Dear families and friends of MPW

It has been wonderful to see our new classes come together as vibrant communities of learners through the "Learning to Learn" program in the first few weeks of the year. This program establishes the structures, routines, and Rights and Responsibilities of our classrooms, setting the stage for a successful and enjoyable year ahead. It's been a calm and engaging start to the year!

A big thank you to the parents who attended last week’s Year Level Parent Information Sessions. The feedback we've received has been positive, with many parents finding the sessions informative and helpful in understanding what to expect for the year ahead. For those who couldn’t attend, teaching teams have sent their presentations to all families for your reference.

Congratulations to the students who participated in swimming trials last week. We had 42 students attend, with 24 making it through to represent the school at District Swimming on Friday, February 21st. Over half of our swimmers qualified, which is an incredible achievement!

School Council

I would like to express our gratitude to the School Councillors nearing the end of their two-year term and who may not re-nominate. Their contributions have been invaluable. The process for school council vacancies for both parents and staff has been communicated today, with nominations due by Tuesday, February 25th. We appreciate those who have already expressed interest in joining School Council.

Conclusion of the Capital Works Project

A heartfelt thank you to those who joined us at the special assembly on Friday, February 7th, to officially open the new library building and celebrate the completion of the Capital Works Program. The journey to bring our vision of refreshing our learning and play spaces to life has been incredibly rewarding, and this achievement has opened up new opportunities for our students learning.

I would like to again acknowledge several key contributors to the success of this project, which has spanned over two and a half years of planning, design, and construction:

Brian Stanley (School Council President) and School Councillors for their support of our vision to enhance our learning and play spaces.
Gail Sheedy from the VSBA, and Amr and Alif (project managers) for overseeing and coordinating the project with us.
Peter and Amelia from BSPN Architecture for helping us bring our ideas to life.
James, Liam, and Michael from Amity Building Group for their exceptional work in making this vision a reality.
Sandra for her continued support in all areas of the administration and access of the school, which occurs behind the scenes and at times out of school hours.
Our staff and students for their patience and adaptability throughout the 18-month construction period.
Our JSC representatives for ensuring that there was student voice heard in the design aspects of the playgrounds and library space.
Lastly, I want to acknowledge Kerri Simpson for her work in securing the building grant before her retirement. It was wonderful to see her at the assembly to celebrate the end result with us.

A special thanks also to our local Member for Essendon, Danny Pearson, for attending the event and supporting us to officially open the Library Space and recognition of the entire project. Danny shared thoughtful and kind words about the school’s accomplishments over many years, and opportunities for the future.

It’s been a joy to see students enjoying these new learning spaces, and we look forward to staff and students continuing to thrive in them.

Parent Information Booklet

Our updated Parent Information Booklet for the new year is attached. It includes key information about opportunities, processes, and reminders for school operations. We encourage you to review it for any quick answers you may need.

Parent-Teacher Interviews – Meet and Greet

Parent-Teacher Interviews will be held next week, after school on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. This is a great opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher and share information to help ensure the best possible outcomes for the year. Please ensure you’ve booked a time with your child’s teacher via Compass Conference Bookings. If you’d like to meet with any of our specialist teachers, you can contact them directly through Compass to arrange a meeting.

Reminder: Mobile Phones & Smart Watches

In line with Department of Education guidelines, all mobile devices must be handed in to the office at the start of the school day and will be returned to students at the end of the day. This policy also applies to Smart Watches, with the expectation that communication features be disabled during school hours (8:50 am - 3:30 pm).

If Smart Watches are being used inappropriately or distracting from learning, teachers will use their discretion and may ask the student to store the device at the office. If a student refuses to comply, their device will be collected and stored in the office, with parents being notified for collection.

We encourage parents to ensure that students leave mobile devices at home unless absolutely necessary. Any communication between parents and students during school hours should be done through the school office.

For more information, you can view our Mobile Phone Policy here:MPW Mobile Phone Policy

Early Arrival at School

We are noticing students arriving as early as 8:30 am at the moment. Some are even entering through the office building to avoid waiting for the gates to open at 8:40am. A reminder that students should not be arriving and entering the school prior to 8:40am unsupervised. The school gates open 8:40-8:45am, at which point the yard can be supervised.

If parents require earlier supervision, Camp Australia (OSHC) offers before-school care from 7:15 am to 8:45 am, as well as after-school care from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm.

Students must not be left unsupervised on the school grounds before or after school. Our Child Safety obligations require staff to send students to the office, and parents will be contacted to arrange supervision.

NAPLAN

This year, NAPLAN will once again be conducted online in mid-March. To help students familiarize themselves with the format, a coordinated practice test will take place before the official testing period.

NAPLAN testing for Years 3 and 5 at MPW is scheduled between Wednesday, March 12th, and Monday, March 24th. Testing will take place in the mornings on the following dates:

Year 3 & 5 Writing – Wednesday, March 12th
Year 3 & 5 Reading – Thursday, March 13th
Year 5 Numeracy – Friday, March 14th
Year 5 Conventions of Language – Monday, March 17th
Year 5 Reading – Monday, March 18th
Year 3 Numeracy – Tuesday, March 19th
Year 3 Conventions of Language – Wednesday, March 20th

Year 3 will complete the Writing test on paper, and all other assessments will be completed online. Students will participate in practice sessions to become familiar with the platform and test structure.

NAPLAN is a valuable tool for assessing school-wide strengths and areas for improvement in teaching and learning. It’s important that we remind students that NAPLAN is just another type of assessment—similar to others they complete throughout the year. We encourage them to try their best and show what they know.

You can find more information in the attached NAPLAN Parent Brochure.

Basket Tea This Friday

Finally, the Basket Tea is this Friday! The Athol St gates will reopen at 5pm. This event provides an opportunity for parents to connect with one another, especially to welcome our new families to the school.

The event will be held on the Tiger Turf, with access through the Community gate on Athol Street. Each classroom will have a designated area, clearly marked with room numbers, to help families gather with their child’s class to begin the night.

We will also keep access to the Soccer Pitch and Big Adventure for students to enjoy. Feel free to bring along a ball or game to play with.

The Basket Tea is a BYO event (bring your own food, drinks, picnic blankets, and chairs).

We will be playing some music to create a lively atmosphere between 5pm and 7:30pm.

The toilets in the BER building will be available until approximately 7:45pm, after which time the facilities will be locked and alarmed when staff leave.

We hope to see many of you there and enjoy the warm night!

Regards,

Jarrod Sutton

Principal

Community Calendar

February

March

April