Principal's Message

Dear Families,

Parent Requests for 2026

I trust the following information helps you understand how we design classes, the processes and thinking that go into making grades. It’s complex and takes a lot of time. Therefore, if you have a request for your child’s grade, we need to know ASAP - before or by Friday September 19^th 2025.

Can parents choose teachers?

• The short answer is ‘no’.

What can parents request?

• That their child might be with (or not with) another student based on education needs, or if there has been a past incident or negative history with another student.
• Parents may request something like, having your child separated from a good friend to help them focus or to have the opportunity to make new friends.

Who do I send my request to? Email to Campbell: Campbell.McKay@education.vic.gov.au

No later than 5pm Friday September 19^th 2025 (no exceptions). As I will be away for the last 7 days of the school term, you are likely to get an ‘out of office’ response. As such, this will be your confirmation of receipt, and I will check these emails when I return at the start of Term Four.

Student Friend Requests

Although we seek to have students with at least one ‘friend’ request, we cannot promise this. We have found that mixing grades up and providing the opportunity for new friends, is a great way to broaden friendships and build resilience.

How is the grade structure decided?

At MWPS we run straight grades, we do not run any composite grades.

How do we make grades for 2026?

We start by asking students to identify five ‘friends’ they might like to have in their grade for the next year. When we say ‘friend’, we mean someone who they would work well with, not always their best friend. Students have ample time and opportunity to be with their best friend, outside of school and classroom hours. Importantly we do not guarantee these ‘five’ requests; usually students will get one or two of their ‘friend’ requests.  Sometimes not getting requests upsets students and their families. Invariably, however, we find that students meet new friends (in their new grade) across their years at school - friends they wouldn’t have met if we hadn’t encouraged mixing the grades. So, this is a deliberate strategy that supports students building their friendship groups across the years.

Who makes the grades?

Classroom teaching staff and specialist teachers all contribute to making the grades.

The Principal Class Team decides on the final grades. As a rule, we never make changes after the grades have been made. So please make your request before or by 19^th September 2025.

What factors do we consider when we make grades?

When we make grades, we consider things like: Academic capabilities / friendships / student behaviour. We also ensure that grades have an even spread of boys and girls – we do not stream grades.

I trust this explains how we do this process; this is consistent with most schools.

Yours faithfully,
Campbell McKay
Principal
Mount Waverley Primary School