Principal Report

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are quickly coming to the end of year, with lots happening including Step-Up Day. Step-Up Day will be on Tuesday 7th of December and is an opportunity for students to spend a day transitioning to their new year level for the day. They will experience what it is like with a new group of students and hear about the year ahead. The allocation of teachers to classes has yet to be made, although we are acutely aware that this time of year, with change and uncertainty can be difficult for some children and their families. We are aware of these individuals and as soon as teachers are allocated to a class, we will start an additional transition process for these children. All other children will get to meet their teacher on Thursday 16th December from 9.15 am – 11 am. Your child should receive a note on that day outlining their teacher’s name and the classroom they will be in. All children resume school in 2022 on Monday 31st January 2022.

Assembly on Last Day: With Covid-19 restrictions lifting a bit more, we have decided that an outdoor assembly on the last day, with parents present would be a perfect way to finish 2021. We would like to invite parents to attend this assembly on Friday 17th DECEMBER from 1.15pm. Please remember we will require all adults to socially distance and masks for adults will be required. The gates will be open from 1.10pm. We hope you can join us.

Prep 2022 Orientation: During the past few weeks we have welcomed small groups of our 2022 Preps on-site. It is terrific that they are able to experience this transition as normally as possible. Unfortunately, the parents have not been able to stay on-site. However, for the final Orientation Session on Wednesday 8th December from 10.00 – 11.00, when the students are meeting their teacher, the parents will have an opportunity to hear from Jenny and I and have any questions answered. This will take place in the Gym and any parents coming on-site will need to show proof that they are fully vaccinated. 

Year 7 Orientation: We are also pleased that our year 6s will be able to participate in the Year 7 Transition Program at the secondary school they will go to next year. All year 6 students attending government schools will have the opportunity to spend most of Tuesday 8th December at the secondary school in which they are enrolled. We wish them all the best as they enter their next phase of formal learning.

Grade 6 Graduation: Next Thursday 9th December we are holding the Year 6 Graduation in our Gym. The children will arrive first and have a sit-down meal with the staff, then parents will arrive a little later for the presentation ceremony. All parents who are attending the ceremony will need to be fully vaccinated. Proof of vaccination will be required on entry.

Camp: From Monday 14th December to Wednesday 16th December the Grade 5/6 students have the opportunity to go to the Summit Camp. This has been postponed since last year when the Year 5/6s were scheduled to go to Canberra. It turns out it is a lovely way to celebrate the end of the year – I’m sure they’ll have a memorable experience. Thank-you to the teachers giving up their time at such a busy time of the year to support this being able to go ahead.

Speaking to Other Children: At times I know some parents feel the need to talk to a child who may be upsetting their own child, with the intention of helping to ease the situation. This is NOT an acceptable practice at any school, including Melton West PS. If you have any concerns about another child, please ensure you speak to your child’s teacher who can follow up and address the situation. It can be very frightening for a child to feel they are getting reprimanded by an adult other than their parent or a teacher. If you have any concerns or feel the situation is not being resolved with the class teacher, please make an appointment to see Mrs O’Connor Assistant Principal or myself. We are committed to working together to resolve all issues brought to our attention.

Discord App: It has come to my attention that an App called Discord allows for interactions between people, usually around online gaming. Please be aware, as with most social media, the age children should be accessing these sorts of things is 13 years old. Please chat to your child if you have any questions or visit the eSafety website for further information https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

Parking in Neighbours Driveways: Please be aware that it is not okay to park in our neighbours driveways at any time, even if it for a short time to drop off your child. Our neighbours need to be able to access their properties whenever they need to and some are finding it difficult to get to work on time due to cars parked in their driveway or blocking their driveway entrance. Please show them the courteous you would expect if you lived in close proximity to a school. 

Parking: Please be mindful of the safety implications when parking around the school. Too many times I have witnessed or heard about near misses, including using the bin area to turn around or drop children off. I also have notice people stop outside the front of the school, in the middle of the road, to drop a child off, then wait while they enter the door. This holds up the traffic behind them or forces them to overtake the stationary vehicle. Please remember as adults we are role models in every way to our children, who are watching and learning from us. When they see bad habits, it is often hard for them to break them when they become old enough. Please do the right thing and keep EVERYONE safe.

High Levels of Learning for All

Michelle Costa

Principal