Principal Report

Principal Report

Here we are in Week 6 of the term, with lots to celebrate and lots to look forward to!

New Senior Playground

After a trial by our Grade 6 students during last Friday’s lunch, the new playground was officially opened with some help from our Grade 4 students on Monday morning at 10am. The new playground was designed in consultation with our students, through work by the JSC, and generously funded through our fundraising efforts over the past few years, including last year’s very successful fete.

Being the senior playground, the area will be able to be used by any of our Grade 3-6 students during break times for the remainder of Term 3. All classes, including Prep-Year 2, will be able to have a turn during class time over the next few weeks. We are asking families to be mindful that it has been made for taller kids, and that all children stay safe and not climb on top of the monkey bars or slide cover.

Literary Lights

On Wednesday, August 16th (yesterday), our school was transformed into a winter/story time wonderland! It was lovely to see the students sharing their well-crafted narratives with their family and friends. The event has always been a community favourite, and it was great to be able to hold it again for the first time since pre-covid. A big congratulations on the work that all the students and teachers have put into ensuring that each student got to be a published author for this event - we are certainly in awe at all of the amazing authors and illustrators we have at this school! 

A big thanks to the English Key Learning Team (KLT) for coordinating this event and to the parents and family members that were able to attend during the afternoon.

Book Week 

Book Week is celebrated in schools and libraries throughout Victoria next week, including Newport Lakes Primary School. There will be a celebration of books and reading throughout the week including special Library classes, ‘Book of the Year’ announcements, authors visits, the Book Fair and the dress up ‘Book Character Parade’. The parade will be conducted next Wednesday, 23rd August, beginning at 9.05-9.10am on the school’s oval. 

Children are encouraged to come along dressed as a favourite character from a children’s book. The time and effort placed into your child’s costume is totally up to each family. Parents are most welcome to come along and watch the parade on the Wednesday morning.

In regards to recording/videoing the parade, a gentle reminder that our school policy ‘Photographing, Filming and Recording Students’, as directed by the Department of Education, states:

NLPS endeavours to respect the privacy of all members of our school community and formally requests that parents/carers, students and invited guests do not photograph, film or record school performances, sporting events, excursions and other school-approved activities, besides images of their own children.

A full copy of the policy is attached below, on our website and hard copies are available from the office on request.

School Dental Program - Smile Squad

In the coming days your child will receive a Smile Squad dental pack. The pack includes all the tools your child needs for good oral health – a full sized tube of toothpaste,  a toothbrush and a brochure full of helpful hints and tips for a healthy smile.  

Smile Squad is a Victorian Government program that provides free dental care to all primary, secondary and specialist school students enrolled in government schools across Victoria. Smile Squad will be visiting our school in the future but are not ready just yet.  For more information on the program, you can visit the Smile Squad website at: www.smilesquad.vic.gov.au

Parent Opinion Survey 

Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents/caregivers/guardians think of our school. The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behavior, and student engagement. 

A random sample of approximately 30 per cent of parents/caregivers/guardians have been selected to participate in this year’s survey, and these families have been emailed directly. The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey will be open up until September 8th. 

The survey is conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include Arabic, Vietnamese, Simplified Chinese, Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek. The survey results will be communicated to School Council and the parents/caregivers/guardians through annual reporting. 

Thank you in advance for your time and thoughts.

Lunch Orders - Now available on Monday's

This week launched the trial for the remainder of Term 3 of having lunch orders available on both a Monday and Thursday. The first day went off without a hitch and has had a strong response by families. A final decision of whether to extend the trial will be made later in the term. If parents have any feedback, please send it to the school email.

Lunch orders can be ordered from KingWill Catering by 8:00am each Monday or Thursday. Jo & Nicole are happy to answer any questions/issues you have, call them on:

Jo -  0402 781 496  or   Nicole - 0409 115 944

Oder via the Qkr! App on Apple or Android

After School Pick Up

Unfortunately, we have had some issues with unaccounted for students in the period straight after school recently, across many year levels.  We would ask that families ensure that your child is aware of what is happening after school and who they are going home with/how they are getting home. We have had students make their own way home or even head home with a friend without letting the relevant people know (e.g. their parents or after school care). If your child is unsure, or you come across another child in the yard who is unsure, please encourage them to go to after school yard duty teacher and/or the office. 

Thank you for your support. 

I hope you all have a great week!

Carly Bannon

Acting Principal