Hi Solway Community,

Parents Morning Tea

Thank you to the parents who joined me for morning tea on Tuesday. I genuinely value the opportunity to sit together, hear your perspectives and discuss how we can continue to make our school even better. The feedback was thoughtful and constructive, and it reinforces the strength of our partnership with families. We will continue to hold these informal morning teas throughout the year. Our next session will be on Tuesday 31 March at 9:15am. I look forward to welcoming more parents along for a conversation.

Getting to Know You Interviews

Thank you to the many families who attended our recent Getting to Know You interviews. These early conversations are an important connection point between home and school. They allow teachers to understand each child more deeply and ensure learning is responsive from the outset. I would also like to acknowledge our staff for the care and professionalism they bring to these meetings. Their dedication to building strong, positive relationships with students and families underpins the learning culture we value at Solway Primary.

School Council

At our recent meeting we acknowledged the contribution of our outgoing School Council members, Deb Brown, Tim McLennan and Dan Skanthalingam. Serving on Council requires time, thoughtful consideration and a genuine commitment to the broader school community. I would like to sincerely thank each member for their contribution and support of the school. Your work behind the scenes has made a meaningful difference to our school community.

2025 Yearbook Update

We are still awaiting delivery of the 2025 Yearbook. I apologise for the delay. We made the decision to change suppliers and have experienced some challenges in communication around timelines and design. I will keep the community updated as soon as we have a confirmed arrival date.

Looking ahead, we are keen to begin work early on the 2026 Yearbook. If there are parents in our community with an interest in helping curate, design or coordinate this project, I would be very pleased to hear from you. Our teachers already contribute significantly beyond their classrooms, and if this is one task we can ease for them, that would be greatly appreciated.

WhatsApp Groups

While class WhatsApp groups are not an official school communication channel, we recognise the important role they play in keeping families connected and informed. To support this, I have included our WhatsApp Guidelines later in the newsletter for your reference. I ask that all members continue to use these groups respectfully, constructively and in a way that reflects our school values. A particular reminder that if you are sharing photos of students, you must have permission from their parents before posting. Respecting privacy is an important responsibility we all share as a community.

Staffing Update

Our Business Manager, Victoria Bonicelli has recently accepted a position at Rowville Primary School. We thank her for her contribution and support of the Solway community and wish her every success in her new role. If you have any financial queries during this time, please contact the office and we will assist where possible. We appreciate your patience as we undertake the recruitment process to appoint a new Business Manager.

Thank you for your continued support and lets all strive to be “our best always”.

David Rosser

Bendigo Bank