Principal's Report
Dear families and friends of MPW,
Welcome back to Term 4, which can tend to become a busy term and time of the year for all. Teams have been planning exciting learning activities to support their term’s focus. There are also many events throughout this term, including Foundation Transition, MVIMP Combined Concert, and of course the Year 6 Graduation.
This term we also have our swimming program begin. This year students in Years 1-6 will be attending an intense swimming program, with the end goal supporting students to be able to swim 50m before the end of primary school and to build their sense of water safety.
Year 2 Sleepover
We started the term with a very successful Year 2 Sleepover on Friday night. Students returned after school for a pizza dinner, a magic show from Tim Credible, Spotlight Tiggy on the Tiger Turf and then settling in for bedtime. A fantastic, fun night was had by all. I would like to thank the year 1/2 teachers and the administration staff for their planning and work behind the scenes to make sure we had a smooth and successful night.
The camping program concludes in the middle of the term, with the F/1 activity night which will be held on Thursday 6th November. This is where our F/1 students return afterschool for an activity and dinner.
I acknowledge and thank all the teachers and staff involved in the camping program this year, as the experience gained in these events is well worth the effort.
Check out some photos from the Sleepover below, including some photos of the school at night.
Final OHS Drill for the year
On Thursday we will hold our last OHS Drill for the year, this is the Shelter in Place drill. This requires us to move safely to a designated place in the school, generally indoors away from the emergency. We typically use the gym for this purpose (unless the emergency was in the gym of course). We have scheduled the practice drill for after lunch.
Curriculum Day and Public Holiday Reminder
A reminder that Monday 3rd November is our final Curriculum Day for the year. This is the day before the Melbourne Cup public holiday on Tuesday 4th November. On this day teachers will begin working on their Assessment and Reporting requirements for Semester 2. Week 5 of the term is therefore a short week, Wednesday to Friday.
2026 Transition Program
The 2026 Foundation transition program begins this week on Friday 17th October and continues on the Friday 24th October and Friday 21st November. Our future foundation students will begin to familiarise themselves with the school, engaging in some activities in a classroom over the three ses. Parents are invited to information sessions to learn more about the school, curriculum and processes.
The final transition session for our new Foundation students is then we hold our whole school Transition Day later this term, on Tuesday 9th December. The whole school transition program supports all of our students to feel confident and excited about their new class and teacher for 2026. This day coincides with our year 6 students orientation day to Secondary school.
Parent Helpers and Volunteers
I would like to acknowledge the work of our classroom parent representatives and parent helpers throughout the year, for excursions, camps, sporting events, fundraising activities, in the classroom and in general support of the school. These events and activities are able to run because of parent support, and also provides an opportunity for parents to be part of the learning and activities as well. There will be other opportunities to help out with the planned activities for this term, teams will reach out when finalising arrangements for these days.
Community Summer Picnic
Following the success of our Basket Tea in Term 1 and Movie Night this year, we’re excited to invite you to our end-of-year community celebration — the Summer Picnic to be held on Friday 28th November!
Bring along your picnic blankets, chairs, food, and drinks to relax and enjoy each other’s company as we celebrate the year together. The event will take place on the Tiger Turf, with families encouraged to settle mainly around the basketball court and footy oval areas. The soccer pitch will be kept open as a dedicated space for kids to play.
The school will be hosting a sausage sizzle, offering sausages and soft drinks for sale. We’ll also have some music playing to set some atmosphere.
Save the date in your calendars and we hope to see you there to celebrate the end of the 2025 school year.
Leaving MPW in 2026?
We continue planning towards the 2026 school year, a reminder that if you are planning on your child(ren) not being at Moonee Ponds West next year that you please contact the school: moonee.ponds.west.ps@education.vic.gov.au
This information will help the school to confirm enrolment numbers for next year.
For those not returning, I offer thanks to the student(s) and family for their contributions and partnership with our school. We wish all the best for those moving on to a new setting in their future learning journey.
Regards,
Jarrod
Principal