From the Principal

WORKING BEE THANK YOU

The school was abuzz last Saturday as Murrumbeena families undertook a range of gardening tasks to freshen up our school. 

You will notice the beautiful crepe myrtle trees along the Weeroona Road fenceline and the new passionfruit plants along the chainlink fence beside the swimming pool car park which will not only look stunning as the vines grow but will also supply our Stephanie Alexander program with produce for the kitchen. Parents were also busy barrowing 15 cubic metres of softfall mulch and spreading it out through the junior playground. 

We know how busy life is so it’s even more precious when caring families give their time to help out at the school. We genuinely appreciate it. Thank you to the following families for their support:

Maplestone, Baker-Smith, Unitt, Woods, Lee, Blackman, Wai, Kwong, Salter, Rappoccio, McPherson, Vanderstoel, Cheo and Field. Thank you also to staff Oliver Johnson and Fiona Sewell. (The names were taken from the induction and sign in sheet so please excuse us if your name was missed out). 

FACILITIES COMMITTEE

The School Council sub committee has been very active across the year, especially when it comes to decision making related to facilities developments and identifying priorities for future attention. One of the continued areas for development is shade and weather protection. 

Throughout this year, various shade options have been investigated along with Education Department approved suppliers to help us narrow down suggestions. 

In accordance with our ‘Consultation with the School Community’ policy, we are seeking school community input into this facility. This is of particular importance given the significant cost involved and the impact large shade structures can have on the school. 

We will be inviting your input through a google form which will be sent via Compass this week. 

2024 CARNIVAL

We are thrilled to share the exciting news regarding the recent school Carnival! Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our Social and Fundraising Committee, Carnival Working Party and volunteers, we generated a total revenue of $71,692.39, with expenditures amounting to $33,905.15, resulting in a remarkable profit of $37,787.24. 

Incredibly an additional $30,000.00 was raised through other fundraising initiatives during the course of the  year. The school matched the remaining funds, making it  possible to purchase and install a brand-new playground for our Year 3 to 6 students. The installation features the ever popular rollover bars in the quiet area at the front of the school, complete with a soft fall surface, as well as the large ropes playground beside the learning centre. The cost of the new playground along with retaining wall barriers (keeping softfall within the area) was $110,000.00.

While fundraising is a key goal of our Carnival, it also served as a wonderful opportunity to showcase our beautiful school facilities and foster community spirit. Thank you for your continued support in making our school a vibrant place for learning and play!

NEW SPORT UNIFORM

Last year the House Captains and Sport Action Team, with student consultation, decided to change the names of the Houses from Red, Green, Gold and Blue to Marram, Yanggai, Gurborra and Dulaiwurrung and permission was obtained from the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation to use the Woi Wurrung language. 

This year, our House Captains and Sport Action team have engaged a Wurundjeri Artist to turn their ideas into emblems. The emblems will be used on new House Sports shirts which Primary School Wear (PSW) are producing and will have available in 2025 for purchase. (See note below).

Over the next few weeks at the whole school assembly, each House will take it in turn to reveal their emblem with the accompanying Aboriginal story.  

NOTE: Parents can choose to use their ‘School Saving Bonus’ to purchase this along with other school uniform items. (Details about how the School Saving Bonus will be sent to parents in November).

BYOD – Bring Your Own Device (iPads and Chromebooks)

On Tuesday, we held a parent information session about the school’s BYOD program with a focus being on why the school is moving away from iPads and to Chromebooks. 

We are all aware of the need for students to be skilled as digital citizens for their participation in a global world, but we are also aware of the pitfalls of device use. The information session gave parents and carers the opportunity:

• to view how Chromebooks can be used to meet the outcomes in the Victorian Curriculum and why Chromebooks were selected 
• to understand what the ICT policies mean in practice and why ICT Agreements are so important for both students and their parents
• to see how the school will monitor device use during school hours.
• To have questions answered. 

Purchasing a device for your child is a significant investment, but it is one that will be of use and benefit to your child throughout four years of their schooling (from year 3 to 6). 

Thank you to the parents who gave their time to come along to the presentation and a huge thank you to Miss Bainbridge, Mr Johnson and our IT technician Paul Pham who worked so diligently to prepare the presentation. 

CLASS PLACEMENT GOOGLE FORMS

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we shared some insights regarding our approach to classroom placements from a resilience building and friendship perspective through last week’s Compass post. 

The Class Placement Policy (found on our website) outlines the numerous factors taken into consideration when creating new classes, but transitioning students into different classes with new classmates each year also offers many advantages. 

Last week a friendship request form was posted via Compass inviting students and parents to consider who the student learns best with. This form should be completed by Monday 28 October. 

We are committed to providing a well-rounded education that emphasizes not only academic achievement but also personal and social growth. We appreciate your support as we implement this approach and foster a positive and inclusive school community.

PREP TRANSITION IN READINESS FOR 2025

Following the Education Department’s timeline, parents have now confirmed their child’s school through the enrolment process and our preparations are well underway for their transition. 

An Information Evening for our new prep parents is on Wednesday 6 November (6:00 – 7:30pm) in the school hall. This session will provide parents with an overview of the transition program, guidance on how to prepare children for school and general information about teaching and learning at Murrumbeena Primary. 

First Transition Session – Five transition sessions have been prepared for our 2025 Foundation students commencing on Tuesday 12 November and every Tuesday following until the State Wide Transition day which is Tuesday 10 December. 

Theircare have organised a coffee cart for the morning of Tuesday 12 November and we hope for good weather as we look forward to current families welcoming the new. 

SCHOOL COUNCIL COMMITTEES

Recent activities undertaken by the sub committees:

1. Finance: this committee recently reviewed the 2025 voluntary parent contributions and Revenue and Expenditure of the 2024 whole school budget.
2. Education: analysed the Attitudes to School and Parent Opinion data along with policies scheduled for review.
3. Facilities: have completed the playground installations, explored shade options and prepared how we’ll consult with the community seeking input (see further report).
4. Canteen and Uniform: reviewed the canteen menu, sales and prices in readiness for 2025 and discussed the new sport uniform.
5. Social and Fundraising: organised the Halloween disco and are scheduling social and fundraising activities for 2025.

Being a member of school council provides greater insight into the various activities of the school and the guidelines that govern these. We thank each member for their school community perspective and positive involvement on our Council.

Chellee Plumb