From the Principal’s Desk

Dear Mitcham Primary School Families,

I hope this newsletter finds you well and enjoying the transition into the cooler months of the year. As always, I'm delighted to share with you some highlights from our dynamic school community.

EDUCATION WEEK CELEBRATIONS

It has been an exciting week here at Mitcham Primary School as we've been celebrating Education Week. This year's theme, Spotlight on STEM, has highlighted the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in our everyday lives, in the classroom and beyond.

Some of the highlights of the week have included the bookfair, brilliantly organised by Miss Prim and hosted in our library (thank you Miss Prim!), and our engaging Lego Incursion, led by ‘Lego Master’ Ryan. The students were filled with excitement as they took on the challenge of building bridges using Lego bricks. It was fantastic to see their creativity and engineering skills in action. I was particularly impressed to witness one bridge withstand the weight of 7 kilograms during the testing phase!

This week, we had the honour of hosting a special welcome assembly for visiting Indian Principal, Dr. Jyoti Gupta, from the K.R Mangalam World School in Delhi. Dr. Gupta's visit is part of the Women in School Leadership (WISL) Program, a collaborative initiative fostering cross-cultural exchange and advancing leadership for social change within the education sector.

Our welcome assembly celebrated Dr. Gupta's remarkable contributions to education and highlighted the importance of international collaboration in driving positive change. It was inspiring to witness the enthusiasm and warmth with which our students welcomed Dr. Gupta to Mitcham Primary School. A huge highlight was listening to and watching all our students singing ‘We Are One and We Are Many’, not only did our students sing the song with their voices, they also learned how to perform the song using Auslan. A huge thank you to Miss Kolokathis and Ms Williamson for all their efforts in preparing our students.

The WISL Program, spanning nine months, has aimed to enhance the leadership capabilities of 12 women principals in Victoria and 12 women principals in Delhi. Through online professional learning sessions and reciprocal immersion experiences, participants like myself and Dr. Jyoti Gupta have gained invaluable insights into best practices in school leadership and community engagement.

This year's WISL program theme, "Leading schools for social change with a focus on learning and wellbeing," resonates deeply with our shared commitment to student development and holistic wellbeing. Dr. Jyoti Gupta's presence at our school provided a unique opportunity for us to learn from her experiences and perspectives, enriching our understanding of global educational practices.

We hope parents and friends will be able to join us next Friday 24th May, for assembly when our students will again perform ‘We Are One and We Are Many’.

In addition to Jyoti’s visit, and as a part of my participation in the WISL program, this week I also had the privilege of continuing my own professional learning journey by attending the Victorian Teaching Academy and Melbourne University where we engaged in workshops with academics Dr Maricia Devlin, Claire Lundy and Professor Lindsay Oades from Melbourne University.

Particularly inspiring was Professor Oades' insights into student wellbeing and human flourishing, and its intersection with education, his workshop affirmed my strong belief in the transformative power of education in nurturing individuals to realise their full potential and lead fulfilling lives.

HAPPY NEWS

We're thrilled to announce that Grade 4 student, Camille, was named Runner Up in this year's Moving Forward Together Association Inc Harmony Day Poster Competition! Camille's creativity and talent have earned her an invitation to a prestigious award ceremony in Sydney. Congratulations, Camille! Your original artwork shines brightly!

In other joyful news, I'd like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Ms Lauren Cerra on her recent engagement to her partner Barclay, and wish them both all the happiness possible in this new chapter of their lives.

Thank you to our wonderful students, staff, and families for making Education Week a memorable and enriching experience. Together, we continue to inspire a love for learning and exploration in our school community.

Warmly,

Erin

Respectful Audience