Moonee Ponds West Primary School

Principal's report

Greetings Parents, Carers, Students and the Community 

Thank-you to the couple of parents who came to the first Parent Forum for this year.  The Parent Forums give parents and stakeholders a change to feedback and up plus learn about what is happening at their school.  It was during this session that I discovered (to my horror) that we hadn’t provided the link for new parents to subscribe to the Newsletter.  Hopefully we have fix this now and we will adjust the transition process to include this important item when we offer the information about COMPASS.  My apologies. If you are unable to access the newsletter. Please use the link below to subscribe to the newsletter. 

http://www.mooneewestps.vic.edu.au/

School Council Elections

February is School Council nomination month.  Every Government school requires that half the Council comes up for re-election.  At Moonee Ponds West our schedule outlines that we have six (6) parent vacancies and two (2) staff or Department Of Education employee vacancies.  Thank you to retiring School Councillors:

Parent Members

  • Simone Beever
  • Lee Cath
  • Louise Evans
  • Jarrod Smith
  • Nigel Toussaint

DET Members

  • Helen Lockart
  • Vicki McCormack

 

School Council is a great way to get to know your school.  If you are interested please seek a nomination form from the General Office.

The School’s Strategic Plan

As many of you will remember last year we had our School Review.  This occurs every four years.  The Review is conducted by an independent reviewer allocated by the Department of Education. Our new goals and targets are then worked on each year and are documented through the Annual Implementation Plan.  At present an infographic in the form of a bookmark is being developed so that families know the work of the staff, School Council and the community.  It is an exciting time to build upon what is already happening at Moonee Ponds West PS to ensure that all student learning needs are being meet. I am going to suggest to School Council that we have a launch of some sort later this term or early in Term 2.

Early Dismissal Process

Thank-you for your willingness to support this new process.  To support the process we will be trialing the closing of the second set of entry gates.  The gates will close at 9.30 and adults entering the school will come through the General Office. The students will come to the Office via entry near the Staffroom.  This will enable us to track students in and out of the General Office. The Child Safe Standards are at the General Office for your information and I encourage you to read these guidelines and sign the accompanying record sheet.  Providing a safe and orderly environment is part of the work of all staff and community.

Meet the Teacher Interviews

Last week we held the Meet the Teacher Interviews.  Although the timeline was fairly short we managed to get 63% of families to this event.  Getting to know your teacher and sharing the information you have about your child, establishes that important relationship with the teacher which contributes to the achievement of your child.  We will be seeking your feedback and comments for improvement via the Insight tab on your COMPASS Homepage.    Haven’t had a chance to get to the interviews as yet?  Contact your child’s teacher for a convenient time. It is never too late!

Basket Tea

Hoping to see you all at the Basket Tea this Friday night from 5.30pm.  I believe the idea is that families bring food to eat or share.   We will have some sausages for sale on the night.  If you can give us a hand on the Sausage Sizzle please complete the attached form and return to the General Office.  We will also be providing an opportunity to purchase a Keep Cup.  This is in keeping with the Sustainability focus the school continues to support.  It’s going to be a pleasant 22 degrees.  Catch you on the night.

Basket Tea Sausage Sizzle Helpers February 2019.pdf

Camp Information Evening for 2019

This year we are adding an Information Evening for parents. This will provide information so that parents can make an informed decision.  The first of these nights is for the 3/4 team on Thursday February 21 at 7-8pm.  The 5/6 Camp Information Night will be on February 26th at 7-8pm in the Performance Space.  For both meeting please enter and exit via Eglinton Street.  

Volunteering at MPWPS

We will be offering an induction session for parents who are wanting to help in the classrooms.  Again the induction will need to be completed before helping can begin especially for the new parents.  The Induction will be held on a Tuesday am. I am trying to negotiate the date as I type.  Hopefully, I can get the date and time to you in the newsletter next week. In the meantime for reading practice the Gradual Release Model at home with your children. The Gradual Release Model is: I read, we read together, you read on your own!  It a great strategy for your child to get the phasing and fluency of a competent reader!

Well that’s about it from me this week.  Until we meet in person, enjoy the last spoils of Summer.

Sincerely

Kerri Simpson

Principal (Acting at Moonee Ponds West PS)