Principal's Address

Dear Deanside Families,

We are now in Week 6 of Term 3 — where has the year gone?!

It is hard to believe how quickly the year is moving. There are still so many exciting events, activities and learning opportunities planned for our students and community over the coming months, and I look forward to seeing these come to life across the school.

While we continue to focus on making the most of Term 3 and supporting our students in their learning and wellbeing, my attention has also increasingly shifted towards planning for 2027.

As a growing school, preparing for the year ahead involves considerable planning across enrolments, staffing, facilities, classrooms, timetabling and the many operational considerations that come with supporting a rapidly growing school community. There is certainly plenty happening behind the scenes as we work to ensure we are well prepared for another exciting year at Deanside Primary School.

2027 Prep Enrolments

If you have a child who will turn 5 years of age by 30 April 2027 and you live within the Deanside Primary School zone - https://www.findmyschool.vic.gov.au/#school=1557801 , we encourage you to submit your enrolment application as soon as possible.

As a growing school, we are already planning for 2027, including recruiting teachers and determining class structures and staffing requirements. Having accurate enrolment information as early as possible helps us plan effectively and ensure we have the appropriate resources and facilities in place to support our students and families from the beginning of the school year.

If you know your child will be commencing Foundation at Deanside Primary School in 2027, we kindly ask that you don't wait until later in the year to complete their enrolment. Early enrolment makes a significant difference to our ability to plan confidently for the year ahead.

We look forward to welcoming our new Foundation students and their families to Deanside Primary School in 2027.

Student Collection Process — Term 3

Thank you to all our families for the way you have embraced our new student collection and identification processes throughout Term 3.

As our school continues to grow, we have more students, families and staff accessing the front office each day. It is therefore essential that we have a consistent process that allows us to confidently verify the identity of the person collecting a student and ensure that every child is released only to a parent, carer or authorised person.

The process is:

* Photo identification must be presented when collecting a student from the front office.

* Identification can include a driver’s licence, passport, ImmiCard, proof of age card, Australian Student ID, security licence, Defence Force ID or other Australian Government-issued photo ID.

* Families should ensure their emergency contacts are current and accurately reflect the people authorised to collect their child.

* If someone who is not listed as an emergency contact needs to collect your child, a parent or carer must email the school office in advance, providing the full name of the person collecting.

* The nominated person must then present valid photo identification on arrival, which will be checked against the information provided by the parent or carer.

* If appropriate identification cannot be provided, or the required prior notification has not been received, the school will not be able to release the student.

Collecting Students During Recess and Lunch

We are also experiencing an increase in parents and carers arriving to collect students during school break times. While we understand that there are occasions when this is unavoidable, we ask families to be mindful that student collection during recess and lunch can be particularly difficult for staff to facilitate.

Our current break times are:

Recess: 11:00am–11:30am

Lunch: 1:30pm–2:30pm

During these times, students are spread throughout the school grounds and are not generally in their classrooms. As a result, it can take additional time for office staff to locate a student and have them brought to the front office.

It can also be difficult to arrange for students to collect their school bags, lunchboxes or other personal belongings, as these items may remain inside classrooms or learning areas that are not readily accessible while classes are operating.

We therefore ask that, wherever possible, families avoid arranging student collections during recess and lunch times. If you know that your child will need to be collected during a break, providing the office with advance notice will allow staff, where possible, to make arrangements for the student and their belongings before the break commences.

We appreciate your understanding that our office staff cannot always immediately access a classroom or locate a student who is outside participating in their scheduled break. This is particularly important as our school continues to grow and staff are managing a large number of student movements and enquiries throughout the day.

Why Is This Process Important?

While these steps may sometimes feel like an additional requirement, they are an important part of our commitment to Child Safe Standards and the safety and wellbeing of every student.

With the continued growth of our school, it is not reasonable to expect every staff member to personally know every parent, carer or authorised collector. A consistent identification process provides an additional safeguard and ensures that our procedures remain reliable regardless of which staff member is working at the office.

