Message from Principal Sarah

Welcome back to Term 2! 

I hope all families had an opportunity to relax and enjoy the holidays.

Term Learning Overviews

Teachers are currently in the process of updating the termly overviews on our website. Please take a moment over the next couple of weeks to view some of the upcoming learning opportunities and events for each year's level and specialist subjects. 

Welcome to NMPS

As you know this term, we welcome new staff to NMPS. Please feel free to call in and say ‘hello’ to welcome our new staff to NMPS.  They are: 

Karen Li – 1D

Trent Klowss – 2C

Kaajal Patel – 2E

Moira Peddie – 3C

Josie Jones – 6D

Tess Vu (replacing Jane for the term) – 6B

Beth Wakefield – Integration Aide

Lauren Cariss – Wellbeing

ANZAC Day 

To commemorate the National Day of Remembrance we held a whole school assembly conducted by our student leaders on Friday 29th April. Classes also engaged in learning activities designed to educate students on the history and significance of ANZAC Day throughout last week.

Special Person’s Stall to celebrate Mother’s Day

To celebrate Mother’s Day, students are invited to attend our Plant Stall and choose from a selection of plants, bulbs, and seeds to give to a special person in their life. Please check out the Parents and Friends page in this newsletter for more information.

New Campus Update - Campus making great strides

Works during Term 1 saw all foundations laid for the main campus building structure and the gymnasium. Concrete slabs have been poured for lower ground, upper ground, level 1, and level 2, with electrical and plumbing trade work underway in the lower ground area. Precast panel installation for the level 2 to level 3 core is complete. This will be followed by the installation of the panels for the level 3 to level 4 core for the stairs and lift. In early April, the remaining steel structure for the gymnasium is on track to be installed. The concrete slabs for level 3 and level 4 are expected to be formed and poured. We look forward to bringing you further updates during Term 2.

COVIDSafe Measures for Term 2 (as published on Compass)

The Victorian Government has announced some important changes to COVIDSafe measures for schools that will apply from the start of Term 2.

Face masks

From 11:59 pm Friday 22 April, face masks, while recommended, are not required in any school setting. This means students in Years 3 to 6, staff, and visitors in primary schools are no longer required to wear face masks. Any student or staff member who wishes to wear a mask may do so, including those who are medically at-risk.

Screening requirements

Students who have tested positive for COVID-19, and have completed their 7-day isolation period, now do not need to undertake rapid antigen test (RAT) screening for 12 weeks after their release from isolation. This was previously 8 weeks.

Household contacts

Students who are household contacts of a COVID-19 case are not required to quarantine. They may return to school as long as they undertake rapid antigen tests (RAT) 5 times during their 7-day period. You are required to notify the school that they are a household contact.Students aged 8 years and above who are household contacts are required to wear face masks when indoors at school unless they have a valid exemption. If a student household contact returns a positive RAT result, they must isolate for 7 days.

Vaccination requirements for visitors to schools 

Parents, carers, and other adult visitors (not performing work) are no longer required to show evidence of two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.

RAT screening program reminder

RATs will continue to be supplied for the first four weeks of Term 2 to support the early detection of COVID-19 in our school. 

The testing recommendations for staff and students to test at home twice a week will remain the same this term.

As we approach winter and flu season, the vaccination of children aged 5 to 11 and booster shots for students 16+ remains the best way to ensure protection for students and staff. 

If you have any concerns about getting your child vaccinated, please get in contact with your GP or another health professional who can answer your questions.