Hi Everyone,

This will be the last full newsletter for the term. The final newsletter on the last day of term will only be a reminder of dates for 2024, contacts and last minute messages/reminders.

Goodbye

I would like to take this opportunity to farewell the Newham Primary School community. It has been an adventure! No one could have expected a pandemic to overtake us from 2020 and yet here we are finally on the other side.

I have seen many concepts introduced by the Department of Education during my time and I have been teaching long enough to even see some come around again for a second go! In education there is one thing that is certain and that is change. There are more changes coming from the Department in curriculum and administration and there have certainly been many changes over time. The amount of digital technology in schools being an obvious one.

As I step away from Education, I will look back with fond memories on the students, staff, and schools I have worked with. I have always worked in rural schools but of varying sizes. I have taught every year level from Prep to 6, been a specialist teacher at various times teaching Indonesian, P.E., Art, Library and Science. I've taught Recorder, directed school concerts and entered classes in a variety of competions such as Tournament of Minds. I have been in schools that have flooded and have evacuated students through rising water. I've been in student and staff emergency lock downs, seen some really broken bones, had almost a whole classroom sent home throughout a day with chicken pox and called an emergency service or two. Yet through it all, the majority of students have been so resilient. Sometimes I think we can learn a thing or two from them.

I wish everyone well in their educational journey and encourage all Newham students to find their groove, their passion and where possible turn it into a career. Having myself supported my own 4 children to adulthood, I know what can lie ahead for parents. Take a big breath everyone and keep going, the journey is magnificent, thought provoking, worrisome and never ending but the rewards are why we became parents in the first place.

Farewell and thank you.

Regards,

Simone Wood

2023 Principal

Classes and staff for 2024

Processes are currently underway for finalising the class structures for 2024. More information will follow as soon as we get final confirmation of last minute enrolments and staffing. Before the end of the year students will be able to meet teachers and room mates for 2024.

End of Year reports

Staff are finalising assessment results and preparing this information for the final school report for 2023. This will be made available to families via uEducateUs during the last week of school.

Graduation

The time is drawing nearer to say a final farewell to our year 6's. Please look out for Graduation information updates via uEducateUs. It is exciting for the year 6's to have an extra special day at the movies and a restaurant, as well as our own farewell.

New F-10 Curriculum from 2024/2025

The Department of Education is rolling out new curriculum for Victorian Schools as follows:

Mathematics was published in July 2023 and familiarisation is currently underway. The government and Catholic sectors will commence implementing the revised F–10 Mathematics curriculum from 2024, with full implementation in 2025.
English will be published at the end of 2023, with familiarisation to continue in 2024 and sectors able to implement from 2025.
All other curriculum areas will be published in June 2024. Familiarisation for these areas will commence upon publication and continue throughout 2025. Sectors will determine when they intend to implement these curriculum areas.

Sport & PE

with notes from our Sport leaders