The process also provides clarity for families. By ensuring that emergency contacts are current and that the school is notified in advance when an alternative person is collecting a student, we can minimise delays and ensure that the appropriate checks are completed before a child leaves our care.

We greatly appreciate the way our families have supported these changes and understand that new procedures take time to become routine. Your cooperation, patience and willingness to follow the process make an important contribution to keeping our students safe.

Thank you for working with us to ensure that every student is safely and appropriately accounted for when leaving our care.

Attendance, Wellbeing and Being Ready to Learn

A strong connection between attendance, wellbeing and learning continues to be an important focus for our school.

Every day at school provides students with opportunities to learn, build friendships, participate in classroom experiences and develop the confidence and skills they need for the future.

Just as important as attending school each day is arriving on time and being ready to learn from the beginning of the school day. Establishing the routine of being punctual helps students develop lifelong habits of responsibility, organisation and preparedness — important skills that extend well beyond their primary school years.

When students regularly arrive late, they can miss important instructions, learning experiences and classroom routines that set them up for the rest of the day. We also recognise that some students can feel uncomfortable or embarrassed when they frequently arrive after their classmates and have to enter an already-established lesson.

We understand that there are times when children are unwell or families face circumstances that impact attendance. However, where possible, we encourage all families to make regular attendance and punctuality a priority.

Being at school each day, arriving on time, feeling connected and being ready to learn gives every student the greatest opportunity to experience success.

We will continue to work closely with families to support student wellbeing, engagement, attendance and punctuality, ensuring every child feels safe, valued and connected to Deanside Primary School.

Fast Food Lunch Drop-Off

This is a friendly reminder that we do not accept fast food lunch drop-offs at school, and we encourage families not to pack fast food in lunch boxes. This includes McDonald’s, KFC and Hungry Jack’s.

We also do not accept Uber Eats or any other food delivery service.

If you need to drop off a lunch, please ensure that this is done prior to 1:30pm. Where possible, we encourage families to provide a packed lunch from home.

If you are yet to download the school canteen app, it is called **Flexischools** and provides families with the ability to order food directly from their phone.

Book Week Dress-Up Day — Monday 24 August

A reminder that our Book Week Dress-Up Day is coming up on Monday 24 August!

We encourage all students to participate by coming to school dressed as a character from their favourite book. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to express their love of reading, celebrate their favourite stories and share their enthusiasm for books with classmates and teachers.

Book Week is a special time to celebrate the joy of reading and foster a lifelong love of books and stories in our students. We look forward to seeing our school community come together and the creativity and imagination of our students on display.

SunSmart Hats — A Reminder for Families

As we move into the warmer months, we would like to remind families of the importance of SunSmart practices at school. In line with Department of Education requirements and our school’s SunSmart Policy, all students are required to wear a navy blue SunSmart hat whenever they are outdoors for the remainder of the year.

Why is a SunSmart hat important?

Regular exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause skin damage and increase the risk of skin cancer. Wearing a broad-brimmed SunSmart hat is an important part of protecting students from the sun while they participate in outdoor learning, play and activities.

What families need to know:

Hats are required: Students must wear a navy blue SunSmart hat during recess, lunch and all outdoor activities.

No hat, play in the shade: Students who do not have a hat will be required to remain in designated shaded areas during outdoor play.

Where to purchase: School SunSmart hats are available from the Front Office for $21.50 or from our uniform provider:

Unit 2, 51-53 Westwood Drive, Ravenhall VIC 3023

(03) 9768 0342

Trading Hours

Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm

Saturday 10am - 1pm  

Sunday Closed

We appreciate the support of our families in ensuring students come to school prepared with their SunSmart hat each day. Together, we can help our students develop healthy sun-safety habits and stay safe while enjoying the outdoors.

Thank you for your continued partnership with Deanside Primary School.

Our school values remain central to everything we do. We encourage all members of our community to continue demonstrating Respect, Responsibility, Excellence and Care in all interactions and learning experiences.

Kind regards,

Stuart Telford

Principal