Principal's Message

Friday Clubs

No Running Club and No Breakfast Club on Friday 16th December.

Step Up Week

This Week is Step Up Week. Students will again be briefed on the structure of Step Up week but a summary is below:

• Monday - Students are in their 2022 class.
• Tuesday - All students are in their 2022 class until 12.00pm. Year 5 Students present their Leadership Speeches in the morning. Year 6 attend their High School Orientation Day. Students move to their 2023 class at 12.00pm. Students are dismissed from their 2023 class at the end of the day. Students will bring home an introductory letter about their new teacher.
• Wednesday, Thursday and Friday - students are in their 2023 class. Year 6 2022 students are involved in the Year 7 timetable delivered by some of our local High School teachers and MPRPS staff. Wednesday morning they head to Mitcham Tennis Club for a coaching session.
• Friday - Again students are in their 2023 class and return to their 2022 class at 2.30 with their belongings, for the short week to come.

About the Step Up Transition Program

Mount Pleasant Road Primary School’s Step Up Transition Program presents an exciting opportunity for students to get to know their peers and teachers for 2023. The program provides a ‘taster’ for the year ahead, with students placed in their 2023 classes.  The purpose of the program is to provide students with the opportunity to develop relationships and experience school as they will in 2023.

Students going into Years Two, Four and Six in 2023 will serve as mentors for peers throughout the program. Current Foundation students will experience being in multi-age, flexible learning spaces for the first time. Our current Year Two students will investigate what it means to move up into the Senior School and will begin familiarising themselves with the 1:1 iPad program. Current Year Four students will explore the increased responsibility of becoming members of the Leadership Centre. 

Step Up complements our Transition to School program, which includes Foundation orientation sessions in the classroom, and our Step Up to Secondary Program designed especially for Year Six. The Step Up to Secondary Program features a high-school style timetable with a focus on time- and self-management. We are very fortunate to have a number of Secondary School teachers from Mullauna College and Forest Hill College who will deliver lessons in English, Mathematics and Science. 

The Step Up Transition Program also provides teachers with more time to get to know their students for 2023, to develop relationships and to communicate procedures, protocols and expectations. This will assist teachers in planning engaging lessons for Term One that pique students’ interests and address their next points for learning. Through the Step Up Transition Program and incorporated Step Up to Secondary Program, we hope to provide students with the knowledge, skills and experiences required for a smooth transition into 2023. 

Prep Transition Presentation to Kinder

We continue to innovate at MPRPS & K, and as such a new regular part of our transition program is to have Learning Centre SRC students present to the students moving into a new Learning Centre. I had the privilege of attending the Foundation presentation to the Kindergarten students. Their Public Speaking skills were on display and they even took questions from the Kinder audience.

Christmas Concert

Can you believe with the recent weather we had the perfect night for our Christmas Concert? Congratulations to Claire Andrews on an amazing year of Performing Arts opportunities and to top it off a wonderful concert to end the year. Thank you to Emily Glen for all her work with the Senior Choir and Tegan Kitteringham for all her work with the Dance Troupe. AND a huge shout out to our students from Kinder to 5/6 with their engagement, enthusiasm and pure joy in participating with their peers, it was amazing to witness. To all of our families who came along (and your patience with our BBQ) thankyou. It was a wonderful night. Finally much appreciation is extended to all staff for giving up a night with their families and helping out with numerous things to make the night a success but also their enthusiasm - it's such a great model for their students. Kaine Jenkins did make a very good Santa with Lisa Jones as the grinch!

I also want to thank all the parents who helped out on the BBQ. Juggling working the BBQ and seeing your children perform is also appreciated.

Parents and Friends Announcement 

It is with much gratitude that I take the time to thank Flip McKinnon for all of her service over the last three years, in her role as P&F Coordinator. Flip has been an amazing connection between the staff and parents and throughout the challenging times of lock downs and Remote Learning. One of Flip’s legacy’s will be how she has turned the Parents Facebook group into such a positive resource for all families, with reminders and notices, answering questions and getting the word out to everyone. Flip has managed to organise all of our regular P&F events and fundraising efforts this year ensuring students can visit the Mothers Day and Fathers Day stalls, Election Fundraising, Weekly Cake Raffle, our most recent Mango Fundraiser (who else’s house smells of mango?) and the list goes on. She came up with novel ways to connect over the lockdowns and we will miss her constant support. 

Thanks Flip for everything.

Foundation Walking Excursion

A regular event on the Foundation Calendar in normal times is the Walking Excursion. Students write letters and post them at the mailbox. They use the crossing and the Kiss and Drop off all the while discussing and exploring the safest way to travel. It was a little challenging avoiding the rain but they got it done. 

ICAS

One of the extra curricular parent funded learning opportunities offered to students is the ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools) assessments held across five subject areas. These were all online assessments which were held after school. We now have the results from the final assessment and can share the results (see below) of the students that achieved a High Distinction (top 1%), Distinction (top 10%) or Credit (top 25%). Congratulations to all of the students who participated in the assessments displaying perseverance and bravery throughout.

Unwell Advice

Stay home when unwell

The most important action school communities can take to reduce the risk of transmission of illnesses, is to ensure that any unwell staff and students remain at home, even with the mildest of symptoms.