Dear Parents/Carers,

Happy New Year!

I would firstly like to start by extending a very warm welcome back to all of our returning students, and take this opportunity to welcome, for the first time, our new students, to what will be a fun packed 2023.

It is wonderful to see so many excited students and I cannot wait to share in this excitement for what lays ahead, we have many activities that will delight and engage your children and I look forward to updating you throughout the year.

I would also like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the parents of our incredible new preppies. You have chosen to entrust us to care and educate your remarkable little ones, and we look forward to embarking on this wonderful new chapter with you.

To all parents, please know that we value your input and are always here should you have any questions.

New Build

It’s finished! It’s amazing!, and it’s already buzzing with creativity and learning, I couldn’t be happier for our students and staff that are utilising this space and once we are through the defect period, I look forward to being able to invite you to take a tour.

New School Captains

Drum Roll Please…

The election results are in! Our 2023 School Captains are:

I look forward to working closely with our new school representatives on the many exciting school projects we have planned. I am sure they will do an amazing job in their new roles.

Newsletter

It’s that time again! Our Newsletter needs a new name!

Thank you to Channel Henwood who submitted last years’ winner.

Our newsletter is published every fortnight and it’s your ‘go to’ to find all the important information regarding MSS news throughout 2023.

Compass & SEESAW Communication

As a school community one of our main platforms for communication is Compass and Seesaw, please ensure you have access to these apps.

If you require support with the Compass or Seesaw set up, please feel free to contact the school and we can provide you with some guidance.

Melton Fresh Food

Melton Fresh Food opens its doors on 21 February 2023. As part of the official launch we will be delighted to receive Lara Carli the Mayor of Melton City Council, Bronwen Heathfield (AED), Tony Simpson (SEIL), Kath Soby the Principal of Melton Secondary College, Michelle Costa the Principal of Melton West Primary School and Jason Mallia our MSS School Council President.

In preparation for our launch on Tuesday, we were joined today by Woolworths staff who shared their expertise and provided training for both staff and students.

As a fully stocked supermarket, our students will be able purchase products with ‘Melton Fresh Food’ money for their food tech programs and the breakfast club and we will also be providing training for our secondary year students to use the cash registers providing valuable work experience and transferable skills which will create pathways beyond year 12.

New Term, Class Adjustments

During the first few weeks in Term 1, myself and your Leadership Team schedule time to get to know our new students a little better by visiting the classrooms to observe and interact with your children in a fun and positive way.

We hold regular conversations with the classroom teachers, to ascertain whether the children in their classes are thriving or could possibly benefit from another group.

Should changes need to be considered the Assistant Principal of the sub school your child is in will contact you directly. Your input is always valued in making these decisions.

Traffic - Parent Drop off & Pick Up

Please remember not to line up and double park outside gate 1 or anywhere on the slip lane. We understand that at times this is frustrating, and you may have to do a loop – this is why we ask that parents and carers do not arrive before 8.55 a.m.

Myself, and other members of staff have witnessed on several occasions the police issuing our parents with fines for double parking.

If you miss the school bus, please drop your child off through the loop in Gate 1 after 9.00 a.m.

Correct Pick Up and Drop Off Procedures

Please remember to follow the correct procedures when picking up and dropping off your child:

All vehicles must enter THROUGH Gate 1 and Exit Via Gate 2
Parents dropping off or picking up students on foot must only use gate 3

You will notice staff dressed in Hi-Viz jackets holding lollipop sticks, please pay attention to these traffic coordinators and respond accordingly.

Red means STOP

Green means MOVE SLOWLY

PLEASE DO NOT leave your vehicle until you hear the whistle.

Sub Schools & Support

E01 – E10 Craig Thompson (Assistant Principal)

P01 – P08 Phillip Nolan (Assistant Principal)

P09 – P14 Tegan Aquilina (Senior Assistant Principal)

S01 – S07 Alice Harris (Senior Assistant Principal)

S08 – S16 Joan Cummings (Assistant Principal)

Mobile Phones Policy

Just a reminder of the Department of Education Victoria’s Mobile Phones at School Policy. This policy states all phones are to be locked away and not accessed during lunch or break times. We have made exemptions for students involved in community access or travel training programs.

Additionally, Bluetooth speakers are not permitted at school, if brought to school they will also need to be locked away.

Please note that students bringing personal devices such as watches and tablets do so at their own risk. The school does not take responsibility for these items and the data needs to be switched off during school hours.

Annual Privacy Reminder for 2023

Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy.

Please take time to read our school’s collection notice, found on our website https://meltonss.vic.edu.au/our-school/#policies

We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Microsoft 365 safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using Microsoft 365, please contact the school.

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in ten community languages:

Amharic
Arabic
Dari
Gujarati
Mandarin
Somali
Sudanese
Turkish
Urdu
Vietnamese

Once again, I welcome you all to the new school year and look forward to the exciting things that we will accomplish together.

Brooke Briody

Principal

Melton Specialist School

Be Responsible Be Safe Be Respectful

Edition 1 2023 · 17 Feb 2023

In this issue