School Council Meetings

Our next School Council meeting will be held on Wednesday 25th October at 7.30pm

The dates of the next Committee meetings are as follows:

Community Voice: Wednesday 18th October at 7pm (Forum)

Buildings, Grounds and Sustainability: Thursday 19th October at 6.30pm

Finance: Monday 23rd October at 6.30pm

Parent Association: TBC

Thank you to all the families that have so far paid their 2023 school fees. Without this additional money, it is challenging to provide the highest level of educational care, wellbeing and resources that every child deserves and benefits from at MPS.

We have a wonderful community and when all of us contribute together, it enhances each and every child’s experience at MPS.

At MPS, we never want to rest on our laurels and believe in providing best practice in all areas of the school and curriculum. This will not only cement a strong foundation for your child moving onto secondary school but will give them a true sense of belonging, leadership and agency.

You can pay your fees through the Compass or email Jeanette.Davies@education.vic.gov.au to request a confidential payment form.

Science has given me so much, both personally and professional and hence why I am excited to share with you about our resident scientist, Dr Steph Spincer. You may remember those magical videos that Steph put together for our children sharing aspects of our natural world. Wow right!!! I know, I took a seat at the kitchen table for those google classroom lessons

What’s at the heart of Steph? Dr Steph Spincer is an earth scientist, communicator and educator, and director of Scientifically Speaking, a science incursion program she runs in primary schools throughout Melbourne, including here at Malvern Primary!

Steph’s love of geology began at the age of 10, when she went on a family holiday to Tasmania and came home with her suitcase full of rocks! She went on to gain a degree in geology and geophysics at Sydney Uni, followed by a PhD at Cambridge. After a stint as a geologist in the UK and Europe, she changed direction to pursue her love of communicating science, completing an MSc at Imperial College.

In her role as a science communicator, Steph worked as a policy advisor at the UK Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology (POST), and as an editor at CSIRO in the Australian and Pacific Climate Change Science Programs.

While at CSIRO, she volunteered with the Scientists in Schools program, which inspired her to establish Scientifically Speaking in 2015, to provide exciting, engaging and enriching science incursions for primary school students, and promote scientific literacy, inclusivity and accessibility to science for all students.

Steph is passionate about being a role model for the next generation of young scientists, in particular, encouraging and empowering girls to pursue science.

In 2022, Steph was selected as one of 100 women globally to participate in an international leadership program called Homeward Bound, for women leaders in STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Medicine). The program culminates in a voyage to Antarctica in November 2023, where she will spend a month with 99 other female scientists from around the world, sharing expertise on climate change, sustainability and increasing the visibility of women in STEMM to help make a difference to the future of our planet.

Steph is married with 3 kids, (who all went to Malvern Primary!), and is currently undertaking her Masters in Teaching at Monash Uni.

Goodness we are so fortunate to have Steph in our community and as our resident scientist!

Sarah Meachem

School Council President

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