Principal Team

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been an action packed two weeks; looking through the calendar, this will be continuing throughout the term. Tomorrow, we have our Colour Fun Run; we are going to be gathering every child in the Gym beforehand, following their ‘run’ they will be gathered in the outdoor undercover area with Icy-poles to cool down.  Next week we have our Family Fun Night on Wednesday from 5pm-6pm, we hope to see as many families there as possible. 

Attendance 

Student Attendance is always important, following COVID we understand there are more complexities with attending than previously. The Department of Education is focusing on Attendance; because when students are not at school, they don’t have the same opportunities as their peers for learning.  A staggering 43% of our students (159 children) have already had a day off this year. Similarly, if your child misses 10 minutes a day, it’s the same as 50 minutes of learning a week. Which is nearly 1.5 weeks per year, if this occurs from Prep to Year 12, that’s nearly half a year of school missed.

Our Target for 2023 is to reduce student absence and lateness; thereby to ensure all children are at school every day. 

COMMUNICATION UPDATE

Following the communication survey, we conducted earlier this year we are making some changes in response to your feedback. Thank you to all families who completed the survey, Miss Lord will be bringing around the chocolate frogs this week! Moving forward; from next Newsletter, Year level ‘What’s happening’ will be included in the Newsletter rather than sent out separately. Therefore, parents will have one place for all information. Parents will receive less email correspondence as well. Our Calendar will also just be in one place, in the Newsletter rather than in the What’s Happening. This will alleviate any confusion or dates that may need changing. Our Student Leaders will also be conducting interviews with Staff which will be published in the Newsletter so that parents can put faces to names. 

Enrolments 

Somerville Primary School has a Department of Education Enrolment Management Plan from the Regional Director. This ensures our wonderful school will limit growth and we can continue to stay as a smaller community school. In following the plan, we ask all families who are intending on sending siblings in 2024 to our school, let the office know as soon as possible. This will support the school in managing the enrolment plan. 

Uniform

Just a reminder that PSW is Somerville Primary School’s Uniform Provider, their store is at 1/22 Watt Rd, Mornington; a copy of the uniform policy is also available below. 

COMMUNITY SAFETY ORDERS

All Victorian Government School’s are covered by the Community Safety Orders. Schools are positive places of learning and work where everyone has a right to a safe and healthy environment. Everyone in a school community plays a shared role in being respectful. When parents and carers behave aggressively towards staff or members of the school community, it can have a significant impact on the physical and mental health, safety and wellbeing of the staff, students and other members of the school community who experience it. If you have any questions about the order, please come and see the office.

READING NIGHTS

It has been great to see the excitement on students faces with the return of Reading Nights for 2023. I have been super impressed that some of our students have already reached 50 nights of reading. I can’t wait to have our termly celebrations for those students who read 40 nights or more in a term and I am particularly excited to see how many students can reach 200 nights of reading and attend our Pizza Party this year. It is fantastic to see so many students enjoying reading. 

ASSEMBLY AWARDS

Congratulations to all of our Somerville Star Award winners at our last assembly. You have all done a sensational job and set a wonderful example for your classmates.