Assistant Principal's Address

WEEK 2 | TERM 1

Dear Parents, Guardians and School Community,

Welcome back to our Deanside community! It has been wonderful to see students return over the past two weeks — reconnecting with friends, exploring classrooms, and settling into routines.

A very warm welcome to our new families and students joining in 2026. We are delighted to have you and are committed to making sure every child and family feels safe, connected, and supported.

START UP Program

Students have been participating in our START UP Program, learning about: ⭐ Whole-school expectations 💎 Our school values: Respect, Excellence, Care, Responsibility 🗺️ Our Behaviour Matrix — understanding positive choices in different spaces

This helps students feel empowered and supported to make positive choices. Families are encouraged to talk about our school values and celebrate their child’s efforts at home.

Positive Behaviour Support at Deanside – The Power of Pre-Correction

At Deanside Primary School, our Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) framework is at the heart of how we help every child succeed both in learning and in relationships. Last fortnight, we shared how the Berry Street Education Model and our Behaviour Matrix work together to create consistency and support. This fortnight, we’d like to highlight another key strategy: Pre-Correction.

Pre-Correction is about setting students up for success before challenges occur. It means teachers and staff take time to:

• Remind students of the expectations (using our Behaviour Matrix).
• Redirect attention to what’s expected before behaviour becomes a problem.
• Relocate students when they need a break or reset.
• Reflect afterwards so they can learn from the experience.

This “4Rs” approach allows us to prevent small issues from becoming big problems and reinforces our school values of Respect, Excellence, Care, and Responsibility in every setting — classrooms, the yard, assemblies, and beyond.

When families support this at home, students receive a consistent message about behaviour and expectations. Before starting homework, going on an outing, or joining in sports, try using pre-correction: remind your child of the expectations, and talk about what respectful and responsible behaviour looks like in that setting.

Together, we can make sure every child feels safe, supported, and ready to learn.

Please take some time to review the matrix with your children to reinforce the expectations at Deanside Primary School. 

Student Support Group (SSG) Meetings

📩 Invitations emailed 🗓️ Meetings officially commence in Week 3

These meetings provide a valuable opportunity for families and staff to share insights, celebrate strengths, and set goals to support each child’s learning and wellbeing.

Bike & Scooter Safety

More and more students are riding bikes and scooters to school. We'd like to remind families about our safety expectations.

To keep everyone safe:

• 🪖 Students must wear a helmet when riding bikes or scooters to and from school.
• 🚫 Bikes and scooters must not be ridden within the school grounds.
• 🚶‍♀️ Students are asked to walk their bikes or scooters once they enter the school gate.

These expectations help create a safe and calm environment for all members of our community. We appreciate your support in reinforcing these messages with your children.

🥕 Food & Community Support

🏫 Deanside Primary School Food Bank

🍎 From Week 3 ⏰ 9:00am – 10:00am 📍 Resource Centre

🥕 Melton South Community Food Bank

📅 Fridays | 10:30am – 2:00pm 🎒 Bring reusable bags

• What’s provided: Free fresh produce and bread
• Optional: Full pantry access for $3

Warm regards, Bianca Gavin & Racheal Zappia  Assistant Principal