Principal's Message

Welcome back to our MPHPS community.

I hope you had a fabulous start to the term and have settled into your new 2025 routines. This is a great time to remind your children that change can often be tricky and new class locations, teachers and expectations can play havoc with some children’s emotions. We are always aware that the first few weeks takes a bit of time to build new relationships particularly as your child looks to settle in. I ask you to give your new teacher a chance to connect and to support them with classroom expectations and programs. Of course, please remember if you have any concerns, contact your child’s teacher via a compass email or ask to make an appointment so that you can resolve any worries. 

This week our teaching staff are taking the time to assess their students as part of our Assessment Week. This is a great chance to collect immediate student data and match this with the end of year report information. This allows the new teachers and year level teams to plan for differentiated programs and to support your child at their point of need. We thank our Specialists who are working with classes to support the assessment process during this week. The specialist programs will officially start on Monday next week. 

You will have received a Compass alert over the weekend reminding you about weather conditions for this week. I encourage you to provide sunscreen for your child, a water bottle and their school hat. We have a sunscreen bell that rings every day at 10.43 and staff stop all students and ask them to administer their sunscreen if they have it. Unfortunately, due to child safety restrictions teachers are unable to administer or provide sunscreen. Hats are non negotiable – please NAME your child’s hat and ensure it is in their bag each day. They will not be allowed to play outside without it and will be sent to sit in an undercover space to ensure they are in the shade. We call a hot weather indoor day based on weather conditions and make this decision closer to the time of recess and lunch each day. 

Our 2025 School Council nomination process will be attached to this newsletter. We have a number of vacancies that need to be filled. Current members are able to reapply, and new members are welcome. Should we gain more nominations than vacancies we will hold a school based election.  All nominees will be asked to provide a photo and blurb descriptor to add to the election forms. If your interest is more around volunteering in the class or school events, I will be hosting a Parent Induction session on Tuesday 18th February at 9am in the Learning Hub. If you have already done this induction, you do not have to attend. This is purely for new volunteers only. Please contact the office to book in.

Finally, I remind you that we are continuing our Attendance initiative in 2025 and encourage all students to be at school and ready to learn in their classroom at 8.45. Being on time sets up lifelong habits and routines and this will certainly help as your children navigate the workforce as a teenager and eventually as an adult. 

Have a great fortnight

Chris