Dear Parents and Carers,

Three weeks have flown past and we are well into the term. Over the past few weeks we have celebrated a number of key events in the school.

Year 2 Sleepover

The students enjoyed a fabulous Grade 2 sleepover last Thursday at school. The students were thoroughly engaged in the variety of activities during the evening which included sport games with Mr Storey, Art and craft with Mrs Svilicic and biscuit decorating.

The students took their first step towards independence by setting up bedding and getting themselves off to sleep at a reasonable hour. A huge congratulations to all students on their first school camp experience. Special mention to our wonderful staff who took time away from family to ensure this event went ahead.

Writers’ Festival

In the past few weeks the corridors were transformed into writers’ paradise in preparation for the 2025 Delacombe Primary School Writers’ Festival. It was a terrific celebration last Wednesday 23rd October with our special assembly. It was wonderful to see so many of our parents and carers attend the Writers’ Festival last week, showcasing the writing our students are able to achieve.

School Council News

Our October meeting of School Council met this week and discussed the following agenda items:

Our indicative budget for 2026
2025 Student data and 2025 Staff data
Fundraising schedule for 2026
Approval for school excursions and camps for the remainder of 2024.

Our thanks to the ongoing support of our school councillors who will attend our final meeting for the year on Monday 24th November.

Assessment weeks begin next week

Next week our Grade 5-6s commence their Assessment weeks in preparation for the end of year reports. Assessment weeks normally go for a two week period and it can be tiring for the students during this time, so a good bed routine is important for the best results.

Report Writing Day - Monday 24th November

On Monday 24th November it will be a Report Writing day for the teachers to look to complete the end of year reports. Our aim is to have reports posted on Compass to parents by Wednesday 10th December.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

Our Grade 5 students who are looking to be our leaders in 2026 will have submitted applications for student leadership positions.. This will be followed with speeches to the staff and students on Friday 14th November as a special assembly in the stadium at 2.30pm. Once this process has been completed we hope to announce the first stage of our leadership positions for 2026. Parents of the students making the speeches are welcome to attend.

STUDENT CLASS PLACEMENTS 2026

The date for parent request for classroom requests for 2026 closed on Monday 27th October. The teachers will begin the process of placing students in the classroom for 2026.

We ask that you do not request a staff member for your child in 2026. We believe we have a terrific set of teachers and educational support staff and will place students where we believe will optimise their learning. The complete list of staff and their allocations will be released towards the end of November. It is also possible that some staff may not be in the same year level as this year.

WELLBEING AT DELACOMBE PS

We have recently received our school report card on Wellbeing and I am pleased to report that Delacombe PS is performing in the HIGH category which is the highest category you can achieve.

These scores are based on student surveys from Grade 4-6 and in 2025 we surveyed 255 students. In four out of the five areas highlighted below, we achieved a high score. It highlights that with all the work the staff and school has focused on in the areas of Wellbeing is making a difference.

Free Public Transport for Regional Children, Every Day, Everywhere

The Victorian Budget 2025/26 will make public transport free for everyone under 18, everywhere in Victoria.

Starting from January 1, 2026, everyone under 18 will be able to access a "youth" myki card, allowing free travel across Victoria's trams, trains, buses and coach services every day of the week.

The myki will stay valid until the child turns 18.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

Thank you for supporting the summer school uniform. We have had very few students we have had to follow up with about hats and wearing them. This has made life easier, particularly when the sun has been out more than we have been used to.

PARENT LIAISON

The next date set for the Parent Liaison is Thursday 30th October at 2.30pm. This session is time to talk about what is coming up at school and listen to any other suggestions from parents.

Topics that will be on the agenda are:

P-2 Athletics - any food to be provided
End of year raffle
School savings bonus
Recent parent and staff surveys
Upcoming facility upgrades

All parents are welcome to attend.

DASH