Principal's Report
Dear families and friends of MPW,
Well done to Rooms 14 and 12 who shared their amazing work in writing at this week’s assembly. Both classes shared their learning and achievements following the patterned writing and innovation process of literacy consultant Misty Adoniou. Students use the structure and language patterns of a mentor text they have been working with to create their own piece of writing.
Drop off and Pick up Zones Reminder
There continue to be reports to the school about parents parking and getting out of their cars in ‘drop off and pick up’ zones on Eglinton Street. These areas are marked with red lines and are for quick drop off or pick up only and not a parking zone. With limited parking, this ensures parents can quickly pull in to collect children and move on.
I would like to remind parents that you are required to remain in your car if using these zones.
With the current road works and Capital Works program, we ask that parents be mindful of parking signs and rules around the school especially Eglinton and Athol Street. Our priority is to ensure students arrive and depart the school safely, and your support to ensure this occurs is appreciated by following the signage.
Curriculum Day Reminder
Our next scheduled Curriculum Day will be Monday 15th July (first day of Term 3). This date has been selected as least disruptive to families and provides opportunity for staff to engage in professional learning. The focus for staff on this day will be developing and strengthening their knowledge in ‘Reading’.
Semester 1 Reports
Teachers are currently finalising the Semester 1 Reports. A formal written report will be published on Compass on Friday 21st June. This report will give families the opportunity to see their child(ren)’s progress against the Victorian Curriculum over the past 12 months. Today, a Compass notification was sent home that included a document explaining the elements of the report and how this works alongside our Progress Reports and Ongoing Reporting.
Early in Term 3, we will then hold our 3-way conference meetings where students, parents and teachers can discuss the semester report and students’ achievement in the first half of the year. These are generally held in week 3 of the term.
We will provide more information before the end of term regarding 3-way conferences.
3/4 Camp to Cave Hill Creek & Sovereign Hill
On Monday, our 3/4 students will be heading to Cave Hill Creek Camp. The camping experience is designed to provide opportunities for students to experience time away from home, engage in some adventure and team-based activities and develop their sense of responsibility and independence. On Wednesday before heading home, the group will be heading to Sovereign Hill to experience and learn more about Victorian history.
Thank you to the 3/4 team and administration staff for their work organising of the camp, and to those parents who have volunteered to assist the camp as a parent helper. I am sure a great time will be had by all.
Winter Solstice is approaching, that means Pyjama Day is coming
This Friday 21st June is the Winter Solstice and JSC have been planning our annual ‘pyjama day’ to acknowledge the day where the night is at its longest and coldest. JSC are currently promoting the day within the school and a Compass notification has been sent home to families explaining the day.
Students are encouraged to come dressed in pyjamas (appropriate for the day’s weather) and bring a gold coin donation to support 300 Blankets, a non-profit organisation that provides warm blankets and hot meals to people experiencing homelessness in Victoria.
We are looking forward to everyone coming to school in their comfy and warm pyjamas this Friday.
End of Term reminders
Next week is the last week of Term 2, can you believe it is halfway through the year already? We hold our whole school assembly next week on the last day of term, Friday 28th June, at 9:05am. Students are dismissed on this day at 2.30pm.
Capital Works update
We continue to progress in the Capital Works program. The external fencing upgrade has commenced on Eglinton Street and work on the exterior of the Hall building has commenced. The timeline continues to allow for the Hall building to be handed over in mid-late July, to allow us to move our F-2 students into the building hopefully at the end of July. After handover, the portables will be removed and new fencing will be established for work on resurfacing and redevelopment of the new Little Adventure. We will send out more specific updates and information to families in the F-2 area once dates are confirmed with the VSBA for the handover of the Hall building.
2025 Foundation Enrolments
Applications for Foundation enrolments for 2025 are open. The new statewide process continues this year, with specific timelines where applications close on Friday 26th July.
For families at MPW that will be having siblings join the school in 2025, please ensure that you collect your enrolment form at the office.
You can find information and resources about the new timeline, including factsheets, at: Enrolling in Foundation (Prep).
Student Attendance
A standing item in my report will be on Student Attendance, as this is a continual focus for our network and region.
Whilst most of our student absences are for illness or family holidays, we will be tracking attendance more closely this year. We are particularly interested in ensuring there are no unexplained absences for students. This is regularly followed up by our administration staff.
Regards,
Jarrod
Principal