Principal's Report

I cannot believe that we are already at the end of Term 3, which means we only have 11 more weeks until the end of the 2026 school year! 😲

Throughout this week, our Leadership Team has been meeting with groups of students in Years 4–6 to take a closer look at the results of our Attitudes to School Survey. We have been so impressed by the maturity and honesty of the students as they have shared what is working well and where they feel we could improve. Their feedback has been incredibly valuable and will help us continue to strengthen their learning experiences and make our school an even better place to learn and grow.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank our fabulous PFA and all our volunteers for the incredible amount of time and energy they continue to give to our school. Their support makes such a positive difference to our students, whether through the fun events they organise or their fundraising efforts, which help us continue to improve our school. Their contribution helps create the wonderful sense of community we are so fortunate to have at Marlborough. 🙏

Readers and Classroom Texts   📖

Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, the funds we are currently raising will go towards purchasing take-home readers for our junior students, as well as novels and other classroom texts for our middle and senior students. Your ongoing support is greatly appreciated and enables us to provide these valuable resources that enhance the learning experiences of all our students. 

Parent / Carer Opinion Survey

Thank you so much to the parents and carers who have already taken the time to complete our Parent / Carer Opinion Survey. Your feedback is invaluable in helping us identify areas for improvement and shape the future direction of our school. So far, 29% of families have responded, and we would love to reach closer to 40% (so close!!). If you haven’t yet completed the survey, we would greatly appreciate you taking a few minutes to share your thoughts. Every response helps us make informed decisions and continue improving our school for all students and families.

Please see my previous Compass Posts for login details. The Parent / Carer Opinion Survey will be closing this Friday, 18 September 2026.

3-6 Camp

Our camp at Lady Northcote was a wonderful experience and a great success! The students enthusiastically embraced the many activities and challenges presented to them, demonstrating courage, resilience, teamwork and a willingness to step outside their comfort zones in many different areas. We were incredibly proud of the way they represented Marlborough Primary School, with the Lady Northcote staff particularly impressed by their excellent manners and respectful behaviour. We sincerely thank Pippa, Rod and Jocelyn who generously volunteered their time and support, helping the camp run so smoothly. We are also very grateful to our dedicated staff for the care and encouragement they provided throughout the camp, and a special thank you to Sheena for all the time and effort she put into organising such a memorable experience for our students.

Hats   🤠

A friendly reminder that all students are now required to wear a school hat during outdoor play. Students who do not have a hat will be asked to remain in the undercover area outside the office during recess and lunchtime. Thank you for your support!

Master Plan

Exciting progress is being made on our school’s Master Plan! Our architects have met with staff and listened to the ideas and perspectives of our students to help shape the plan. They are now bringing this feedback together, and we look forward to sharing the final Master Plan with our community once it is complete.

Working Bee

Please save the date for our Term 4 Working Bee on Sunday 11th October, from 10:00am to 2:00pm. We will be preparing our school grounds for our big 50th Anniversary celebration, with jobs including mulching, pressure-washing paths and general tidying. We would love to see lots of families there, and any students who come along with their parents will receive a canteen voucher as a thank-you!

On this day…

🚀 September 15th, 1966: Australia Speaks to Space!

• What happened: The Carnarvon Tracking Station in Western Australia made the first-ever live satellite TV broadcast between Australia and the rest of the world.
• The cool details: This station was so important that it later helped track the Apollo 11 spaceship that landed the first humans on the moon!

🥐 September 16th, 1933: The Vegemite Scroll is Born!

• What happened: A baker named Arthur Baker in Melbourne officially registered the recipe for Cheesymite scrolls.
• The cool details: Today, this is one of the most popular snacks found in school lunchboxes all across Australia.

🐨 September 17th, 1899: Mary Poppins' Creator is Born

• What happened: Helen Lyndon Goff was born in Maryborough, Queensland. She later changed her name to P.L. Travers and wrote the famous bookMary Poppins.
• The cool details: The magical nanny who flies with an umbrella was imagined by someone who grew up looking at the Australian sky!

🏊 September 18th, 2000: Ian Thorpe Becomes the "Thorpedo"

• What happened: At the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, 17-year-old Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe won his third gold medal and broke multiple world records.
• The cool details: He had to wear a special full-body zipper bodysuit that looked like a superhero costume to help him glide through the water faster.

Thank you to all our families for your continued support. We wish you all a safe and enjoyable break, and look forward to welcoming everyone back next term on Monday, 5th October.

Kind regards,

Nadja Wood

Principal