News From Mr Smith

Dear School Community Members,

National Reconciliation Week: 

Next week, our school will acknowledge National Reconciliation Week, a time for all Australians to learn about, reflect on, and celebrate the rich cultures, histories, and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

National Reconciliation Week encourages us to build respectful relationships and strengthen understanding between First Nations peoples and the wider Australian community. It is also an opportunity for each of us to consider how we can contribute to reconciliation in Australia. This year’s theme is “All in for Reconciliation.”

Two important dates are recognised during this week:

• 27 May marks the anniversary of the 1967 Referendum, when Australians voted to remove discriminatory clauses from the Constitution affecting Indigenous Australians.

• 3 June marks the anniversary of the 1992 High Court Mabo decision, which recognised the land rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

   

Throughout the week, students will participate in a range of classroom discussions and activities designed to deepen their understanding of Australia’s rich Indigenous history and culture, and to recognise that Australia’s story began long before 1788.

As part of our learning, each class will create its own Acknowledgement of Country, which will be displayed in classrooms and shared at our weekly assemblies.

We encourage families to take this opportunity to reflect on and celebrate the traditions, cultures, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Promoting Positive Behaviour – Bullying Prevention: 

At Manifold Heights Primary School, student wellbeing remains one of our highest priorities. Our School Improvement Agenda highlights the strong importance we place on supporting the health, safety, and wellbeing of every student.

We recognise that a positive partnership between home and school plays an essential role in supporting children’s social and emotional development. Recently, our school reviewed both our Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy and our Bullying Prevention Policy. As part of this review, we discussed the importance of ensuring families clearly understand the process for reporting concerns relating to bullying.

Please note the following:

• Bullying is defined as an ongoing and deliberate misuse of power through repeated verbal, physical, and/or social behaviour intended to cause harm.

• While all inappropriate behaviour needs to be addressed and corrected, an isolated incident of unwanted verbal, physical, or social behaviour is not considered bullying.

   

In line with our Bullying Prevention Policy, we encourage parents and carers to contact a member of the School Leadership Team if they have concerns regarding cases of bullying.

Contact Details:

Phone: 03 5229 9643

Email: manifold.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au

ATT: SCHOOL LEADERSHIP – BULLYING

Later this year, we will recognise and promote the National Day of Action against Bullying and Violence. This important event provides a valuable opportunity to continue educating our students and wider community about building a culture of kindness, respect, and inclusion. Further information will be shared in the coming months.

Parent-Teacher Discussions: 

Manifold Heights Primary School is committed to developing an effective ‘Home – School’ partnership to maximise the opportunities and outcomes for each student. With this in mind, we can confirm our Parent Teacher Discussions (interviews) will take place on:

Date:   Thursday, 25th June

Time:   2:00pm – 7:40pm

Venue: Classrooms, Manifold Heights PS

Please note:

• Students will be dismissed at 1:30pm on this day (Thursday, 25th June)

• After School Care will commence at 1:30pm on this day – bookings can be made with VillageOHSC

   

Further details, including times and how to schedule a Parent Teacher Discussion will be available in the coming weeks.

School Council: 

School Council gathered again on Monday night and the key agenda items were: 

• The 2025 Parent Opinion Survey was tabled and discussed. This analysis included highlighting 18 of the 19 ‘factors’ of the survey where higher than ‘Similar School’ (schools identified as similar profile to Mano)
• Discussed the advocacy for improved facilities at Mano
• Discussed the progress of our Playground Upgrade program. School Council have identified the Wooden Playground along Narmbool Street as the playground to be replaced in 2026. This will be funded by the fundraising of our Parents and Friends commitment over the past two years. Our Junior School Council are currently developing a proposal for School Council’s consideration. 

• Reviewed and endorsed the Fundraising Policy

   

This policy will be available on our website in the coming weeks

• The leadership team provided School Council with a summary of our School Review. This included the review’s findings and recommendations for the next 4 years.

   

Each of our School Councillors are deeply committed and invested in our school. Please contact them if you have any feedback or concerns.

Email: manifold.heights.ps@education.vic.gov.au

Att: School Council

Thank you for supporting our school and have a great week.

Christian Smith