Murrumbeena P.S. Newsletter

From the Principal

JUST LIKE THAT… TERM ONE IS ALMOST OVER!

They say time flies when you’re having fun — and with everything we’ve packed into this term, it’s no wonder it’s flown by! We've enjoyed so many fantastic events and activities, including:

  • Swimming Carnival (Years 3–6)
  • Whole School Cross Country
  • Open Afternoon (Meet the Teacher)
  • Parent-Teacher Interviews
  • Harmony Week celebrations, including a dance party and cultural dress on Friday
  • School Photos (expected back around May)

HARMONY WEEK

Harmony Week is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the rich cultural diversity within our school community. As an International Baccalaureate school, we’re proud to foster international mindedness — encouraging our students to value and respect the unique perspectives and contributions of people from all around the world.

Throughout the week, classes enjoyed decorating their classroom doors to showcase the many cultures represented in our school. It was fantastic to see so many students proudly wearing traditional clothing on Friday.

A huge thank you to Miss Tonkin, Miss Calderone and Miss Hendriks for organising an engaging week of activities. The celebrations wrapped up with a lunchtime dance party — a definite highlight that had students of all ages joining in the fun!

 

THE EASTER RAFFLE

One of the highlights of Term 1 is our much-anticipated Easter Raffle, which will be drawn on the last day of the term. Parents are warmly invited to join us at assembly as we also announce the sport house winner of the ‘Community Spirit’ award for the term.

The excitement begins in the hall at 1:40 pm on Friday 4 April.

A huge thank you to everyone who has supported the raffle through donations and ticket sales — your generosity is truly appreciated!  

Please remember to return any tickets and money by 3:30pm Tuesday 1 April.

 

CURRICULUM DAYS

We’re starting next term with two Curriculum Days, during which our teachers will engage in professional learning with accredited International Baccalaureate presenters. The focus will be ‘The Role of Mathematics’ — exploring how inquiry-based learning helps students build, transfer, and apply mathematical understanding.

This will be a valuable opportunity for teachers to dive deeper into effective math instruction, share resources, and align practices with the updated Victorian Mathematics Curriculum 2.0.

Students will return to school on Thursday 24 April.

 

2025 SCHOOL COUNCIL UPDATE

Our new School Council held its first meeting last Monday, kicking off the year with the formation of our sub-committees and the election of office bearers. Each committee plays an essential role in supporting different aspects of school life:

  • Finance:  Oversees school finances, monitors income and expenditure, and ensures compliance with policies.
  • Education:  Reviews policies, examines school data, and engages with the parent community as needed.
  • Canteen & Uniform: Manages uniform reviews, second-hand uniform stall, canteen operations, and policy updates.
  • Social & Fundraising: Plans events to build community connections and raise funds to support the school (including our biennial carnival).
  • Facilities:  Focuses on maintenance, future development planning, and coordinates working bees.

We’re excited to introduce our 2025 School Council team:

  • President:  Luda Unitt
  • Vice President: Jenks Guo
  • Treasurer:  Nimit Aggarwal

Sub-Committee Convenors and Members:

  • Finance:  Nimit Aggarwal (Convenor), Jenks Guo, Oliver Johnson, Helen Georgitsopoulos
  • Education:  Fiona Sewell (Convenor), Fiona Boyer, Maisie Barry
  • Canteen & Uniform: Fiona Boyer (Convenor), Kelly Tuck, Susan Hunt, Helen Georgitsopoulos
  • Social & Fundraising: David Funston (Convenor), Kelly Tuck, Katrina Beer, Deb Nhuch
  • Facilities:  Bianca Baker-Smith (Convenor), Oliver Johnson, Adi Raddi

We look forward to a productive year ahead and thank all members for their commitment.

 

SNOW SPORTS 

In recent years, a dedicated group of students has proudly represented our school at the Interschool Snow Sports Competition. We know many of our families enjoy spending time on the slopes, and we’d love to see more students get involved this year!

The Interschools Snowsport Championships offer students from Prep to Year 12 the chance to experience competitive snowsports in a fun, inclusive environment. With nine different disciplines available, the event welcomes all skill levels — whether you’re new to the snow or an experienced skier or snowboarder. Students can compete individually or as part of a school team.

This year’s competition will take place at Mount Buller in August. If your family is interested in joining the school snow team, stay tuned — we’ll share more details via Compass next term.

 

WORKING BEE- Save the date: Saturday 3 May (10:00 – 1:30pm)

Each year we hold a working bee to clean up areas of the school. 

Michael, our school's part time handyman/ groundsman does a fabulous job at keeping our grounds clean and tidy but there is never enough time for him to get to the 'extra' things. This is why the school relies on families to get involved in the working bee. 

We’d like to focus our attention on three main roles:

  1. Cleaning up the garden areas around the SAKG 
  2. Cleaning up garden beds around the hall
  3. Cleaning out the sports storage shed

Many hands make light work. Even if you can only spare an hour, it all helps. 

 

LAST DAY OF THE TERM REMINDER

As Term 1 draws to a close, a reminder that school will finish early on Friday 4 April, with dismissal at 2:30 pm.

A huge thank you to our students, families, and staff for making this term such a positive and busy one. We can’t wait to dive into Term 2, with fresh learning opportunities and more exciting experiences ahead.

Take care, be kind, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back next term!

 

Chellee Plumb