Melrose Park Public School Newsletter

Welcome back to the 2023 school year. I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself as Relieving Principal of MPPS. Mrs Kristensen is taking some well-earned leave and I will be relieving in her position for Terms 1 and 2 with a possibility of extension. 

I would like to extend a warm welcome to all Melrose Park families and hope that you had an enjoyable and relaxing holiday break. Unfortunately, I am Covid positive and sadly missed being able to greet students for their first day of school.  I am hoping that I will be well enough by the end of the week to welcome our Kindergarten students when they commence their first full school day on Thursday.

I am a strong  advocate of public education and have worked in the Department of Education for over 30 years.  Many of these have been in the Ryde Zone as both a classroom teacher and in various leadership roles. For the last 3 and a half years, I was Deputy Principal at Pymble Public School and prior to that, Ryde East Public School as an Assistant Principal, Acting Deputy Principal/Instructional Leader and in the relieving Principal role for 9 months.

As a local resident, I have a strong appreciation and sense of connection to this diverse and changing community. I enjoy participating in, coaching and watching a variety of sports and spend my weekends coaching netball teams for North Ryde RSL  and playing golf at Ryde Parramatta Golf Club.

I have been very fortunate to have received experiences throughout my schooling that have allowed me to develop and pursue my talents and interests. As a passionate educator, I work with the whole school community to provide varied academic, social/emotional, creative and physical experiences that develop the whole child. This leads to a positive self-esteem, a love of learning and children becoming active and successful members of the community.

I am excited to be leading this wonderful school and look forward to meeting you all over the coming weeks.

Mrs Nicole Doig

Our dedicated teachers have been working hard to ensure a smooth return to school for our students. They were very happy to see their smiling faces as they walked through the gates this morning.

We are currently planning our 'Meet the Teacher Evening' for Wednesday 15 February, times to be advised. This evening will provide valuable information for parents regarding the curriculum, homework and class/school processes and procedures.

This year we welcome two new permanent teaching staff , Mrs Cheltzie Hall as our new Assistant Principal K-2 and Miss Michelle Leszczynski as the Year 5 classroom teacher. I have no doubt our new staff will make an outstanding and positive impact on student learning and wellbeing.

The school has commenced the year with 173 student enrolments. Students in Years 1-6 were placed into their classes this morning. Please see our current staffing guide below.

Should you need to contact the school or your child’s teacher please email – melrosepk-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au or call 9874 4669 to arrange an appointment.

A stationery list was sent home with student reports at the end of last year. Please assist your child to be ready for class by providing all items on the list by the end of this week. If you require a new copy of the list, it is available on the school website under notes.

Schools will continue to implement baseline COVID-smart measures to help reduce the risk of transmission for students and staff members. In summary, these key COVID-smart measures include:

• staying home and getting tested if unwell, and only attending school when symptom free

• rapid antigen testing for symptomatic students and staff. People exposed to COVID-19 should follow guidance from NSW Health and test to identify infection early even if they are not experiencing any symptoms.

• strongly encouraging COVID-19 vaccinations for students, staff and their families, including a booster shot (when eligible) 

• good hygiene practices including regular hand washing with soap and warm water and/or use of hand sanitiser

• maintaining natural ventilation, with consideration of local environmental circumstances

• boosted cleaning during the day, with particular attention given to high touch surface areas

Advice for families can be found using the link below:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/advice-for-families#COVID-smart0

Upcoming school events are being organised and a more comprehensive list will be published in next week’s newsletter. Please note the following dates regarding events  over the coming weeks: