Merri-bek Mail

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Principal’s Report

Dear Parents and carers,

 

Welcome to Term 3. 

I hope the mid-year break enabled all families the time to slow down, relax, spend quality time with loved ones and regenerate for the second half of the school year. This term continues to be filled with many exciting learning opportunities for our students. 

Some of the activities planned include: 

 

▪ Incursions- Foundation Fire Incursion

▪ Police Visit- Foundation students

▪ 100 days of Prep – Assembly and morning tea

▪ Open Streets

▪ Parent Reading professional learning

▪ Developing Leaders Day- At Coburg High School

▪ Superhero day- Say NO to Bullying

▪ Friendship Day

▪ Science Week

▪ Book Week and parade

▪ Wear It Purple Day

▪ Father’s Day Stall and Breakfast

▪ School Concert

▪ Random Acts of Kindness Week

▪ Pyjama Day

▪ Spanish Day

 

It was great to see parents at our Parent Teacher Interviews last term. Teachers discussed each child’s learning progression and the goals for term 3. As you know we have a strong commitment to student  wellbeing and learning. Our first day back had a focus to ensuring all students felt happy to be back reconnecting with their teachers and peers. We are committed to ensuring all students feel happy, safeand ready to learn. If you have any questions regarding your child please do not hesitate to speak to your child’s teacher. Teachers are in the playground at the end of the day, you can catch them at 3:30pm for a quick chat or make an appointment via the office.  Hana (Assistant Principal) and I are always available to discuss any concerns you may have or any positive feedback you wish to share.

 

Prep Enrolments 2024

It is that time of the year!  It certainly has been exciting to see so many prospective parents and their children attend our school tours over the past few weeks. Our school tours are currently being offered each Monday and Friday at 9.15am, please call the office to make an appointment and we are more than happy to arrange a tour of our fabulous school for you.

If you have a child (or know of a child) who is due to start school next year, please get your enrolment form into the office as soon as possible.

Prep teachers are planning some special transition times next term for pre-school kids –They will be advertised very soon.

We are already beginning to plan classes and teachers for the new year. The sooner we receive their enrolments, the sooner we can plan our Transition Program later in the year. 

 

We want our Parents/Caregivers/Guardians to tell us what they think!

Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents / caregivers / guardians think of our school. The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education that is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behavior, and student engagement.

The survey is optional, although we encourage all families to participate. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.

A survey link will be emailed out to families via COMPASS to see what parents/caregivers/guardians think of our school.  The Parent / Caregiver / Guardian Opinion Survey will be open from Monday 7 August to Friday 8 September 2023.

The Department of Education allows us to select a random sample of approximately 30 per cent of parents/caregivers/guardians to participate.  I will be inviting ALL our families to participate in the survey.

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. The online survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. Please follow the instructions in the email to complete the survey. NOTE: Only one parent/caregiver/guardian from your family is invited to complete the survey.

 

100 Days of Prep (Foundation)

Next week, the Foundation students will celebrate their 100th day of school. To mark this big milestone in their schooling journey, students are invited to dress up as what they thought they will look like when they are 100 years old. On this day of festivities, we had a parade at 9.15am to share our costumes, share our favourite memories of school so far and learnt all about the number 100.

 

Foundation families and children (along with staff) are also invited to join us straight after assembly, in the performing arts room, for a special morning tea.  We thank PnC for all their organisation for our Foundation morning tea.  Coffee morning will also be operating, prior to assembly.  Come along ang get yourself a nice warm coffee!

 

Father's Day/Special Person Stall

Anthony Cianflone, MP for Pascoe Vale, has kindly donated $100 towards our upcoming Father's Day/special person raffle.  We also thank our familes for their kind donations, and we are accepting these up until 16th August.  The Father's Day/special person stall will be held on Friday 1st September.

 

School Concert: Stuck in the Library

We are excited about holding our first concert as Merri-bek PS.  Tickets are currently on sale at the cost of $28.00.  Children who are 4 years old or younger will not need to purchase a ticket to attend the concert. However, they won't have a separate seat reserved for them. Instead, they will be required to sit on an adult's lap during the event.  

