Principal's Message

Principal's Message

Welcome back to Term 4. A reminder that school returns on Monday, October 7 at 9am. Please make note that daylights savings kicks in this weekend so your children will need to be out and about earlier than usual (according to the sun). 

I am getting over the heartbreak of my beloved Cats being beaten in the AFL finals. It usually takes me about a decade to get over such defeats. 

Please dig out those sunsmart hats with your child's name and grade written clearly on the brim or the inside rim. Hats are the most 'lost' item in the school as they are so easy to take off and misplace. To save you time, money and frustration, it is best to have clearly labelled your child's hat. It also saves the classroom teacher's time when names are easy to spot. Further, it is easy to locate in the lost property when you have to burrow through the million and one other hats that accumulate there. Remember, we have a 'no hat, no play' (in the sun) policy. If your child does not have a hat, they have to play in the shade - and many find that frustrating. 

We have about an eleven week term and it goes like lightning. Remember that school finishes for all children on Thursday, December 19 so plan ahead for that. Our last assembly will be on Wednesday, December 18. 

I am really looking forward to this term and hope you are too. It will be exciting to see your children (and you) walk into the grounds on Monday morning. 

Student Placement into 2025 Classes Process

• In the first few weeks of Term 4, staff will place students into draft 2025 classes. 
• Teachers have not yet been allocated to grades, and the teacher placement process will occur later in the term when we know all staff intentions for the new year. 
• It is not possible for parents to 'name their child's new teacher' and this is not an opportunity to do so. We have full confidence in our staff, and we expect only small tweaks of feedback from families regarding the placement of their child.
• As one of our values is 'Community', this process offers the chance for parents to put forward their perspective if they feel valuable information needs to be considered during the class placement process.
• The school understands there is sometimes valuable feedback to be shared when teachers are placing students into new classes. This information should pertain to academic and wellbeing outcomes for the child and not merely based on a 'preference for a teacher'. In the past years, our families have been wonderful around this point.
• A time window opening from Monday, October 14 and closing at 3.30pm on Friday, October 18 will be available for the Principal to receive any parent feedback about their child's placement that is relevant to education and wellbeing. 
• This feedback may guide us in our placement decisions, but no promises can be made. 
• The feedback will only be accepted in writing to the school's email address (south.melbourne.ps@education.vic.gov.au). You will receive an email 'receipt' of us receiving your email. Should you not receive this receipt, please contact the school as we may have not received it.
• No verbal or other submissions will be considered. 
• Emails should be addressed with the subject line: "Attention Mr. Noel"
• It is important that parents understand that feedback offered outside this time window will not be accepted, except for exceptional circumstances. We thank you for your support in this process. 
• Please note that whilst your email will be officially acknowledged as being received, the outcome of your child's placement will occur using the same process and timeline as all other children. This is in keeping with the spirit of fairness for all. 
• It is relevant for parents to alert us to any issues with relatives (e.g. cousins in the same year level) as we will not necessarily associate students via surname. 
• If you have made requests previously, please do not assume we will have a corporate memory of them in placing the students. You would need to mention issues raised in previous times via a new email.

As always, thanks for your time and understanding.