Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to Week 3 of the school year. Most classes have settled really well this year, which we are really pleased about. However, despite interviewing up to 3 possible candidates per week, and offering some of them a position, we have only been able to fill one vacancy. We continue to work closely with a number of agencies and the Department of Education, to find a teacher for the remaining vacancy and hope to have positive news in the very near future.

2025 Staff:

Last newsletter I introduced the teaching staff working with us this year. I am pleased to list the highly professional Education Support Staff, who work in a range of roles within the school:

Admin Staff/Ancillary

Wellbeing Staff

Classroom Support

Classroom Support

Alana Braszell

Cath Barnes

Maria Petrevska

Jane MacDonald

Karen Poulton

Alec Watson

Ravi Kanneganti

Jen Mega

Michelle Brown

Leanne Reddrop

Leah Malia

Rebecca Lawn

Tolley Cacavas

Lauri Owais

Alyce Bagnath

Andrea Garro

Ange Savea

Annabelle Zeballos

Benjamin Rossi

Bronwyn Howard

Jay McEvoy

Krystal McDermott

Maria Robinson

Wes Edlin

Cat Millar

Desiree Savoia

Dominique Garro

Emilee Mowlan

Emma Titley

Ernest Dobson

Leah McDonald

MacKenzie Reddrop

Tracey Caines

Tracey-Lee Stuart

Parent/Teacher “Getting to Know Your Child” Interviews:

We are pleased to provide an opportunity for parents and teachers to meet to help us understand your child and their learning, social and emotional needs better. These are scheduled for Thursday 27th February from 2.00 – 6.30 pm. If you have not received any communication about booking a time or would like help setting up an interview time, please call the office on 9743 5818.

School Council Elections:

Today we opened the nominations for the new School Council, which operated from March 2025 until February 2026. All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally constituted bodies that are given powers to set the broad direction of a school, in accordance with Ministerial Order 1280 Constitution of Government School Councils, and the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. In doing this, a school council may directly influence the quality of education for students. Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills and a range of experiences and knowledge that can help inform and shape the direction of the school. Those parents who become active on a school council find their involvement satisfying and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging. Each member brings their own valuable skills and knowledge to the role, however, in order to successfully perform their duties, councillors may need to gain some new skills and knowledge. If you are interested in joining school council, nominations for the 2025 opened TODAY and close on the 20th February 2025 at 4.00 pm and are available at the front office. If we receive more nominations than vacancies, an election will need to be held. If you are interested in finding out more of what it involves being a School Councillor, please contact the office to make an appointment to see me.

Annual privacy reminder for our school community:

Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy. Please take time to read our school’s collection notice, found on our website Privacy_Collection_Notice (meltonwestps.vic.edu.au). If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Google Suite, please contact the school. For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents Schools' privacy policy (education.vic.gov.au). This information is also available in ten community languages including Dari, Sudanese, Turkish, Urdu and Vietnamese.

Student Information Update:

Early last week, all students would have received a printout of the current information we have about each child. Please read over these carefully, make any alterations as required and return to school. We appreciate you returning them even if there are no changes. This helps us know that your information is still correct. If, AT any time throughout the year, your address, phone number, emergency contact, or any information changes, it is important to let us know as soon as possible so we can contact you as required. If you have not returned your Student Information update yet, please do so as soon as possible, as they are due back by tomorrow.

Uniform Policy:

School Council determines the polices of the school and they have decided that Melton West PS should have a Uniform Policy. My responsibility, as Principal, is to enact the policy and remind students and their families of the expectations around wearing the school uniform. If you require help in providing a uniform for your child/children, we are more than willing to assist. We know the increase in the cost of living is stretching many families budget and we are here to help and support you and your children to be in school uniform. Please contact the school office, if you require financial assistance for uniform. MWPS School Dress Code Policy

Camps, Sports and Excursion Funds (CSEF):

School camps provide children with inspiring experiences in the great outdoors. Excursions encourage a deeper understanding of how the world works while sports teach teamwork, discipline and leadership. All are a part of a healthy curriculum. CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities. If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. A special consideration category also exists for asylum seeker and refugee families. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child. Please see the office if you have any questions or you need to apply for CSEF. Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund | vic.gov.au

High Levels of Learning for All

Michelle Costa

Principal

Extend Before & After School Care