Principal's Message

Tim Newton

A message from our Principal

This Wednesday was the 1/2 camp at school. It was an exciting day for the 1/2s. They got to have a BBQ play fun games and do a puppet show. The 1/2s camp at school was all day.

The new indoor basketball court will have a Performing Arts room, showers and more toilets. It will have 2 class rooms and a huge indoor basketball/ netball court. They were smoothing out the ground so they can put the cement on for the foundation and they have also done the piping for the showers and toilets this week. Once they have finished building the gym, they will then convert the multi-purpose room into a very special library!

On Halloween at school it was the Monster Mash. There was a ‘dance off’ and the winners Tom Spalding and Zoe Pepperell (us). Last Monday we were Principal of the day which was the prize of winning the monster mash.

Last Tuesday it was the Prep Transition for the new preps for next year. As part of the transition, they get to go to the prep teachers for a session to do activities, learn the school rules and get to know their teachers that they could have next year

A couple weekends ago our school went to the Dad’s and Kids camp in Flinders. Some of the activities were zip line, damper making, climbing the wall and sleeping. Some kids made mini fires by themselves (with supervision) and some of the people went on bush walks. Everyone had a super time!

Thanks for reading! - Tom and Zoe

New Social Media Rules – What Parents Need to Know

From 10 December 2025, the Australian Government will introduce new laws designed to help protect young people online. These laws will restrict access to social media for anyone under the age of 16, marking a major step forward in supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing.

The new rules aim to make the online world safer and more balanced by requiring social media companies to check users’ ages and reduce exposure to harmful content. Many families have welcomed this change, as research continues to show that early social media use can affect children’s sleep, self-esteem, and overall wellbeing.

While these new laws are an important milestone, nothing replaces the role of parents and caregivers. Families still play a vital part in helping children develop healthy habits and make good choices online. This is a great time to check in on how technology is used at home, set some clear boundaries, and start open conversations about online behaviour. Understanding what these new rules mean can help you feel confident in supporting your child through this period of change. Our MPPS teachers will be talking to the senior students about it also over the coming weeks.

To find out more about how the regulations will work, visit the eSafety Commissioner website for updates, tools, and helpful resources.

You can also:

Download the SchoolTV Family Tech Agreement to set clear expectations around technology use in your household. MPPS-SchoolTV LINK
Use our step-by-step guide to help your child download and save their social media data before the new rules begin.

Kind Regards,