 

The expectation is that ALL children participate in the concert and attend the evening.  In the event that your child is unable to participate, please communicate this to Aysu or myself as soon as possible.. They will not be able to stay in the holding room if they are not involved in the performances.  

The concert will have a general admission seating arrangement. This means that attendees can choose their own seats on a first-come, first-served basis. We will have staff assisting families with seating.  There won't be any pre-assigned or allocated seating. 

Students of Merri-bek PS attend the event for Free.  Students will be in a holding / breakout room for the duration of the concert, while not performing and will be released class by class for collection at the end of the concert.   All children in attendance to remain for the entire concert. Children CANNOT be collected during the concert.Tickets can be purchased here: https://compasstix.com/e/xniyhwsi1n

 

School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) Seeking Valuable Feedback from Students and Families!

As part of our ongoing journey to become a School Wide Positive Behaviour  School (SWPBS), I am excited to inform you that our dedicated staff members worked diligently on Curriculum Day to develop a draft comprehensive SWPBS Matrix that aligns with our school's values and ethos.

 

Now, we need your valuable input to make it even better!  Your thoughts and perspectives are of immense importance to us, as they will help shape the foundation of our positive school culture. We believe that by involving our incredible students and supportive parents, we can create a nurturing environment that fosters growth, respect, and success for all.

 

We kindly request your participation in providing feedback on the School Wide Positive Behaviour Matrix. Please let me know via email if you are interested in participating in a small focus group with students.  It’s likely it will be held on a Monday.   Please email me your interest by Friday 4thAugust.

 

We encourage student voice and agency and our parents/carers to join our focus group discussions, where you can openly share your ideas and suggestions.  We will also discuss behaviour expectations and invite your valuable insights. This will also be discussed at our next JSC meeting.

 

Please keep an eye out for further communication regarding the specific dates and details of the feedback sessions. We are looking forward to your active involvement!

 

Thank you for being an essential part of our school community and for your unwavering support. Should you have any questions or require additional information, please feel free to reach out to me:

Maria.giordano@education.vic.gov.au

 

Let's work together to make our school an even better place to learn and thrive!

 

Maria Giordano

Principal

 

 

Assistant Principal’s Report

Mental Health and Wellbeing  – Michelle Carland

Lunchtime Wellbeing Club

Our Wellbeing Club is a calm space for students. You will often find them completing mindfulness activities as meditation music plays. The Wellbeing Club is open to all students that are seeking a place to relax and enjoy each other’s company.  We meet in the hall each Monday from 11:15am - 11:35am.

Open Streets, Term 2

 

Last Term Merri-bek Primary School held its first successful parent-volunteer run Open Streets! It was amazing to see so many students and parents ride, walk or scoot to school on this day and be involved in so many activities on Blair Street whilst it was temporarily closed to traffic. There were close to 200 students who decided to ride, walk or scoot on this day.

 

A big thank you to the parent volunteers who have dedicated their time to be trained and ensure each event runs smoothly both morning and afternoon.: 

  • Jake Phelan
  • Marian Turner
  • Sally Mcleay
  • Katy Ingram
  • Jan Blakeman
  • Andrew Barker
  • Anna Cook
  • Mariko Oya
  • Tess Mccabe

There will be another TWO (2) Open Street events to be held in Term 3, the dates are below:

  • Week 3 (Today, Friday July 28th)
  • Week 7 (Friday August 25th)

We look forward to another successful and busy Open Streets morning and afternoon!

Final call out for the Building and Grounds Committee

The MPS School Council is doing a final call out for parents and carers interested in sitting on the School Council's Building and Grounds Committee.

 

You've probably noticed but in the next couple of years the school is going to need to replace its astroturf, which is becoming worn and uneven. The School Council needs advice on how to select the best replacement option - which offers sustainability, longevity and value for money.

 

If you are interested in sitting on the Building and Grounds Committee this year, please email: markevenhuis1@gmail.com