Principal's Message
Welcome back
We hope you all enjoyed a wonderful and refreshing school holiday break, how ever that looked for you and your family. Whether you spent time travelling, relaxing at home, catching up with loved ones, or simply enjoying a change of routine, we hope you had the opportunity to rest and recharge.
As we begin a new term, we're excited for all that lies ahead. We have a busy and rewarding term ahead, with plenty of exciting events and learning opportunities. Students can look forward to camps, incursions, athletics, Foundation's 100 Days of School celebration, Book Week, National Week of Action Against Bullying and Violence, Semester 2 ICE and much more.
We look forward to seeing our students embrace these opportunities.
NAIDOC Week
Celebrations were held across Australia from Sunday 5th July to Sunday 12th July. It celebrates and recognises the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. While this occurs during the holidays, at MPRPS we always ensure we acknowledge and commemorate this special occasion.
This year's theme ‘50 Years of Deadly’ recognises the movement over the decades and reflects on the themes that reflect what Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were advocating for at the time.
At Mount Pleasant Road Primary School and Kindergarten, we are committed to reconciliation and ensuring we provide opportunities for all students to deepen their knowledge and understanding of Australia by learning about the world’s oldest continuous living cultures. This is a key cross-curriculum priority that is embedded throughout teaching and learning in all areas of the curriculum. Below is our vision for reconciliation which was co-created with students and staff and is accompanied by art work created by Samantha Richards through the Artist in Residence programme in 2024.
Congratulations, Donovan!
The Australian Gymnastics Championships were held at the Quaycentre, Sydney Olympic Park, NSW, from 28 June to 5 July.
Representing Victoria, Donovan competed in the Level 7 Under 13 competition and delivered an outstanding performance, winning:
🥇 Gold Medal – Parallel Bars
🥈 Silver Medal – Horizontal Bar
To top off an incredible week, Donovan also qualified for Team Future Advanced and will travel to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra later this year for an elite training camp.
What a fantastic achievement! Well done, Donovan! We are incredibly proud of your hard work, dedication, and success, and we can't wait to see what you accomplish next.
Staff news
We have a few staffing updates to share with our community. Jess Hirvonen will be commencing maternity leave at the beginning of August, and we wish her all the very best as she prepares to welcome her new baby. During Jess's leave, Claire Denadic will be joining the 5/6JS classroom from Monday to Wednesday.
We are delighted to welcome Jane MacDonald back to the Education Inclusion team supporting stduents in the classroom. We also welcome Kyra McClintock and Lucinda Gatt to our Education Inclusion team who will replace Taya Strahan while she is taking leave from Week 2 to pursue some travels.
We are pleased to welcome Sarah Rubython to our office, where she has joined our admin team. Sarah will be assisting with administrative support across the school, and we're excited to have her as part of the team. Please say hello and make her feel welcome!
We are delighted to share the wonderful news that Ella Gasowski has welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Minna Max Currie, who was born on 2nd July.
Mum and bub are both doing well, and the family is enjoying this very special time together. We send our warmest congratulations to Ella and her family, and wish them every happiness as they begin this exciting new chapter with little Minna.
Last term, Emma McCoy welcomed a beautiful baby boy, Sidney Jones McCoy. The family are enjoying time together as a family of four. We extend our warmest congratulations to Emma and her family on the arrival of little Sidney.
Three Way Conferences
Bookings are also now open for our Three Way Conferences. Parents and carers are invited to book a 10-minute meeting with their child's classroom teacher. Please make sure you have moved any Thursday bookings. Due to the Indutrial Action we have altered the days to accommodate the strike. These conferences are a valuable opportunity to celebrate your child's achievements, discuss their progress, and work together to set goals for the remainder of the year
Foundation 2027 Enrolements
A reminder that Foundation 2027 enrolments need to be in by 31st July. If you have a younger child starting next year please ensure you enrol them through the Insights Platform.
Our Specialist Team will also be running an Open Afternoon for kinder students to come and explore our Creativity Hub and take part in some fun activities.
Have a lovely weekend.
Claudia