From the Principal 

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are delighted to be sharing the start of a new school year with so many new and existing families. We welcomed 7 new students across Grades 1 to 6 and 62 Foundation students. Somerville Primary School is a truly beautiful environment to teach and learn in for all. It has been an excellent start to the year having parents and families coming back into the school grounds before and after school. This week when I was talking to some of our Foundation students it was a great opportunity to be reminded that our students say the most amazing things; when asked about what they want to do when they grow up, some said police officer, fire fighter, doctor, nurse; one said, ‘become a unicorn!’. Our Grade 6 student leaders have already run their first ‘on the air’ assembly, they have written a short piece for this weeks newsletter; click here to read them.

The traditional African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child” has been widely used when describing the role of schools in our community. The need for a village is undoubtedly more evident in our world today. Schools are working closely with parents to ensure the health, wellbeing and learning growth of every student as they begin the 2022 school year. It takes a village to:

• educate young people
• keep young people safe
• understand the needs of our students
• create an environment for young people to make good choices
• support each other in the important work we do with young people

We look forward to working with our families throughout the year.

Over the holidays we have had the final stages of the Basketball Court works completed with outdoor seating and a stage constructed. This will be used for our assemblies. The new Grade 3 portable was also craned in with a large deck in between the Grade 2 and Grade 3 portables. We have received the DET shade sail grant and are underway with engineering for building a 300sqm shade sail structure over the sensory garden to develop more outdoor learning spaces. 

We have You Tell Us Interviews on Monday and Wednesday held on Webex next week, these are an excellent opportunity to develop a relationship with your child’s teacher, we know after the last 2 years when there is a strong connection between the student, teacher and parents this strengthens and enriches the learning experience. 

School Council

We have two parent member vacancies on School Council, with a two year term of office.  No special experience is required, just an interest in the school and a desire to work in partnership with others to help shape our school’s future.  

Interested parents can collect a nomination form at the school office and return it to the office by 4pm on Friday 18 February, 2022.  If there are more nominations received than there are vacancies on council, a ballot will be conducted during the two weeks after the call for nominations has closed.  Please contact the school if you require further information.

What is a school council and what does it do?

All government schools in Victoria have a School Council. School Councillors work as a team to establish the broad direction and vision of a school within guidelines provided by the Department of Education (DET). Council meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 5:30pm.

Air Purifiers

The air purifiers being provided by the Department are the Samsung AX7500 model. 

The air purifiers contain high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters. HEPA filters can help filter airborne viruses including COVID-19, bacteria, and particulate matter from bushfire or hazard reduction burn smoke. They do not completely eliminate COVID-19 transmission, but combined with other interventions at school – including vaccination, physical distancing, good hygiene, masks and cleaning, they aim to create a safer school environment.

Rapid Antigen Tests 

Our team handed out rapid antigen tests to staff and students in the first week of term and again this week.  The tests have been used twice a week as a preventative measure.  If your child tests positive, please inform the school.  Students who are required to isolate or quarantine are supported in the same way as students with an extended absence due to illness or injury, with learning materials accessed through Reading Eggs, Mathletics, Literacy Pro, Sunshine Maths to support their continued learning. Schools are not able to provide a full remote learning program in these circumstances.

As always, please come and say hello, I’m at the front gate every morning and afternoon.

Kind Regards,

David Tapp