School News
Hoodies Up! Awareness Day
Hoodies Up! Awareness Day was Held on Monday 25th March. Students were asked to wear a hoodie and were invited to wear free dress. Cam, Jared, Elise and Jed spoke about their Autistic strengths and challenges inside and outside the classroom. We are very proud of these four students who were brave enough to get up and speak in front of their school community to raise awareness for Autism. MPS students also watched an educational video about Autism and Autistic individuals navigate the neurotypical world.
Hoodies Up! Speech
Jed: Hi, my name is Jed. Can you please put your hoods up?
Elise: Hi, my name is Elise
Cam: Hi, my name is Cam
Jared: Hi, My name is Jared.
Jed: Today is Hoodies Up! Day, which is an awareness day for Autism and Autistic people.
Elise: Autism month is April, but we wanted to do it this week so you can have the whole month of April to think about Autism
Jared: I have Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Anxiety.
Elise: I have Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia and Anxiety.
Cam: I have Autism and Anxiety.
Jed: I have Austim, ADHD, Dyslexia and Dysgraphia.
Cam: Autism impacts how people communicate and how they sense the world.
Jared: Autistic people’s brains work differently and sometimes they might need different things to help them feel comfortable and learn.
Elise: For example, moving my body helps me concentrate so I don’t understand when teachers want me to sit still in class.
Cam: having Autism means I follow the rules and I tell the truth! I enjoy school as it gives me structure, routine and I usually know what to expect and I love reading books.
Jed: Having Autism means I think differently. My brain gives me different points of view than what others see. I see a lot of details that other people often miss. My hearing is particularly great (even though my listening is not always.)When I focus on something, I can become very, very good at it.
Jared: My Autism means I have a good memory. That I can have special interests that I am really interested in and know almost everything about it. I notice details that other people might not notice. I am a kind and caring friend.
Elise: My Autism means I have a great memory, I care strongly about my friends and I LOVE division!
Cam: Autism does have challenges at times. Sometimes my reactions don’t match the size of the problem for example I may have a big reaction for a little deal. I don’t like too much noise for example loud noises or too many people talking at the one time and I don’t like loosing games.
Elise: My challenges are staying focused, spelling and staying still!
Jared: I find writing narratives, people who do not follow the rules and understanding social cues hard. Crowds, bells and fire alarms can also be confusing and loud for me and I also don’t like it when I have new teachers or I have to change where I sit.
Jed: Sometimes I get stuck on an idea and I find it hard to move on. We call it rock brain. I might need patience from my friends and teachers to hear me out. I can find it hard to put my thoughts into words. When a situation get overwhelming and I don’t understand the same way as others, it’s easier for me to pretend to listen, or to be by myself. Sometimes I need support to work through my own thoughts in my own time. Big crowds and lots of noise are very stressful for me.
Cam: The reason why we are wearing Hoodies today is because people with autism sometimes like to feel enclosed.
Jared: Putting a hoodie on can make them feel safe and secure.
Elise: Sometimes girls with autism are different to boys with autism.
- Girls are good at masking, which means they can pretend to fit in. But on the inside, I want to run away and just not do it.
- Everyone with autism is different but girls and boys are especially different.
Jed: We hope this has made you more aware of what Autism is and how we deal with it every day all day.
School Photo's
This years school photos will be held on Tuesday 7th May. Please make sure all students are wearing full school uniform and their big smiles. It is helpful for the day to go smoothly that all students are here on time. This year we will also be having a whole school photo taken.
Orders can be placed on line for both your students individual and Sibling packs. For online orders you will need to use the school code REJ X59 XG3.You can also order via the cash envelopes that will be sent home with your child over the coming days.
Please note: If paying by cash you must enclose exact correct payment,as change is not available. Credit card payments can only be made online.There is a separate envelope for sibling photo cash orders, which you can collect from the office if you require one. Please see attachements for ordering information.
Sushi Day
We are always looking to expand our canteen and lunch order offering for students and
staff, which is why Tuesday 7th May will be Sushi Day!
We have partnered with TK Tuckshop (run by MPS parent Billy Green, Alaric's Dad) for this fantastic idea.
It's easy to order online via the app https://www.spriggyschools.com.au/ (and can be done until 10pm the night before)
Please note there are no cash, counter or office sales!
Watch this space for other lunch order options in the future!!
AFL GIRLS GALA DAY
Maroondah Region Girls only AFL Day -Manson Reserve.
