Thursday 13th July

Welcome to Term 3. I hope all our community had the chance to spend some quality time together with family and friends. We have enjoyed seeing the staff and students reconnect with each other as they have started another term of learning with many things to look forward to this term.

Tomorrow is a pupil free day. Students are only at school to attend the conferences. We will be having our three-way conferences to discuss the semester 1 progress, celebrate achievements and reset for this semester. Families can make bookings via compass until 8am tomorrow morning.

Conferences will go for 12 minutes. If you find you need to make another time you are welcome to arrange this with your child's teacher, as is normal practice.

Please ensure you have read your child’s report prior to the conferences, as well as the learning tasks as these form the basis of the conferences. If you are unsure how to access this please let your child’s teacher know.

Please contact the office if you are having trouble making a booking – but by the looks of it almost everyone has managed to do this which is great.

School Improvement

Over the break we have had some works done:

Replaced the fence in the playspace so it is safer
Removed the old flagpole and had 3 new ones installed
Repaired some asphalting
Had the gutters cleaned
Had the gardens and grounds tidied in preparation
Had some plumbing done to improve the toilets
Fixed broken seat and repaired holes in the building (thanks to Scott Wicking for doing this)

For many years our School Council has wanted to have indigenous signs on our buildings throughout the school. This was organised by Anna Benjamin and we had Scott Wicking put these around the school. Students have been matching the names to the animals.

This may help as a guide.

Office - bunjil (eagle)

BER/Junior - balam balam (butterfly)

Corridor (greenspace end) - mindi (snake)

Corridor (art room end) - djirri djirri (willy wagtail)

Plot to Pot - walert (possum)

Multi/hall - marram (kangaroo)

Portables - gurrng gurrng (kookaburra)

2024 Foundation Enrolments – Due Date

A reminder to any families with Prep students starting in 2024 that Enrolment Forms are due by Friday 28 July. Please contact the office on 9754 3695 or by email at menzies.creek.ps@education.vic.gov.au to ask for a form. Please also contact us if you have any queries. It would be great if you could pass this information on to any families you know of who may wish to enrol their Foundation child for next year. Families will be advised by Friday 11 August regarding confirmation of the placement at MCPS.

Winter sniffles

It is appreciated by the school when families are keeping students at home when they are unwell so to avoid spreading any illness. Thanks to those families who are entering this information into compass attendance so we are aware too.

If you require any RAT kits please come to the office as we still have plenty for our community.

Thank you

Over the holidays we had some staff and families continue to support our school in various ways. We would like to acknowledge this as we are very appreciative.

to the Eagleton family for hosting our chickens again
to Daniel Sutera for taking home our interschool sport uniforms to wash.

Washing

If anyone is able to assist us this term with any washing we would be very grateful. Each week we have aprons and tea towels from plot to pot as well as the sick bay linen. Please contact the office if you are able to assist. Thanks in advance.

Parking

We are always mindful of safety around our school at drop off and pick up times. Please ensure you are abiding by the road rules and parking appropriately.

With the roads being slippery with winter in full swing please take your time around the school, be mindful of students walking and avoid U-turns on School Rd. We don’t want any avoidable accidents. We have also made contact with the Yarra Ranges Council to address the potholes that have formed again along the front of the school so hopefully this is actioned quickly.

Take care,

Dale McInerney

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