Acting Principal Update
What a wonderful Term 3 we have had at Menzies Creek Primary School. It has been a term filled with learning, creativity, fun and connection, with our students making the most of every opportunity both in and beyond the classroom. From getting hands-on during Science Week and celebrating our love of books during Book Week, to welcoming our friends from Ntaria School, taking part in our school production, exploring their creativity through Visual Arts and enjoying our Student Voice fundraisers, there has been so much happening across our school. It has been wonderful to see our students trying new things, challenging themselves, supporting one another and getting involved in all that school life has to offer. Thank you to our staff, students and families for the energy, support and sense of community you have brought to another busy and memorable term.
Acting Principal - Term 4
I am very pleased to share that I will be continuing as Acting Principal at Menzies Creek Primary School in Term 4. I am thoroughly enjoying being in the role and feel very fortunate to be part of such a warm, connected and supportive school community.
I will, however, be taking some long service leave during the first two weeks of Term 4 and have arranged for Nicole De Angelis to step into the Acting Principal role during this time.
Nicole and I had a thorough handover, where she was able to meet our students and staff and learn about our school. She is really looking forward to being part of our wonderful Menzies Creek community, and I know she will be warmly welcomed by our students, staff and families.
I look forward to returning in Week 3 and continuing what promises to be another exciting term at Menzies Creek.
Production
What a fantastic night we had at our school production, We Speak for the Trees! Our students were absolutely wonderful, bringing so much energy, enthusiasm and confidence to the stage. From the singing and dancing to the costumes, sets and storytelling, it was wonderful to see all of their hard work come together in such a special performance. For many of our students, being on stage can be a big step, and it was fantastic to see them supporting one another, giving it their best, and enjoying the experience together.
The production also received some wonderful recognition beyond our school community, with We Speak for the Trees featured in the Star Mail, highlighting the students’ performance and the environmental message at the heart of the production. See the newspaper article here.
A huge thank you to our staff, families and everyone who helped behind the scenes to make the production possible, and a special thank you to Anne, who wrote and directed the production and continues to be such an important part of our Menzies Creek community. It was a wonderful celebration of our students and the sense of connection that makes our school so special.
Father’s Day and Special Person Celebration
Our students loved having their dads and special people join them at school for our Father’s Day and Special Person Celebration. There was plenty happening throughout the afternoon, with families rotating through activities including creating pipe cleaner animals, drawing portraits of one another, competing in paper plane races and capturing special moments in our Photo Booth. It was great to see everyone getting involved, having a laugh and enjoying time together. Most importantly, the afternoon gave our students the chance to share their school with the important people in their lives and enjoy some special time together. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the afternoon such a happy and memorable occasion.
Celebration of Learning Art Exhibition
Our Celebration of Learning Art Exhibition was a wonderful opportunity for our students to share their creativity and learning with their families. Throughout Term 3, students explored the work of First Nations artists, learning about their lives, artistic styles and chosen mediums before creating their own artworks inspired by what they had studied. Students were challenged to think carefully about the difference between inspiration and plagiarism and to develop their own ideas while drawing on the techniques and styles of the artists they had explored. It was wonderful to see our students proudly sharing their artwork with families and explaining what they had learned, the ideas behind their pieces and what had inspired their creative choices. Thank you to our families for joining us and taking the time to celebrate our students’ learning and hard work.
Market Day
Market Day brought plenty of energy and excitement to Menzies Creek Primary School, with our Senior students proudly showcasing the products they had designed and created. It was fantastic to see the creativity, initiative and hard work that went into preparing their stalls, with such a wonderful variety of ideas on display. Our students took great pride in presenting their products, talking with customers and seeing their hard work come to life. The rest of the school enjoyed visiting the stalls and making purchases, while families and siblings joined us for the afternoon. A big thank you to our Senior students for all the effort they put into making Market Day such a success, and to our families for supporting their ideas and our school fundraising.
Divisional Athletics
Today, we were incredibly lucky to have two of our students participate in the divisional athletics competition. Although they didn’t progress through to the next level, they should be incredibly proud of themselves and the effort they put in.
It was fantastic to see them represent our school with such enthusiasm, determination and sportsmanship. Competing at this level is a wonderful achievement in itself, and they should both be proud of how far they’ve come. Well done Ava & Alfie!
School Drop Off Reminder
A gentle reminder that school drop-off time is from 8:45am, as staff are not on duty to supervise students before this time. We ask families to please ensure students arrive from 8:45am onwards so they can be safely supervised as they begin their school day.
If you need to drop your child off before 8:45am, our Outside of School Hours Care (OSHC) provider, TheirCare, provides before school care from 7am and afterschool care until 6pm. TheirCare provides a program with engaging activities, experienced educators and also provides food for each child while in OSHC. It is designed to support families when work, appointments or other commitments mean you need care outside of school hours.
Families can enrol, free of charge, through the TheirCare website and bookings can be easily made online when needed. For more information or to enrol, visit https://theircare.com.au, or call 1300 072 410.
Continuous Reporting
Our Continuous Reporting approach has continued throughout Term 3, providing families with regular updates about their child’s learning, progress and achievements. Rather than waiting until the end of a semester, these reports provide families with timely insights into what their child has been learning and how they are progressing. All Term 3 reports have now been published on Compass, giving families a comprehensive picture of their child’s learning across the term.
The following reports are now available:
- Settling into Term 3
- Maths – Unit One
- English – Reading
- English – Writing
- Specialist Subjects – Art, PE, Auslan, Kitchen Garden and Performing Arts
- Maths – Unit Two
- Inquiry – Humanities/STEM
Term 3 Learning Summary
We encourage families to take some time to look through the reports and celebrate the learning and progress your child has made throughout Term 3.
Intensive Swimming Program
Our Term 4 Intensive Swimming Program will run from Monday 19th October to Friday 23rd October at Monbulk Aquatic Centre. Students will attend a swimming lesson each day, with the bus departing school at 11:00am for an 11:45am lesson and returning to school by approximately 1:30pm.
Students should wear their bathers under their school clothes and bring a separate bag containing their clothes and a towel. School bags should not be taken to the pool.
Parents are welcome to come along and watch the lessons, but are not required to assist with the change rooms.
The Swimming Program event is now available on Compass for families to provide permission for their child to attend. Please complete the permission form at your earliest convenience.
If you have any questions about the program, please contact Sonya McLeod.
2026 Year 3 to 6 Camp.
A reminder that our Grade 3–6 students will be heading to CYC Forest Edge in Neerim East for camp from Monday 23rd to Wednesday 25th November. Information, including payment options and key camp details, have been shared with families via Compass. Please ensure permissions and payments are completed by the relevant due dates. Please come and chat to Kate or Sonya if you have any questions.
Curriculum Days for 2026
To assist with your planning, we have set aside the following dates for Curriculum Days in 2026:
- Monday 2nd November– Curriculum Implementation
Brooke Kogelman