Murrumbeena P.S. Newsletter

From the Principal

MPS Trivia Night – A Huge Success!

Last Saturday’s annual MPS Trivia Night was nothing short of sensational! From the moment we pushed through the swinging saloon doors, we were transported into a buzzing Western wonderland—bales of hay, cowboy hats, boots, and the sweet sounds of country tunes set the scene. The energy was high, the costumes were incredible, and the night exceeded all expectations.

A huge thank you to our dedicated School Council Social and Fundraising Team—David Funston, Kelly Tuck, Katrina Beer—and their many helpers for organising such a memorable night. Be sure to read the fundraising team’s article later in this newsletter for a full list of acknowledgements and highlights.

 

What Are We Fundraising For?

A key goal has been to increase shaded and sheltered spaces across the school. We’re now planning a large, permanent structure over the asphalt line-up area and basketball court. This will protect students from both UV in summer and the rain in winter. The structure will also include lighting, a sound system, and power outlets—ideal for all-weather sports and school events.

 

Student Voice – SRC Wish List

Our Student Representative Council (SRC) has been busy gathering ideas from across the school. Their wishlist includes:

  • Removable soccer nets between the football posts 
  • Safety barrier netting behind the junior football posts
  • A netball post and ring in the junior play area 
  • A drinking fountain near the Weeroona Rd side of the oval to keep our sports fans hydrated without missing too much game time (pending fundraising $$)

Thanks to your ongoing support and the commitment of our School Council, we’re confident we can meet the needs of both students and families.

 

Tax-Deductible Parent Contributions

As we approach the end of the financial year, it’s a timely reminder that voluntary contributions to the Building Fund and Library Fund are fully tax-deductible. These funds significantly boost our school budget and directly support improvements to facilities and learning resources. Parents who have been a part of our school for a few years can attest to the improvements made to buildings and grounds each year utilising the parent voluntary contributions. Receipts are issued for all contributions.

To check the status of your contributions or for more information, please email the office at murrumbeena.ps@education.vic.gov.au. 

 

Mid-Year Reports – Available Soon

Semester 1 reports will be uploaded to Compass on Wednesday 2 July after 4:00pm. These reports outline your child’s key achievements across learning areas.

Compass Continuum – A Valuable Ongoing Reporting Tool

For those newer to the school, we’d like to share some background on the development of the Compass Continuum—an ongoing reporting tool that was introduced in response to parent feedback.

In 2022, following the disruptions of the pandemic, we conducted a formal parent survey to gather thoughts on communication, learning, and how best to keep families informed about student progress. A clear theme emerged: while parents valued semester reports, they also wanted a more timely and detailed insight into their child’s learning throughout the year—not just through the twice yearly reports.

In response, the school explored a number of options and ultimately introduced the Compass Continuum. This platform allows parents and carers to see the specific skills, knowledge and understandings their child is working on, what they have already consolidated, and what areas are still developing. It offers a transparent and up-to-date view of student learning that supports deeper conversations at home and during parent–teacher interviews.

The Continuum has recently been updated to reflect the revised Victorian Curriculum, so families may notice that some descriptors have changed, been added, or removed to ensure alignment with current standards.

The Continuum will be open for parent access next week. We’ll also be providing guidance on how to navigate and interpret the platform to get the most from it.

 

TERM 3 PARENT – TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Last year in Term 3, we held ‘student-led conferences’ which parents and carers reflected were like our ‘Unit Shares’. With this in mind, we decided to return to parent-teacher interviews to provide parents and carers with the opportunity to discuss the child’s achievement as indicated in the report and the child’s progress of learning against the continuum. 

Parent teacher interviews will be held on Monday 28 and Wednesday 30 July.  Booking details will be sent via compass following the release of semester reports.  

 

Unit Shares – Celebrating Student Learning

As an IB PYP World School, we explore six global transdisciplinary themes each year, weaving the curriculum into rich units of inquiry.  At the end of each unit, students share what they’ve learned—through writing, reading, mathematics, and creative presentations. 

These Unit Shares are a celebration of student understanding and confidence, and we are always grateful for the strong parent/carer turnout. Your support helps our students feel proud of their learning journey. 

 

Holiday Clean-Out? Think of Us!

Over the break, if your children are tidying up and outgrowing things, we’d gladly accept the following donations for school use:

  • School uniforms in good condition (for a second-hand stall next term)
  • Toys for creative play in the quiet area
  • Dress-up clothes or large fabric pieces for imaginative play and performances

Donations can be dropped off at the front office.

 

School Savings Bonus

The school savings bonus of $400 per student was provided by the State Government to assist families with the cost of living. The school savings bonus will not be repeated next year. 

Online access to the School Saving Bonus will expire on 30 June 2025. Any balance remaining at this time will transfer to family accounts at the school in late July 2025, for families to use toward school activities. Families and schools do not need to action this transfer.

Unspent funds will rollover for use by the family in future years if not all spent in 2025.

Families who have more than one child at the same school can combine their School Saving Bonus to use on one child or for a specific activity (for example, a camp). The School Saving Bonus cannot be combined across different schools and cannot be transferred between government and non-government schools.

Unused money from the School Saving Bonus will follow students transferring between government schools. Where a student leaves the government school system any unused money can be transferred to a sibling at the same school. If there is no sibling, the funds can be retained by the school to support other students with educational costs.

 

Sports Uniform

It’s not too late to purchase your child a House shirt from our uniform supplier Primary School Wear (PSW) in Ormond. You can use your School Savings Bonus to do this up until 30 June. 

 

ROAD SAFETY AND GREAT NEWS

We are pleased to advise that Glen Eira City Council’s traffic engineering and road safety team have completed the assessment of the traffic and pedestrian data for the crossings at Neerim Road and Railway Parade.  Based on the results, both crossings meet the requirements to have a crossing supervisor.  

Action is now underway for the crossings to have a supervisor as soon as possible but likely from the commencement of Term 3.  

 

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank students and their families for walking, scooting and riding to and from school, especially during that important traffic monitoring stage. As a school, we are really pleased with the outcome as we'll have greater peace of mind knowing crossing supervisors will be in attendance to support safety at the end of our school’s street (Hobart Rd) on Neerim Road and at Railway Parade. 

Thank you for a wonderful end of term. Stay warm and enjoy a restful break.

 

Warm regards,

Chellee Plumb