From the Principal 

Dear Parents and Carers, 

As we enter the second part of Term 3, there is so much happening, this term at Somerville has offered many opportunities for our young people, having only reached the halfway mark of the year, there are many more to come. We have our Grade 3-4 students on Camp at Phillip Island, thank you to all of the teachers, ES and parents who have gone. This is a great opportunity for our students and for many it’s their first time away. The Grade 2’s have been to the Briars for a Day camp and everyone had an excellent time. 

As we rapidly move through the year we have been planning the Fathers/Special Persons Day afternoon, Mr G has sent information about this to families. While we might not hear the Bombers theme on the 24th of September, we will hear it on repeat on Footy Day! Our 3-6s had an awesome time with House Athletics, it showcased the athletic talents of so many of our students, and the fun to be had in participating in something as a cross level team! The sense of House Teams was strong and dare I say it, students in each house knew that they were all in this together. Thank you to Mr Smith and all the staff who helped organise and run this event. 

Over the last 12 months School Council has taken on feedback from parents and students around uniform. Following reviewing the feedback; School Council has conducted a Tender Process and as of the beginning of Term 4 PSW will be the Somerville Primary School Uniform provider. There are a number of new items including Soft Shell Jackets, Beanies and different material and different cuts for students shorts and skorts. The 5-6 Sports top will also change, families in Grades 4,5 and 6 will receive further correspondence around this in coming weeks. Please click the attachment below for the new items.

Next week the Shade Sail Poles are being installed in between the Grade 1 and Grade 2 portables. This project will provide 350 Sqm of shaded space for our students. On Thursday 10 poles will be installed that will support the new shade structure; the sails will follow not long after!

Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents/caregivers/guardians think of our school. The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behavior, and student engagement. We encourage all families to participate in this survey. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies. A random sample of approximately 30 per cent of parents/caregivers/guardians have been selected to participate in this year’s survey.  The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 15th August to Friday 16th September.

Our Student Leaders have done an outstanding job and organised this years Book Character Parade, please click here to see more information. Parents and Carers are encouraged to stay after drop off on Thursday for our Book Week Parade. 

As we move into warmer weather, all students will be reminded that they need to wear a hat while in the yard, this is part of our Sun Smart Policy; students will also be reminded at school.

Have a great weekend,

David Tapp

Principal