Principal's Report
Principal’s Report
Dear Merri-bek Families,
At Merri-bek Primary School, we are fortunate to have a dedicated team of professionals who work together to make our school one of the best in the area. Our students' achievements, both academically and socially, are regularly recognised within the local community. We are proud to foster a supportive and thriving learning environment.
The true measure of a successful school lies in its ability to stay focused on what matters most—our students. At Merri-bek, we have a strong leadership team, outstanding teachers, and an engaged school community. Our well-structured leadership succession plan ensures consistency and high standards in learning. The smooth start to 2025 and the academic excellence in our classrooms are a testament to our philosophy: The students are at the heart of everything we do.
School Leaders
It was a special moment to see our school leaders proudly receive their badges at assembly. These badges symbolize their important roles within our school and the wider community. We look forward to seeing our School Captains, Vice Captains, and all student leaders embrace their responsibilities and serve as positive role models throughout the year. Congratulations to you all!
Meet and Greet.
We invite families to our ‘Meet and Greet’ on Tuesday, 25th March, from 2:00 pm – 6:30 pm. This is an important opportunity for parents, students, and teachers to connect at the start of the school year. These meetings are not an academic update about your child, but rather an opportunity for you to let us know about your child and any supports we can put in place moving forward. Research consistently shows that children perform better at school when their families are actively involved in their education.
Rather than an academic progress update, these meetings are designed for families to share insights about their child, including any specific needs or supports that may enhance their learning experience. Research consistently demonstrates that children thrive when their families are actively engaged in their education, and we look forward to working together to support every student’s success.
Additionally, our Classroom Helpers session on Wednesday, 19th March, from 9:15 am – 10:00 am is another great way for parents to contribute to their child’s learning experience.
Twilight Sports
Last Wednesday’s Twilight Sports was a fantastic community event, filled with fun, laughter, and a great sense of unity. A huge thank you to Costa for organising the event and to the PNC for providing the sausage sizzle and refreshments.
International Women’s Day
On Saturday, 8th March, we celebrate International Women’s Day, a time to reflect on the progress made toward gender equality and the challenges that remain. This day reminds us of the struggles women have faced over the years, from gaining the right to vote in Australia in 1902 to fighting for workplace rights in the 1970s.
NAPLAN – Commenced 15th March
Students in Years 3 and 5 will participate in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) from 15th–17th March 2025. These tests assess student skills in writing, reading, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and numeracy, providing valuable insights for students, parents, and teachers.
NAPLAN is now conducted online, offering several benefits, including:
✔ Tailored test design that adapts to student responses for a more precise assessment
✔ Engaging and interactive test formats
✔ Flexible scheduling within the test window
A public demonstration site is available for families to familiarize themselves with the online format: NAPLAN Parent Information
Annual General Meeting (AGM)
Our AGM and Term 2 School Council Meeting will take place on 19th May. At this meeting, we will present the Annual Report, which outlines our school’s achievements, engagement, wellbeing, and academic progress.
In 2025, we will continue to focus on targeted learning in Mathematics and English, ensuring every student receives personalized support. Our updated Annual Implementation Plan sets clear goals and strategies for student success, emphasizing authentic learning experiences tailored to individual needs.
Child Safe Standards
Our school is committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for all students. We uphold Ministerial Order 870 – Child Safe Standards, ensuring that our policies and practices accommodate the diverse needs of all children, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, culturally and linguistically diverse students, and students with disabilities.
You can access our Child Safe Standards policies on our website: merri-bekps.vic.edu.au
Breakfast Club
We are excited to announce the return of our Breakfast Club! This initiative provides a welcoming space where students and families can enjoy a nutritious start to the day, including toasted sandwiches, Milo, cereal, and more.
A huge thank you to our student and parent volunteers, and to Helen Brown for coordinating the program. Breakfast Club runs every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8:30 am – 8:50 am. We invite all families to join us and connect with our wonderful school community!
Annual Privacy Reminder for our school community
Each year, we remind families of our privacy policies to ensure compliance with the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic).
Our school collects and uses student and parent information for essential school functions, as outlined in the Schools’ Privacy Policy and the Schools’ Privacy Collection Notice.
Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students Policy describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students.
The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn. We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Google Workspace for Education safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information.
For more details on our privacy policies and how we use Google Workspace for Education, visit: Schools’ Privacy Policy
Easter Bonnet Parade
We are excited to host our Easter Bonnet Parade on Friday, 4th April, from 9:15 am – 10:00 am. Everyone is welcome to join in the festivities!
Merri-bek Primary School is proud of our diverse and inclusive community. As we approach Easter, we acknowledge and celebrate the traditions of many families. We also acknowledge that many families also do not celebrate Easter.
Many families are preparing for Easter, with Orthodox Easter coinciding this year, bringing traditions like baking biscuits, holy bread, and dyeing eggs.
Ramadan: The holy month of Ramadan began on 28th February and ends on 30th March, a time of reflection, prayer, and fasting for our Muslim families.
To those celebrating Easter, we wish you a Happy Easter!
To our Greek Orthodox families: Χριστός Ανεστη και Καλό Πάσχα!
To our Macedonian Orthodox families: Среќен Велигден!
To our Muslim families: Ramadan Kareem and Ramadan Mubarak!
Maria Giordano
Principal
Assistant Principal's Report
Dear wonderful Merri-bek families,
We hope you have all had a great long weekend and are keeping cool in the continuing hot weather. Term 1 has been a very busy term with lots of exciting events for both staff, students and families.
This week Years 3 and 5 students have just undergone Naplan testing for Reading, Writing, Language Conventions and Numeracy. They have all tried their very best and it’s important for all of us to remember it’s only a reflection of how students are on the day. Thankyou to Year 3 and 5 teachers and Education Support staff for their support of the students, particularly Gabbie who organised Naplan for Merri-bek PS this year with the support of Joe and Sandra.
Staff were very lucky to engage in a Professional learning opportunity on the curriculum day in week 4 with Literacy consultant Narissa Leung (OzLit Teacher). She worked with us to continue our learning in line with the Department of Educations new approach to early literacy learning; Explicit phonological awareness and phonics in all Prep - year 2 classes for a minimum of 25 minutes. Phonological awareness includes the awareness of speech sounds, syllables, and rhymes. Phonics is about sound-letter patterns — how speech sounds (phonemes) can map onto letter patterns (i.e. graphemes). Staff explored the Building Blocks of Reading, engaging with research and pedagogical practices (teaching strategies) we can use with our students in the classroom.
Tristan; our Literacy Leading Teacher leading us in some phonological awareness practice
Great books to explore for children:
A very Happy Harmony Week next week to everyone too.
Bianca Hudson
Assistant Principal