Into the swing of things...

It is really hard to believe that we have completed nearly 3 weeks of schooling so far after what felt like such a long break. It really does feel like a rhythm and routine is in place here at MPS with students bouncing in the gate in the morning and attending their classes with enthusiasm. This year our well-being hub has moved spaces into a smaller area due to an additional class occupying that previous space, however it still operates as normal for any students that might need some extra support throughout the day.

Some over the holiday improvements around our school have included an internal wall which was built by our groundskeeper and jack of all trades Andrew in the Year 1/2 portables, a much needed improvement to reduce noise across the two classrooms. We have nearly completed the upgrade to the new fence bordering our school on both sides with a lovely colour bond solid fence between our neighbours and the school. We also greatly appreciated our parent helpers over the summer that continued to water our gardens veggie patch to ensure we didn't lose everything during this incredibly dry season.

Our new Prep students have begun the year incredibly strong, settling into their classes, new routines and getting to know their peers and teachers. It has been so wonderful to see, considering more than half of our new Preps are siblings of students already enrolled in our school the many moments of family connections. Many big sisters and brothers including buddies helping our Preps when needed at recess and lunchtime as well.

Learning to Learn...

The first two weeks of school at MPS is always about learning to learn. Setting up with best practice routines, getting to know our teachers, learning where all our belongings go and where and how to line up with our class. Along with this, we focus on everyday classroom routines and our morning circle and then move into learning to learn within reading, writing, maths and wellbeing. All students were part of this program including our Preps who have done an amazing job at learning to be at school for a starter! It is always fantastic to see the journey of our little people when they begin school for the first time with so many eager and ready to learning students. Well done to all students on a successful learning to learn program.

Student Leadership

Our wonderful school captains grace the front page of our newsletter along with our house captains featuring on this cover page and I am so impressed already with the way they are taking on their new responsibilities.

Our school captains traditionally coordinate school assemblies each week and along with this role all captains take on a variety of extra jobs around our school including raising and lowering our flags each week, changing our school sign including working out what to put on there (this can be a challenge believe me), distributing school lunches each Wednesday including icy poles, donuts and drinks after the main lunches are delivered, putting our bins out and collecting them each week, recycling responsibilities around the school and our sports equipment to ensure students have equipment to play with at lunch and recess.

Our first school assembly last week was a great chance to present them with their new badges which they proudly wear now.

Staffing Profile 2026

Please find a list of staff in various roles for the school year.

Our school website, Facebook and Instagram page also has staff with photos to support you to connect faces with names as well.

https://moriacps.vic.edu.au/staff

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094345581853

https://www.instagram.com/moriacps/?hl=en

Administration-

Jess Peters- Business Manager

Melinda Counihan- Administration (front office)

Leadership-

Melissa Maccora- Principal

Erin Gleeson- Assistant Principal

Dale Evans- Learning Specialist- Maths

Ryan Fischer- Learning Specialist- English

Danielle Mather- Mental Health and Wellbeing (W/Th)

Team Leaders-

Prep- Ash Merchant

1/2- Emma Rodgers

3/4- Kerri Burns

5/6- Dale Evans

Teams-

Prep- Ashlee Merchant and Mattea Coppe

Year 1/2- Emma Rodgers, Lisa Edwards and Danielle Moore

Year 3/4- Kerri Burns, Ryan Fischer (Brie White- Th) and Kylie Craig

Year 5/6- Dale Evans (Brie White- M), Dan Tabuakoto and Jordyn Brown

Specialists-

Mikhala Fisher- Sport and SSA Coordination

Jared Smith- Performing and Visual Arts

Chloe Lumsden- French

Attendance

Every Day Counts — is your child at school today?

Being at school every day counts. If your child is absent one day per week, this quickly adds up to two months of missed school in a year.

Every day counts is an initiative aiming to improve attendance at school. The initiative promotes four key messages:

1. All children should be enrolled at school and attend on every school day.

2. Schools should monitor, communicate and implement strategies to improve regular school attendance.

3. Truanting can place a student in unsafe situations and impact on their future employability and life choices.

4. Attendance at school is the responsibility of everyone in the community.

Student Voluntary Contributions

Thank you very much to those families that have already contributed to the voluntary payments so far. As a Victorian Government school, payments are completely voluntary however they do make a huge difference to the school in terms of supporting programs we implement, supplies and resources for the students as well as equipment items we need as well. We appreciate all the families supporting us with this that are in a position to do so and are happy if you would like to pay via compass or would prefer to come in and pay via EFT as well. These payments can be made at any time during the school year.

Family Community Evening- Meet the teacher

Don't forget to join us for our meet the teacher session, BBQ and Disco! Details below.

PnF Committee- Fundraising Group

This year our fundraising gurus are led by Sarah Cunningham which is already off to a great start. There are many ways to be involved across the year, not just in this space but also in the gardens and grounds, see below.

If you are keen to lend a hand and be part of the PnF team, please go to facebook and search for the group- Moriac PS PnF Noticeboard. Once admitted, you will see various posts requesting support throughout the year.

This year we are seeking some support to help the Meet The Teacher event mentioned above so no time like the present!

PnF Committee- Working Bee Group

Please see details below regarding an upcoming working bee in our school for this term. Another great way to get involved, meet new people and lend a helping hand to our school.

TAC Road Safety

As a school community, we’re committed to supporting safe travel habits from the very beginning of primary school. Through the TAC’s Safe Migration Project we’ll be sharing practical tips and resources with parents and carers to support you and your children to travel safely to and from school - whether by walking, riding, scootering, or driving. We encourage you to take a look at the fun and engaging resources on offer, designed to spark important conversations about safe travel to and from school.

Here’s a quick safety checklist before walking, riding, or scootering to school with your child:

Plan the safest route (this is not always the quickest)
Choose quieter streets with lower speed limits (ideally 40km/h or less)
Cross at pedestrian crossings, signals, or where drivers can see you always wear a helmet (it's the law and reduces injury risk by 74%)
Choose footpaths, shared-use and bike paths
Stay close and actively supervise them at al times
Role model ʻStop, Look, Listen and Think’ when crossing roads
Always hold their hand when near traffic and crossing roads.

By taking these simple steps, we can al enjoy the benefits of safe active travel.

2027 School Tours and Enrolment Information

Finally if you can believe it, we are already getting organised for 2027 Enrolments including dates for our upcoming tours. This time around we have capped our tours at a maximum of around 10 but included an additional tour date as we move around our school and see it in action. Please feel free to spread the word, all details including the booking link are also on our website- www.moriacps.vic.edu.au

Have a great weekend everyone,

Melissa Maccora

Principal

KEY DATES

Term 1 dates below-

2026 Key Dates for families-