Principal's Report 

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to the final newsletter for 2023. We have had a great year, but are looking forward to the holidays, to rest, recharge and spend time with family and friends. I would like to start by wishing you and your family and very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and look forward to continuing our partnership in 2024.

Today we will hold two assemblies. One at 9.00 am to farewell our staff that are moving on to new opportunities. We will also gather at the end of the day to farewell our Year 6s as they sing their Graduation Song before being farewelled. We have the following staff leaving at the end of year and wish them all the best in their new endeavours:

• Ms Aira Agarano
• Ms Tina Stamoulis
• Mr Steve Thomas
• Ms Rebecca Mills
• Ms Pancham Saini
• Ms Sabrina Zhu
• Mr Neil Armstrong
• Ms Charmie Cook

Mrs Cliffe will be starting maternity leave at the end of December, and we wish her and Mr Cliffe all the best with the arrival of their new baby. I will share news of this at the start of next year.

A special farewell for Mrs O’Connor is required as she is retiring from the workforce today. She has had a long career in education and has made a great contribution to all students at Melton West PS. Jenny has had lots of experience over her time as a teacher, including a year in Canada with her family. She knows how cold it can get, yet the students still go out to play when its snowing. I would like to personally thank Jenny for her work as the Assistant Principal at Melton West. She is ever reliable, committed and no task is too hard. She supported me in my leadership and has become a good friend. Enjoy your time travelling, golfing and living your life to the fullest!

2024 Staff: 

2024 Class Structure: In 2024, we will be forming composite classes for Years 1/2, 3/4 and 5/6 due to the number of students in each cohort. This arrangement allows for a more even spread of class sizes across the class group. In terms of the learning opportunities within the classroom, this should not differ. When teachers use data, including observations, and provide work and learning opportunities at their point of need, students are better catered for. 

New Staff: As a group of teachers leave, we take the opportunity to welcome new staff to our school. The following will be joining us in 2024, with many taking the opportunity to meet with their 2024 team last week. 

• Alison Attard
• Maria Costa (no relation)
• Brenton Proctor
• Rebecca Warren

Meet the Teacher: Today students met the teacher they will be having in 2024. They will bring home a note detailing the name of the teacher and the room number. Unfortunately, have not confirmed two teachers at this stage. We had offered 2 teachers positions earlier this term, but their circumstances changed, and they could no longer accept the position. We interviewed a teacher yesterday and contacted another overnight so we feel confident that we will have teachers at the start of the year. If your child is in a class without a teacher yet and you feel they would benefit from meeting the teacher before the first day please contact us on 97435818 or email melton.west.ps@education.vic.gov.au and we can arrange a time on the 29th or 30th of January before school begins. Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding around the difficulties we are facing being fully staffed. 

Little Angler Kits: The Victorian Government committed $1.5 million at the 2022 State election to provide more than 60,000 primary school aged children with Little Angler kits that will include a fishing rod, tackle tray, some tackle and a kids guide to fishing. Economies of scale resulted in 95,000 Little Angler kits being purchased, which will be provided to primary school aged children via their schools, exceeding the Victorian Government’s commitment. The aim of this commitment is to continue to grow recreational fishing participation in Victoria, by actively encouraging primary school aged children to learn more about the art of fishing, marine life and the natural environment. I have just been notified that due to shipping delays, they will not be delivered to the 3rd round of schools, which includes us, until next year. We will hand thee to the Year 6 cohort early in 2024.Please see link for questions and answers about this initiative and let me know if you have any questions. Little Angler Kits - VFA

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Cheers

Michelle Costa

Principal