Principal's Report

REMINDER: Melbourne Cup – Public Holiday – Tuesday 5th November 

Students and staff are not at school on this day.

Classes for 2024

Soon, we will start organising grades for next year. If you have any information you would like to pass on to me regarding your child which may be of benefit when placing your child, please communicate this to me in writing by Friday 8th November. Place your information in a sealed envelope marked “Principal” and hand into the office.

Please note that this is not about requesting a specific teacher it is for providing us with information to best place your child for the 2025 school year.  

Staff Data

Congratulations to our dedicated and hard-working staff on the outstanding results in the staff survey. This year there were many indicators that were very high, exceeding both similar and state school results.

• Collective focus on student learning 98%
• Collective responsibility 99%
• The data indicates that our teachers are very collaborative and work well together. This has been instrumental in achieving success for your children. Well done to all staff at our school!!

Secondary School Students and Siblings

Thank you to the siblings who are now waiting at the front of the school for their younger brothers and sisters. There are different bench seats at the front of the school where they can wait.

However, we still do have some siblings and their friends coming into the school trying to play basketball and walking around the yard. Teachers will continue to direct them to the front of the school.

Also, can I remind all adults coming into the school at any time that they should not be using the school toilets, particularly the student toilets. Please come to the office and we will be happy to direct you to a staff toilet if needed. 

We have a supportive and safe environment for our students and a connected community here at Deer Park West and we want to make sure that everyone feels safe.

Safe Driving Around Our School 

Considering the recent tragedy at Auburn South Primary School, where one student was killed, and several were injured after being hit by a car during school pickup time, I am urging our families to ensure that they slow down, think and drive safely around our school to ensure that our students do not become victims of a similar accident.

This tragedy is a reminder how fragile life can be and the driving decisions you make when dropping and picking your children up from school can have devastating consequences.

My staff and I have witnessed dangerous driving behaviours by some parents, extended family and community members including:

• Performing U-turns in congested areas including in front of the school on Quinn Street and near the school crossing
• Double parking and encouraging their children to walk between parked cars
• Parking in our designated Drop Off Zone on Quinn Street which then prohibits other families being able to drop their children off safely
• Speeding in the 40km/h School Zones

I appreciate that people are busy, but this is not an excuse for dangerous driving and parking behaviours around our school.  There is a large parking area near the Kindergarten and along many streets around our school, so please take the little bit of extra time to keep everyone safe. 

Keep in mind the following:

DROP OFF and PICK UP ZONE – Quinn Street 

In the morning and afternoon, you can only stop your car for a maximum of 2 minutes, and you cannot leave your car. 

NO DOUBLE PARKING

Please do not double park to let your children out of the car or to pick them up. It is extremely unsafe for the children to walk between parked cars, as drivers cannot see them. Double parking also stops the traffic flow of the roads and there is potential for cars to run into each other. 

NO U TURNS

Doing a U-turn outside the school on Quinn Street is dangerous and holds up the traffic. Please drive around the block or turn into Adeline Street to the car park near the Kindergarten to turn around if needed. This includes pulling into driveways to turn around as this can be dangerous with so many children and families walking on the footpaths and also stops traffic when reversing out. 

Driving dangerously can also be expensive for families. We recently had a parking inspector attend our school, and I am aware that several parents have received fines for not parking legally and for driving in an unsafe manner. 

Let’s all work together to keep all our students and their families safe. 

Thank you.

World Teachers Day 2024

Celebrating our dedicated and skilled teachers on World Teachers Day. Thank you for everything you do to educate and support our students and their families.

Happy Diwali

Kindest regards, 

Senka King

Principal