up. This allows students to transition into their 2025 year level. On Tuesday 3rd December we will run a second step-up session in 2025 year levels. Current teaching teams will run the sessions with students meeting their teachers on Tuesday 17th December.

2025 Class structure

Next year we will be offering 10 classrooms. The year levels we will have are:

Prep/Foundation

Prep/1

2 x 1/2 classrooms

3 x 3/4 classrooms

3 x 5/6 classrooms

Classroom teachers will be announced before our Meet the Teacher Day.

School Concert

Thank you to Miss Nathasha who has been choreographing dances for our School Concert on Monday 9th December.

The students are very excited about the night and are looking forward to showcasing their hard work!

We hope families can join us on the night to celebrate the end of the school year.

We do understand that this event clashes with the Year 6/7 transition information evening. We have tried to plan around the evening around the Grade 6 students allowing them to perform first. This time of year it is always challenging to plan events that do not clash with other events.

School Council

Thank you to our School Council members this year. We had our final meeting on Monday night. School Council allows parents to have input into a range of school policies. Next year with the school build will be an exciting time to be on the Council. Please feel free to contact Tim Dunstan or myself if you are interested in joining.

Book Packs\Parent Payment policy

Our Parent payment policy was sent home this week with students. The booklist was attached to this.

Please read through the cover letter and if you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact the office.

We are offering the materials listed on the student's booklist to be purchased through Campion. Campion are offering free postage on book packs until the 5th of January.

If you need support in purchasing your child's booklist through Campion, please speak to Belinda or Rheannon in the office.

School Saving Bonus

As shared with you previously, parents and carers of every child enrolled in a Victorian government school in 2025 will receive the one-off School Saving Bonus $400 support. Parents have received emails about this.

Families can choose how they allocate and spend the School Saving Bonus funds using the online system. The School Saving Bonus can be used towards 2025 school costs, which may include:

camps, trips, excursions and incursions
swimming and sporting programs
outdoor education programs
graduations
school uniforms
textbooks (Please note stationary is not considered to be a textbook).

Families can use the online system to choose how they’ll spend their School Saving Bonus.

Term 4 Curriculum Days

Our Curriculum Day dates for Term 4 are:

Wednesday, Dec 18th – This is a Professional Practice Day which staff are entitled and is being held on a common day. Staff will use this day to plan for 2025.

Morning Drop Off

Just a reminder that our yard is not supervised until 8.30 am. Please ensure students do not get dropped off before 8.30 am. The OSHC program at St Mary's has vacancies for families who need this service of a morning.

2025 Enrolments

If you know any families who are looking at enrolling at SHNPS, please encourage them to make a time and visit our school. We invite prospective families to tour the school during learning time to showcase the great learning we do here at SHNPS.

I would like to wish our school community a good end to the school year and a safe and happy holiday. I am taking leave from today to have a medical procedure done early next week.

Jacqui Scott and Bianca Brown will be acting in my role whilst I am on leave. I hope to pop in and wish students a Merry Christmas before the end of the year and wish our year 6 students the best of luck with their new adventures.

Have a lovely weekend.

Kind Regards

Brea