Principal's Report 

Hello everyone, I hope you’re well and staying warm.

In our classrooms

Year 6 Camp

It has been wonderful to see the excitement building around in our Year 6 classrooms ahead of their camp next week. This is the first in a string of similar enriching experiences planned throughout this semester. Camps like these provide our students with an opportunity to learn beyond the four walls of the classroom and help cultivate resilience, team spirit, and an appreciation for activities in nature and outdoors. We can't wait to hear their stories upon their return!

Parent-Teacher Interviews

Earlier this week, our parent-teacher interviews took place, deepening the important dialogue we have between students' homes and their classrooms. I want to thank all families who made time for these important discussions and to our dedicated staff who worked late to accommodate everyone. It was wonderful to see such robust engagement, contributing significantly to our collaborative approach to education.

NAPLAN

In other classroom news, the NAPLAN results were released last week, which highlighted the strong performance of our students. Individual reports have been handed out to Year 3 and Year 5 students, enabling them to celebrate their achievements and identify areas for improvement. Our teaching staff and school leaders are now using these data to understand how we can continue to improve student learning.

In our staffroom

Sadly, we will be saying good-bye to Victoria Hampton, who will be returning to her native UK later this term. Victoria's dedication and passion will be missed, and we wish her all the best in her future endeavours.

We are delighted to announce that Miranda Fitzgerald will be joining the Prep team, taking over Victoria's responsibilities in Prep B. Miranda will begin a few weeks prior to Victoria's departure to ensure a smooth transition and robust handover. We also extend a warm welcome to Sam Mansfield, who will be joining part-time this term. Sam, an experienced primary teacher, will be with us on Thursdays and Fridays to cover classes as needed. Despite the ongoing state-wide teacher shortages, we are fortunate to continue attracting high-quality educators to our school.

In our community

Health and wellbeing

In Victoria, Influenza (flu) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infection numbers are high among children aged 5 to 11 years, particularly in those in their first few years of school. 

The Victorian Department of Health expects more respiratory infections over Term 3.

Most children with flu or RSV have a mild fever, runny nose or cough. 

Keeping Our School Community Well

We encourage parents, caregivers and students to:

• wash and sanitise their hands regularly

• avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands

• cover their nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing

• stay at home if unwell 

New Enrolments

If you have a sibling joining us here at PMPS, please submit an enrolment form as soon as possible. Enrolments for Prep 2024 are closing on 28 July. Information about enrolment, including enrolment forms can be found on our website.

Wishing you all a lovely weekend,

Tom Cain

Acting Principal