From Marie

Last week we wrapped up the Encounter Program for 2024.  We farewelled our eleven students and thanked their buddies for showing our values of kindness and respect.  We look forward to running this program again in 2024. If you have overseas relatives who may be interested in this experience, please pop in to the office to find out more information, or check out our website.

Wear It Purple 

Tomorrow our Junior School Council are asking students to wear a touch of purple as one way to show that we care and include all people.  Wearing purple is voluntary.  Inclusion is a big part of the work we do with all students all year long.  It crops up when we discuss: the language we use when we speak to others; the respect we show for all members of our community; when we listen to other peoples perspectives; when we accept all people for who they are.  I appreciate that a few families have approached me with curiosity about this day and we have been able to talk about the language of inclusion.  During the day tomorrow all students will view a powerpoint, see the slide deck below, which emphasises inclusion of all people.

Supervised road crossings

You may have noticed an increased presence of Maroondah City Council staff at our crossing on Panfield Ave this week.  The Council provide supervised crossings to ensure the safety of all students as they travel to and from school.  I would like to remind everyone of the following:

• the yellow lines on the road, on either side of the crossing, are a no parking zone
• There is a kiss and drop area on Panfield Ave in the mornings, using this in preference to pulling into driveways and blocking the footpath would be appreciated
• Walking your child to the crossing to cross the road, even if it takes a few more minutes

60th Anniversary Trivia Night

We are excited to announce our 60th Anniversary Trivia Night on Friday 17 November.   Put the date in your diary now and book your babysitters.  There will be whole tables that can be booked for you and your friends or you may wish to be added to a table with other families from school.  The night will be a mixture of Trivia and entertainment with opportunity to look back over the decades and see how the school has changed. We are looking for companies and businesses who may be able to make a donation to a raffle or to sponsor rounds of questions, then please be in touch, we would love to hear from you. Thanks to Priscilla, Bao, Narelle, Helen and Jenny for getting this project underway.  

Tea Towel Fundraiser

Our limited-edition tea towel design will be made up of self-portraits drawn by all our children and staff. The pictures and names will be arranged all together as a 60th Anniversary commemorative design for the whole school then screen printed in red onto premium white 100% cotton tea towels.   The order form for these was sent home during the week and can be returned up until 30 October.

Child safety and wellbeing at Mullum Primary School 

The Victorian Government has announced new Child Safe Standards to further strengthen child safety across organisations, including schools. The new standards recognise the critical importance of families and the broader school community in maintaining and promoting child safety and wellbeing. We have reviewed and updated our child safety policies and procedures to ensure they meet the requirements of the new standards. These are available to view on the school’s website. We are committed to continuous improvement in our approach to child safety and wellbeing and welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on ways we can further strengthen our child safety policies, procedures and practices. If you have any suggestions, comments or questions, at any time, please contact Marie Beale.