To promote women's AFL League, 22 girl teams from across Maroondah District schools played in a WAFL Gala Day on Friday 19th April. We played at Manson’s Reserve, Wantirna. The weather was fine but cold and the Marlborough Team played with energy, sportsmanship, effort and competiveness all day.
I couldn’t be prouder of the following students.
Sylvie Al, Rebecca B, Lucy B, Alexandra E, Evie G, Izzy H, Amy K, Maria K, Zoe N, Violet P, Heidi R, Sophie S, Cadie T, Annabelle V, Hayley W-G, Jemma M and Sierra B .
Our first game against Antonia Park we won 22-0! We had two of our girls, Cadie and Sierra, play for Antonia to make up numbers. This shows the great sportsmanship.
Jordy Allen, SEDA student voted on our best and fairest for the game.
- Maria ,
- Violet .
- Rebecca
All girls were very competitive, Zoe , Rebecca , Violet scored our goals. Sophie S didn’t miss a clearance from the centre.
Our second game was tough against Eastwood 2 team. Our team was so determined, their defence was brilliant. We lost 0-1. Low scoring.
- Sophie S
- Maria
- Alex E, Violet, Sylvie, Rebecca.
Our third game for our pool was against Sacred Heart 2.
We won 13 to 7.
- Heidi
- Annabelle
- Zoe, Rebecca, Alex E, Violet, Sierra, Maria.
We won our pool overall which meant we made semi-finals. We were all so excited and couldn’t believe it.
We ended up getting thrashed against Ringwood North 1st team but our girls fought till the end. So proud of this team.
We came 4th out of 22 teams a brilliant achievement.
More important we had fun, we were active, had no injuries and competed competitively with great sportsmanship.
Thank you to all parent helpers Sharon and Bruce who helped support Amy K. Also to Erin V, Robyn R (also for the yummy chocolate slice), Pete R, Gloria B, Steve M and Angela (Evie’s) , Zach, (Sierras ) and Jane B for walking to the venue and then came back to escort us home .
Most importantly Jordy Allen, the team's invaluable coach.
Camps, Sports & Excursion Fund
For those families who have a current Health Care Card in the name of a parent/guardian, you are entitled to $150 from the Camps, Sports, Excursions Fund. If you have received this through MPS previously and your details are unchanged you do not have to submit a new form.
For those who are new to MPS or have changed details since last year, please fill out the attached form and return to the school office along with a copy of your Health Care Card as soon as possible. Hard copy forms are available at the office also.
Indonesian news
Selamat Datang Term 2!
The main theme for the whole school this term is “rumah” – our housing unit. The students in Prep –Grade 2 are learning new vocabulary through labelling, games and songs. Students from Grade 3-6 will explore different housing styles and the history of particular regions.
Students in the middle and upper school are focusing on refining basic questions and responses in spoken Indonesian. The students will also develop their language skills through role playing, online activities and putting their language skills into practice.
Heathmont College Indonesian Cultural Day – Monday 22/4
On Monday, our grade 6 students took part in an Indonesian Cultural Day at Heathmont College with two other local primary schools. The activities included mask making, Indonesian dance, games and martial arts. The activities were run by the Heathmont College students. Another highlight of the day was nasi goreng (fried rice) for lunch which was “enak!” (delicious!)
We are very fortunate to have a great relationship with Bu Devathas and Heathmont College which enables a smooth transition for our students heading into Year 7.
Sayembara Lisan Competition
This term we will be participating in Sayembara Lisan, a state-wide Indonesian Speaking Competition. This is run by Victorian Indonesian Language Teachers Association (VILTA), and the final will be held at University of Melbourne on Saturday 27th of July. The first round will be held at school and Bu Devathas, from Heathmont College, will visit to judge our students as part of the Maroondah region. The competition includes simple questions and the students will either sing a song, recite a poem or respond to a prompt in Indonesian. We will be covering the material in class and there is no cost involved. Interested students will have the opportunity to be part of a lunchtime club to practise for the competition.
I wish all of our students "Semoga sukses!" and look forward to informing the school community of our finalists.
If students have access to the internet at home, they might like to explore or revise their vocabulary at the Indonesian section of Languages Online at: http://www.education.vic.gov.au/languagesonline/indonesian/indonesian.htm
Terima kasih (Thank- you),
(Bu) Mary-Ellen Dowling