We're Back! First Day for Prep, Year 1 & 2

Our premier Daniel Andrews announced that Tuesday 26 May would be the start of a staggered return to school for students in Victoria.

Yesterday was a foggy and frosty morning but this did not dampen my pleasure in seeing our students, parents, and carers as they arrived back to Errol Street. The excitement of returning to school was very obvious on our everyone's faces. Some students needed a little assistance to say ‘see you later’ to their family members. However, families seemed quite happy to farewell their children to a safe classroom, with their smiling teachers ready to welcome them back with a range of fun activities!

We continue encourage all family members to keep socially distant from others and there is certainly room for improvement during drop-off and pick-up so far.

Congratulation to students for your 'giant steps' in carrying your own bag and belongings when entering and leaving our school.

Featured in the Sun Herald Newspaper

NMPS family were amongst a number of Victoria families featured in the news.

Quote from the Herald Sun article above:

SMILES ALL ROUND AS STUDENTS RETURN

Hundreds of children have descended on North Melbourne Primary School as students and their parents adjusted to a new way of learning. From 8.30am about 120 prep students arrived with their parents from one entrance while Years 1 and 2 arrived from another.

Principal Sally Naylor was waiting at the gates. “I am usually here waiting and telling parents they can’t park too long,” she said. From today though it is too ensure parents don’t enter the school grounds – so it’s goodbye hugs, kisses and high fives before the children walked into their classrooms.

Ms Naylor said 350 of the 900 roll was due in this morning, so their arrivals needed to be via different entrances.“We decided to have different entrance points rather than have longer arrival times, that way they can all be in their classrooms learning by 9am.” At peak time – about 8.45am – there was a line up of parents waiting to farewell their kids and for the children to go onto the school grounds.

People in lines seemed to remember social distancing guidelines and Ms Naylor was impressed at how things were going.“Everyone seems to be adapting. “

Mum Lucia Di Mauro said the arrival had been “pretty smooth”.“It was communicated pretty well,” she said.The worst thing was saying goodbye to her son Rocco, 5, who had just got used to school before the coronavirus outbreak.

Also at the gates were Emma, 5, and Tom, 7. Emma was looking forward to “the playground” while mum Michelle was preparing to adjust to a more normal routine.

“Working from home and having two kids home-schooled has been interesting, but it has been neat having them there.”

Please maintain COVID-19 safe behaviours