As we approach the end of the 2025 school year, I would like to thank you all for your ongoing support. Whether through School Council, community events, working bees, helping in classrooms, or attending camps and excursions, your involvement makes a real difference.

We are grateful for everything you do to support your children and our staff at Northcote Primary School, thank you.

Final Assembly

On Friday the 19th of December at 9am, we will hold our final whole-school assembly on the top turf to bid farewell to our Year 6 students. We have a special tradition here at Northcote which has been carefully prepared to give them a proper send off.

As part of the celebration, our current Year 6 House Captains will be announcing who will be taking over the mantle for 2026.

For parents and families attending, the Henry Street and Hawthorn Road gates will open at 8:45am for entry. The weather forecast looks promising, it is looking like it could be warm, so we kindly ask that all visitors are sun smart.

Announcing our 2025 Teaching Teams

We are very pleased to announce our Teaching Teams for the 2025 school year.

To help you find where everyone will be based next year, I’ve included a map of the school.If you’ve ever tried to make sense of an apartment listing with a mysterious car park diagram, this will feel oddly familiar. Just a heads up though. The Block and Uptown appear on the map, but not quite where they exist in real life.

2026 Meet & Greet and Welcome Picnic

Our Meet & Greet parent teacher conferences and Welcome Picnic will be happening in Week 2. Please mark Tuesday, February 3rd in your calendar!

The Meet & Greet conferences at the start of the year provide an opportunity for parents to share valuable insights about their child, which will help guide the teacher’s approach.

We recognise that families have different needs; some simply want to meet the teacher and put a face to a name, while others may have more specific information they wish to share. If you don’t require a sit-down meeting, there’s no need to book a time. You are welcome to say hello to your child’s new teacher at the Welcome Picnic, which will take place from 5pm to 7pm on Tuesday 3rd February 2026.

To accommodate everyone and ensure a smooth start to the school year, we’re making the following adjustments:

Student dismissal: Students will be dismissed at 12pm on Tuesday the 3rd of February so that interviews can begin at 12:30pm. OSH will be available on the day, and we will make arrangements to supervise children who need to stay at school for the day.
Booking interviews: Parents can book a 10-minute timeslot via Compass. We will send out information for booking during the week of January 19th, 2026, so please keep an eye out for that Compass communication.
If you need flexible options to attend a conference, please reach out to your child’s teacher early in the year, and we will work with you to accommodate your needs.

Mid-Year interviews will remain unchanged and will take place in Term 3 on July 29th, 2026, from 12:30pm to 7pm. It’s a little early, but please add this date to your calendar as well!

Just a reminder, each year our classroom teachers complete a thorough handover to ensure important information is shared to support your child as they transition to the next year level. You will also have opportunities to book meetings with your child’s teacher throughout the year as needed.

Save the Dates for 2026

We have been working hard to update key dates section of the newsletter and the calendar on our website.

Please be sure to check these for upcoming events in 2026.

Here are some important dates to note:

We will send out a Compass post during the week of Monday, January 19th, 2026, which will include details about the 2026 Parent Payment Arrangement (PPA) and instructions for booking a Meet and greet and our welcome picnic.
School Photo Day is scheduled for Tuesday 3 March 2026.
And, of course, our fete is confirmed for Saturday, March 21st, from 11am to 4pm. It’s hard to believe, but that means we have less than 100 days to go!

We are still looking for volunteers for the fete. Please remember, in line with the Victorian Government's Child Safe Standards, all fete volunteers are required to have a Working with Children Check. If you haven’t completed this already, it’s a quick, 15-minute process that can be done from your phone.

Parent Payment Arrangement

The 2026 Parent payment arrangement was approved by school council last night the cost of the 2026 PPA will be unchanged from this year.

This will be visible to all families in Compass during the week of 19th January 2026.

Student Dress Code Policy

The student dress code policy was updated and approved by school council and there will be more information about this at the start of the school year. The policy will be updated on the school's website at the commencement of the school year.

Please note, our Dress Code Policy has been updated to clarify expectations around appropriate footwear. From the beginning of 2026 Crocs will no longer be considered acceptable school footwear.

Works happening over the holidays

As we head into the holidays, I wanted to share an update on the improvement works scheduled for the school. Over the break we have a number of projects planned that will help us start the new year with refreshed spaces and new learning opportunities.

The perimeter fence will be fully replaced with a new black powder coated cyclone fence. A Gaga pit is scheduled for installation on Monday the 2nd of February. An outdoor xylophone will be added to the front garden as a new musical feature for students to enjoy. Ten new wicking garden beds will be installed and will be ready for vegetable planting as classes settle into the school year. The classrooms in the hall will receive a fresh coat of paint and several external doors around the hall building will be replaced. The chicken coop has also been completed and we look forward to welcoming chickens early in the new year.

Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable break over the school holidays. I hope you find time to rest, spend time with family and travel safely if you are heading away. I look forward to welcoming everyone back on the 28th of January.

Take care,

Shaun

Meet our 2026 Class Teams