Principal's Report

Who can believe we are in our final week of term 2! It feels like it’s been a short but wonderful term, we’ve achieved so much, from our Open Night, to PA Disco, JSC fundraisers, and excursions and incursions, and most of all, lots of fun learning, including a whole school focus on what respect looks like to develop our MPS behaviour matrix on Respect.   

Respect Expectations

Staffing Update

Anies Davidson, teacher of 1/2B will finish up with us at the end of the first week of term 3.  We thank Anies for her work and commitment to MPS over the past 18 months, and wish her all the best in continuing her teaching career.  We currently have this position advertised to have a new staff member in place from the start of week 2 next term.

Parent / Volunteer Training Sessions

We are now able to have parent helpers and other volunteers back into classrooms, which is fantastic.  To support this, along with meeting the Working With Children Clearance, we are running two training sessions at the start of term 3.  The training session will be a parent helper and volunteer induction which all volunteers working with students must complete prior to starting their volunteer role.  The induction will also cover OHS and Child Safe Standard requirements, along with general tips to best support in the classroom.   These two sessions will occur in the first week of term 3, Tuesday 12 July at 2:45pm and Thursday 14 July at 9am.  

We are looking forward to having parents, carers and other volunteers help in the classroom and other school activities again.  If you are interested, please attend one of these sessions; there are no bookings required, please arrive a few minutes early to sign in at the office prior to the session.  

MPS School Review

We are currently preparing for a school review to occur in term 4.  Throughout this term, staff have been working through pre review activities looking at data and reflecting on the school journey and student growth particularly in relation to the last School Strategic Plan over the past 4 years. 

We would now like to seek student and parent feedback for the review.  We have planned student and teacher focus sessions in the second week of next term.  We have two student focus groups in the first week of term where we will unpack some of the Attitudes to School Student Survey data and ask students questions. We would like to invite you to attend one of two parent sessions, Tuesday 19 July, 2:45-3:30pm (at school) and Wednesday 20 July, 7:00-7:45pm (online).  These sessions will look at student and parent survey data sets over the past four years and ask some general questions.

Lunchtime Clubs

Many of our level 5/6 students have discussed and planned lunchtime clubs for term 3.  Led and supported by Pippa Davis, from the start of term 3, some level 5/6  students will be facilitating lunchtime clubs and it’s exciting to offer 1-2 clubs on offer each day.  These will be displayed in each classroom and you may like to talk to your child at home about attending.  

Lunch Time Clubs - Term 3, 2022 (2:05-2:40pm)

Digimaker

DigiMaker is a business that operates from MPS on Friday lunchtimes.  Further further information: https://www.digimaker.com.au/

For interested families, please enrol online: https://www.digimaker.com.au/venues-schedule/

Friday Assembly

Our school leaders have reviewed the current whole school assembly program. With discussion, wonderings and possibilities to further improve our current format, our leaders have devised a new model which will commence week 1 of next term.  In term 3, all assemblies will occur in the ELC.  We warmly welcome parents, carers and extended families to attend as we showcase more student voice, work, performances and achievements.

Hardy Street Drop Off/ Pick Up

The Maroondah Council have recently responded to the MPS school council in concern of the parking out front of the school on Hardy Crescent.  Maroondah Council removed the bus zone in 2019 following a request from MPS and Council’s Traffic Engineer. In 2019, it was concluded that the school no longer had a genuine need for the bus zone and the space would be better repurposed for general community parking.

Maroondah Council Engineers have investigated Hardy Crescent school drop-off and pick-up hours and continue to do so, and observe vehicles illegally parked in the 'No Stopping' zone on the bend of Hardy Crescent to drop off and pick up children.  The council are enforcing parking fines in the 'No Stopping' zone when cars are parked and a passenger door is opened.  

It is extremely unsafe for children to be opening a car door and getting out of a car on the Hardy Crescent bend, and then walking on the road to go around the fence to enter the school grounds.  We stress the importance to be patient and wait to stop in the parking / drop off area before your child opens the car door to get out and walk into the school grounds on the footpath.

Maroondah Council does not consider additional parking restriction will be effective in preventing illegal parking behaviour noting that drivers opted to park on bend of the road whilst there were parking spaces available. 

In the future, we would like to form a team to explore and promote alternate and safe active travel to school options.  

Child Safety and Wellbeing at MPS: Information for families and the school community

The Victorian Government has announced new Child Safe Standards to further strengthen child safety across organisations, including schools. The new standards recognise the critical importance of families and the broader school community in maintaining and promoting child safety and wellbeing. 

MPS has reviewed and updated our child safety policies and procedures to ensure they meet the requirements of the new standards. These are available to view on our school website, Compass (under School Resources) and at our front office. 

We are committed to continuous improvement in our approach to child safety and wellbeing and welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on ways we can further strengthen our child safety policies, procedures and practices. 

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions, please contact Alec Baroni, marlborough.ps@education.vic.gov.au or ph.  98703468

Happy Holidays

I would like to say well done to all students, staff and parents on their efforts and achievements throughout term 2.  Everyone has worked really hard to be the best person that they can be and help others to do the same, this is the true meaning of flourishing and is what I love about working in education.

Please take the next two weeks to stop and recharge your battery.  Enjoy the school break with family and friends, and stay safe.  We look forward to another wonderful term of teaching and learning at MPS in term 3!

 Christine Pillot

Acting Principal