Appreciations

As we reach towards the end of another wonderful school year, I want to express my thanks for your support, enthusiasm, and partnership in helping our students learn and grow. I am incredibly proud of the hard work shown by our students, the dedication of our staff, and the sense of community that makes our school such a special place.

2026 Staffing - Farewell and Welcome to NMPS

As always at the end of a school year, we have an opportunity to welcome new members to our team and say farewell to some of our current staff.

In 2026 we welcome the following teaching staff: Sean Alston, Emily Ding, Ashlea Lockett, Scott English, Rita Harrison, Annie Blanch, Kyle Robinson, Ahmed Al Hameli, Lily Joyce, Rebecca Zhong, Sara-Lee Shalders, Jenny Li and Cathy Crundall.

The following staff are taking leave for the 2026 school year: Georgie Maher, Matilda O’Brien, Carmel McNally, Hayley Pupetti, Adrienne Maisano and Josie Jones. We wish these staff all the best for the 2026 school year and look forward to welcoming them back to NMPS in 2027.

We say farewell to Harrison Arnold and Matilda Bailey who are leaving NMPS to pursue other opportunities. We thank these staff members for their contribution to NMPS and wish them all the very best in their future endeavours.

You can find the 2026 Staffing Profile on the next page of this newsletter.

Baby News

Welcome baby Florence! We send our heartfelt congratulations to Molly and Brock on the safe arrival of baby Florence. Mum and baby are doing extremely well, and the family are soaking up all the firsts as a family of three.

Webpage to help families and students prepare for a new school year

A new school year is an exciting time for students and families, but it can be a big step – particularly for those starting Prep, secondary school or VCE.

The Department of Education has a webpage with resources and information to help you prepare for the new school year.

During the school holidays, please consider reading through the resources, which include:

tips to help transition from kinder to Prep, primary to secondary school, and Year 10 to VCE
what to expect at school
help with school costs and fees
health and wellbeing guidance to support children’s mental health.

Please refer to the New year of learning webpage.

Year 6 Farewell

On Thursday, 18 December, we will farewell our Year 6 students as they take part in their final school celebration—the Year 6 Farewell. Please refer to the information distributed via Compass for further details about the event.

As our students prepare to leave primary school, we recognise that this transition may bring mixed emotions. However, we are confident that during their seven years (or fewer, for some) at North Melbourne Primary School, they have developed independence, resilience, and a strong enthusiasm for learning that will support them as they move into secondary school.

Congratulations, and our very best wishes to the Year 6 students of 2025.

2025 Reports via Compass

Our Semester two reports will be released on Friday the 19th December via Compass. We congratulate all students on their efforts and achievements this year.

Last day of Term 4 – 1:30pm Dismissal

Due to the forecast heat, a few adjustments have been made to Friday’s assembly (refer to Compass post 17th December 2025):

All students from Prep-Year 6 will now begin Friday at our Errol Street campus. Gates will open at 8:45am, with the assembly commencing at 9:05am to allow teachers time to mark their rolls.
Prep-2 families are required to bring their child to the Errol St campus on Friday morning where they will meet their classroom teachers. Prep-2 students and staff will then return to Molesworth St following our assembly.

Please note that due to this change, all students will be dismissed from their usual campus at 1:30pm on Friday:

• Prep–Year 2 students from Molesworth Street.

• Year 3–6 students from Errol Street.

Staff will wait with students for families to collect them given the same finishing time for each campus. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding.

2026 School Return Date

Our students in Year 1 to Year 6 will commence school on Wednesday 28th January 2026 and we will welcome our Prep students to school on Thursday 29th January 2026.

I wish all families a safe, restful, and happy holiday break, and I look forward to welcoming everyone back for another exciting year ahead.