Principal's Message

What a wonderful start to the year at Mount Pleasant Road PS and a big thank you to all the students, parents, carers, community and teachers for welcoming me so warmly. I am incredibly excited to be part of the Mount Pleasant Road community and look forward to working with you all to support the students at the school to be thinkers, learners and leaders. I have a real passion for education, wellbeing and student engagement and pride myself in working in collaboration with you all to improve student growth and outcomes.

It has been fantastic to see all our MPRPS students start the new year in such a positive way! Our Year 1-6 students have settled into their new classes so seamlessly. They have been busy developing their classroom expectations and enjoying new routines and reconnecting with and making new friends!

As well as myself being new, we welcome Jonny Hobbs as Leading Teacher. Julia Robertson joins us in 3/4 and Eryn Muir in PE. We also welcome back Ella Gasowski in 5/6 and Treesjee Butterworth to the Kinder.

Meet our MPRPS Teams 

Our teachers are looking forward to a wonderful year of learning and growth for our students.

Curriculum days

At our school, we are committed to helping students thrive not just academically, but also personally and emotionally. A key focus in this journey is wellbeing—the overall health, happiness, and sense of purpose students feel as they grow. One of the frameworks we use to support this is the Berry Street Education Model, which focuses on various domains of student development. On our curriculum day we learnt about the 4th domain of the model, which focuses on capitalising on strengths through growth-oriented practices.

This domain teaches students to identify their individual strengths and abilities, and how they can use them to overcome challenges and continue growing. Instead of focusing on weaknesses, the approach encourages students to embrace their unique qualities, build confidence, and find ways to apply their talents in both their learning and personal life.Through this strength-based mindset, students develop resilience, a positive outlook, and greater self-awareness. Teachers learnt practical skills to support students to manage stress, solve problems creatively, and maintain emotional balance.

On our second day back, our staff took part in several important activities designed to ensure we’re fully prepared for the year ahead. One of the key updates involved refreshing our understanding of Child Safe Practices and OHS (Occupational Health and Safety) Protocols. These areas are crucial in ensuring a safe, supportive, and healthy environment for both our students and staff. As part of our ongoing commitment to student and staff wellbeing, all of our staff updated their First Aid certificates on the second day of our return. This certification is a vital component of our health and safety practices, ensuring that all staff members are equipped with the knowledge and skills to respond effectively in emergency situations.

Building works

Over the course of the holidays, work has been completed in our Creativity Hub, and we are thrilled to share this exciting space with our school community. This newly developed space is designed to inspire and foster creativity, innovation, and collaboration among our students. The Creativity Hub has been carefully curated to provide an engaging environment where students can explore a variety of creative, inquisitive and artistic and hands-on learning activities. From interactive stations for scientific exploration and room to enhance creativity in performing arts, the space is intended to encourage students to think creatively, experiment, and express themselves in new and exciting ways. The design of the space emphasises flexibility, allowing students to work individually or in groups, depending on the activity or project at hand.

Senior Swimming Carnival 

All students in Year 3/4 and 5/6 will participate in the annual Senior Swimming carnival on Friday 14th of February. Students who have completed the nomination form and approved by families will compete in the 50m swimming events and/or fun swimming house colour events. Students placed in the Top 2 of their age group event will progress to the district swimming carnival against other local schools. Please use Compass for consent and payment. Contact the office if you need help with Compass log ins. 

Assembly

We will be holding our first Assembly on Monday from 2.45pm. 

Classes will begin hosting assemblies from 17th February with 5/6N our first class (this is always on the Compass calendar).  We welcome parents/carers to attend particularly if you can make it for your child's awards or when their class is hosting. There is limited seating at the back of the hall for those that need and also standing room. There is also standing room behind the class teachers along the doors that face into the courtyard.

Production 2025

Mount Pleasant Road Primary School Presents: Seussical JR!

We are thrilled to announce that in 2025, Mount Pleasant Road Primary School will bring the magical world of Dr. Seuss to life with our production of Seussical JR!

Join us as we journey through the whimsical stories of Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat, Gertrude McFuzz, and many more beloved characters. Filled with colorful adventures, upbeat tunes, and an inspiring message of friendship and loyalty, Seussical JR. 

Auditions: 4th, 5th, and 6th of February at lunchtimes. Sign up with your classroom teacher!

Stay tuned for rehearsal schedules and performance dates. We can't wait to share this unforgettable experience with our school community.

Get ready for a Seusstastic adventure—because a person’s a person, no matter how small!

School Saving Bonus reminder and support

The Victorian Government is delivering the School Saving Bonus (SSB) – a one-off support of $400 for eligible government school students from Prep to Year 12 in 2025. The SSB helps families cover the cost of uniforms, textbooks, excursions, activities and more. Most families have now received their SSB code(s).

If you would like to use your bonus for school activities, you can allocate some or all of the bonus using the School Saving Bonus online system. If you have only recently completed your enrolment into the Victorian government school system you can expect to receive your SSB code(s) in the coming weeks.

The Department of Education has established a dedicated contact centre to support the SSB. The contact centre can be reached by:

 · completing the School Saving Bonus enquiry form

·calling 1800 338 663, between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm on weekdays.

 I encourage you to take advantage of this government support.

2025 Calendar

The dates for the month are always on the front page of this newsletter. under 'Importtant Dates'. Please check the front of the newsletter each week or you can access the full calendar through Compass. 

Extreme Weather 

We have a very hot week coming up. Please make sure the students have their hat and plenty of water to drink. 

I look forward to meeting many more students and families!  

Have wonderful weekend!

Claudia Rushton