Hi everyone and welcome to the latest newsletter. I hope you and your children have had an awesome week at MEPS and continue to enjoy all the wonderful offerings and opportunities we share each day.

Please be reminded of the upcoming Public Holiday on Monday June 8.

Cultural Diversity Week

Last week, our school proudly celebrated Cultural Diversity Week — a wonderful opportunity to recognise and appreciate the many cultures, languages, traditions and backgrounds that make our school community so special. Throughout the week, students participated in a range of exciting activities designed to promote inclusion, respect and understanding.

One of the highlights of the week was our Cultural Dress Day, where students and staff proudly wore clothing that reflected their cultural heritage or favourite cultural traditions. It was fantastic to see our school come alive with such colour, creativity and pride. Cultural Diversity Week reminds us that while we may come from different backgrounds, we all belong and contribute something valuable to our school.

Together, we continue to build a school community where everyone feels respected, included and proud of who they are. Together we grow!

Reconciliation Week

This week we proudly recognise National Reconciliation Week — a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements and to explore how we can contribute to reconciliation in our everyday lives.

Reconciliation week provides an opportunity to help deepen our understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories, and perspectives. This takes many forms such as exploring stories by First Nations authors, enjoying artworks inspired by Indigenous artists, and discussing the importance of respect, connection to Country, and community.

We also reflect on this year’s Reconciliation Week theme, ‘All In’ and consider ways we can help build a more inclusive and respectful future for all Australians. These conversations encourage empathy, understanding and appreciation for the world’s oldest continuing cultures.

As a school community, we are committed to continuing the journey of reconciliation by listening, learning and walking together with respect. We thank our staff, students and families for supporting these important learning opportunities and helping to create a school environment where everyone feels valued and connected.

Reconciliation is everyone’s responsibility and together we can help build stronger relationships and a brighter future for all.

https://www.reconciliation.org.au/our-work/national-reconciliation-week/

District Cross Country

Congratulations to all the students whom participated in the District Cross Country on Monday. An amazing effort to make it through to this level of competition and it was inspiring to see the students compete so hard in representing the school and themselves. Resilience and challenge were clearly on display as were the values of respect and connectedness as our student supported their team mates and also encouraged other competitors across the day.

Thanks to the many parents who came along to support. Those students who have made it through to the Division Cross Country, this will be held on Wednesday June 3.

Looking Forward to Our Year 3–6 School Concert: A Night at the Museum

Excitement is building across the school as our Year 3–6 students prepare for this year’s school concert, A Night at the Museum! Students and staff have been working incredibly hard during rehearsals and we cannot wait to share this entertaining production with our school community.

The concert promises to be a fun-filled evening of music, drama, dance and laughter as students bring the museum to life with colourful characters, creative performances, and plenty of surprises along the way. From energetic group numbers to impressive acting performances, our students are showcasing their confidence, teamwork, and talents.

Events such as the school concert provide wonderful opportunities for students to build resilience, develop performance skills and work collaboratively with their peers. It has been fantastic to see students supporting one another, learning new skills and enthusiastically embracing their roles.

We thank our teachers and staff for the time and effort they have dedicated to preparing the concert, as well as our families for their ongoing support with rehearsals, costumes, and encouragement at home.

We look forward to welcoming families and friends to what is sure to be a memorable evening of entertainment and celebration. Hopefully everyone is in the process of securing tickets for the show on June 17 at the Frankston Arts Centre.

Tickets can be purchased here: https://artscentre.frankston.vic.gov.au/Whats-On/Search-All-Events/Mt-Eliza-Primary-School-A-Night-at-the-Museum-26

SRC

Our Student Representative Council students from across the school have been meeting this week to share ideas, support school initiatives and help make our school an even better place for everyone.

The SRC have been involved in planning special events, discussing ways to improve our school community, and encouraging students to show kindness, responsibility, and respect in all areas of school life. Their enthusiasm and willingness to listen to the ideas has been wonderful to see.

Students have also been developing important leadership skills such as communication, collaboration, decision-making, and problem-solving. It has been pleasing to watch council members grow in confidence as they represent their peers and contribute positively to school life.

We thank our students for their leadership and commitment to making a difference within our school community. We look forward to seeing their ideas and initiatives come to life throughout the year.

MEET

The Mt Eliza Environment Team have also been meeting to share and discuss opportunities to focus our school on environmental and sustainability initiatives.

One of these initiatives that the team is supporting is World Environment Day. This will be celebrated on Friday June 5. As part of this day, students are encouraged to bring nude food lunches to help reduce waste at school. Throughout the day, classrooms will work together to save energy by limiting screen time, switching off lights when possible and reducing paper use through sustainable classroom practices. Students will also participate in a school clean up to help care for our environment and keep our school beautiful. Together, we can make small changes that create a big difference for our future!

Well done to the MEET team for their hard work, shared student voice and action!

Stay well this winter from the Department of Education

Symptoms of influenza (flu) can hit very quickly and may last several weeks. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself and others from getting the flu.

Keeping our school community well

Parents, carers and students are encouraged to practice prevention measures, including:

washing and sanitising hands regularly
avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
covering nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing
staying home if unwell and consulting a general practitioner (GP) or Nurse-on-call as required
staying up to date with flu vaccinations.

Have a great weekend.

Michael

Respect, Resilience, Responsibility, Connectedness and Challenge

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