Message from Principal Sarah

We are already halfway through week 4 and well and truly into the swing of what is always known as the busy term, Term 3!  Our Year 6 students participated in their ski camp last week, and we have our Year 4 and 5 students heading off on their camps later in the term. Our Year 1 and Prep students participated in their 100 days of school last week which was an enjoyable day for both cohorts. 

Upcoming events

This week we celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day and on Friday our JSRC group are running their ‘Pyjama Day’ to raise funds for the ‘Make-a-Wish’ foundation.

Coming up over the next few weeks, our Year 1 students will participate in their Camp Experience Day and the whole school will be engaged in Book Week activities, including our Character Dress Up Day on Friday 26th August.

Please keep an eye on Compass as well as the newsletter for all of our upcoming events and activities.

Respect for School Staff 

While our school community has continued to demonstrate solidarity and resilience in dealing with the ongoing effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever that adults in our school community treat each other with respect and kindness. We are the role models for our children and respectful behaviours are important in building a positive, healthy and thriving school community. 

Regretfully, I need to inform the school community that there have once again been some recent encounters with parents, in person, via email and over the telephone, that have left the school staff concerned and feeling uneasy. As we have communicated before, our goal is to foster a supportive and empathetic community culture. 

Parents and school staff, as the North Melbourne Primary School community, have equal responsibility in making this happen. The Department of Education and Training policy describes the positive behaviour expected from parents, carers, and other adults in Victorian school communities. The policy sets clear standards of behaviour to create a safe, respectful, and inclusive learning environment for students, staff and adults. 

You can also refer to our Respect for School Staff Policy for further information. 

There are also other resources to support safe and respectful relationships in our school community, including information about getting involved in the school, advice on how to raise a concern or complaint, and parenting support resources. You can find these resources here.

It's important we work together to ensure North Melbourne Primary School is a safe place for our students, our staff and members of our school community. When parents and carers and school staff work together as one team, our students do better!

Kiss and Go Zone

A reminder to all families that our new Kiss and Go Zones are now in operation. It’s important to note, that you cannot park and leave your car in the pink Drop Off & Pick Up zones, even if it is raining.

Staff will ensure children arriving go safely into school to their classroom. Staff will also wait with students to be picked up in the afternoon. 

If you want to walk your child to or from the gate or classroom, please park in a street further away from school and enjoy a walk together. There are also ten 15-minute parking spaces on Harcourt Street.

New Campus Update

The project continues to track along well. The gymnasium is getting its roof installed, with reinforcements going in preparation for the concrete to be poured. Painting on the lower ground and final concrete pours on the three staircases gets underway this week. For the rest of the levels, internal fit-out continues with the framing of walls and plasterboard sheeting works. The upper ground level gets its external brick veneer wall started which we look forward to seeing take shape. 

For project updates, visit https://www.schoolbuildings.vic.gov.au/north-melbourne-primary-school-new-campus and subscribe for the Quarter 2 update coming shortly.

COVID Safe Measures

All families should have received their additional RATs last week. If you have not yet received these, please see your child's teacher as the first port of call.

We are constantly adapting to the advice from the Victorian Department of Health and the Department of Education to minimise the risk of exposure to COVID-19. A reminder to parents/carers to contact the office via email at north.melbourne.ps@education.vic.gov.auor via phone, if a student has tested positive. 

It is a requirement for students who test positive to isolate for 7 days.  

Students who are a household contact of COVID-19 case, must follow the rules for household contacts.  As part of this they must take 5 rapid antigen tests (RATs) over 7 days and receive negative test results and wear a face mask (if over 8 years old) in indoor spaces.  

The Victorian government’s advice recommends people over 8 years of age wear a face mask in indoor settings, except for close contacts, who must wear a mask indoors unless an exception applies (as stated above). If you wish your child to wear a mask at school, and/or they themselves wish to wear a mask, we will ensure they are supported to do that.