Dear Families,

Term 2: Welcome back to school life for another busy term. I hope families get back into the swing of routines and organisation quickly, so no one misses out on the activities and learning we have planned.

Swimming: Monday saw a flurry of activity with the Year 3 & 4 swimming program beginning. A well planned bus schedule has been put in place to help us move students to and from the pool for their lessons. We appreciate the volunteers that help out on these excursions and please discuss appropriate change room etiquette with your children too as members of the public may be present.

Smile Squad: We welcome Smile Squad to school and hope families have taken up this opportunity to access dental support for the kids.

Pre-Service Teachers (PST’s): Welcome to Will, Hunter and Shayla from Deakin who join us on their teaching rounds. It’s great to see the next wave of educators coming through and we hope they learn a lot from our experienced staff in their time with us.

TheirCare: Just a reminder that we have before and after school care available on site and strongly encourage families to use the program as we approach the cooler and wetter months of the year. Supervision in the school grounds commences at 8.45am -9am and then 3.20-3.35pm. Please ensure the supervision of your children outside of these times.

Mobile Phones & Wearable Technology: Just a reminder that students with a mobile phone or wearable technology can drop them off at the office in the morning and collect them in the afternoon as they leave school. The school accepts no responsibility for lost, stolen or damaged mobile phones/smart watches. This relates to phones at school or whilst travelling to or from school or on any excursions or camps. If staff see students with phones in the school grounds, students will be instructed to take the phone to the office or put in their school bags until they are off site. We appreciate your support and cooperation in this.

Lunchtime Karaoke: Today we had a number of entrants in the karaoke competition. There may have even been a Staff vs Students. Thanks to the Performing Arts team who have volunteered to put this on during lunch time today. Congrats to all participants too. Very brave of you!

ANZAC Day assembly: Friday at 9.15am, Mrs H and some students from across the school will be conducting a special ANZAC Day commemoration. We invite the community to attend this assembly in the gym. Our regular assemblies will be in Weeks 2, 5 & 9 of Term 2.

Saturday – Anzac Day: We would like to inform you that our students have the opportunity to participate in the local ANZAC Day March this Saturday. Participation is optional; however, our school has proudly taken part in this event each year and we encourage students to be involved if they are able. All participating students will need to wear their full school uniform and meet Kristy Dodds (Year 6 Teacher) at 9:30am, outside Coles on The Terrace. The ANZAC March will commence at 9:45am and conclude at the Ocean Grove Park, where students will need to be collected by their parents/guardians prior to the 10am formal ANZAC Ceremony.

Mother's/Special Person's Day Stall: We’re excited to bring back our much-loved Mother’s & Special Person’s Stall.

To make this event a success, we rely on the help of volunteers. We would especially love support from dads, partners, and any non-mums who are available to lend a hand and give our mums a well-deserved break on this one. volunteersignup.org/MD4JQ . See further in the newsletter for more information.

Year 5 Camp: Please keep an eye on forms and information about camp over the next two weeks. Lady Northcote is an absolute highlight of Year 5 and we want all students to be safe and have a great time. There will be documentation discussed with students at school and sent home for families to review and sign too.

Dogs in school Grounds: Thanks to families who walk their dogs to school and ‘park’ them outside the grounds. We appreciate your cooperation in this. If you happen to walk your dog around the playground out of school hours, please ensure you have a doggie bag with you as we have had some unfortunate events with students stepping in… you know what!

Thanks for a great start of the term!

Scott McCumber

Principal