Leadership @ MPS

Welcome to 2026 🎉📚

What a fantastic start to the school year it has been! Staff have returned full of energy and excitement and it has been genuinely wonderful to see our community back together again. 

I’ve loved getting into classrooms, chatting with students and catching up with families in the yard at both drop-off and pick-up times. There is a real sense of positivity and momentum around the school, and we’re very much looking forward to the year ahead.

Our Newest Learners – 2026 Foundation Students 🌱💛

A huge shout-out to our newest members of the MPS community. Our Foundation students have settled into school life beautifully, and staff have been incredibly impressed with how confidently they’ve approached this big step.

We’ve been especially proud of how well students are entering the Junior Building independently in the mornings. This is an important part of building confidence and independence, and it’s an expectation for all students across the school. Well done to our Foundation families too – this transition is a big one, and you’ve supported it wonderfully!

Current Principal Class Staffing Arrangements 🏫📙

As many of you are aware, at the end of last year I (Paul) was appointed as Acting Principal of Montmorency Primary School for Term 1, 2026. As part of this arrangement, Ady Wall was appointed as Acting Assistant Principal for the same period.

The Principal position was advertised as an Acting role for one term only due to the timeframes required to appoint an ongoing Principal in a Victorian Government School. As Janene was successful in her new role partway through Term 4, there was insufficient time for the Department to complete the full appointment process before the end of the 2025 school year.

The Term 1 Acting appointment allows the Department the necessary time to follow the required process properly this term, while ensuring continuity of leadership at the school.

I plan to apply for the ongoing Principal position, which will be filled through an open, merit-based and equitable selection process. It is unlikely that the outcome will be known until late in Term 1 and the community will be kept informed as the process progresses. In the meantime, the school will continue to operate as normal, with strong leadership in place and a clear focus on the learning, wellbeing and safety of our students.

Solar Upgrade ☀️🔋

Our long-awaited Solar Upgrade is now in its final stages of completion. A 92.33kW system was installed in mid-January on the roof of the Junior Building, and we are now awaiting a final visit to commission the system. Photos are included below so you can see the scale of the work that’s been completed.

Thank you to our school community for your ongoing fundraising support, which helped offset the school-funded component of this significant project. This upgrade is an important step forward for both sustainability and long-term cost savings for the school.

Uniform Reminder 👕🎒

A friendly reminder to families to please ensure students are wearing full and correct school uniform each day. Consistent expectations support a positive school culture and help all children feel a strong sense of belonging.

This term, the school is placing a particular focus on SunSmart practices, including the daily wearing of MPS school hats, as well as adherence to our updated Uniform Policy.

Student Safety 🚸⚠️

We have had several instances of students and families using the staff car park as a thoroughfare to enter or exit the school. This is a significant safety concern and must not occur.

The staff car park is an active vehicle area and is not designed for pedestrian access. Families and students are asked to use designated school entrances at all times and to avoid walking through the staff car park, even briefly. Thank you for helping us keep everyone safe.

2026 School Fun Run 🌈🏃‍♀️

Lock the date for this year's Fun Run into your calendars, it will be happening on Friday, 27th of March. Keep an eye out for more information which will be sent out via Compass in the coming weeks!