Principal's Report

Dear families and friends of MPW

Congratulations to the students who participated in swimming trials last week. We had 44 students attend, with 31 making it through to represent the school at District Swimming next Friday, February 27th. Thank you to the parents who helped on the day.

A big thank you to the parents who attended last week’s Year Level Parent Information Sessions. The feedback we've received has been positive, with many parents finding the sessions informative and helpful in understanding what to expect for the year ahead. For those who couldn’t attend, teaching teams will share their presentations for your reference.

2026 Parent Information Booklet

Our updated Parent Information Booklet for the new year is attached. It includes key information about opportunities, processes, and reminders for school operations. We encourage you to review it for any quick answers you may need.

MPW_ Parent InformationBooklet_2026 Final.pdf

School Council

I would like to express our gratitude to the School Councillors for their work last year and to those members who are nearing the end of their two-year term and who may not re-nominate. Their contributions have been invaluable. The process for the school council election will be communicated at the beginning of next week and needs be finalised by the end of March. If you are interest in joining School Council, you must hold a working with children’s check to nominate.

Parent-Teacher Interviews – Meet and Greet

A reminder that Parent-Teacher Interviews will be held next week, after school on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. This is a great opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher and share information to help ensure the best possible outcomes for the year. Please ensure you’ve booked a time with your child’s teacher via Compass Conference Bookings. If you’d like to meet with any of our specialist teachers, you can contact them directly through Compass to arrange a meeting.

Annual Reminder: Mobile Phones & Smart Watches

In line with Department of Education guidelines, all mobile devices must be handed in to the office at the start of the school day and will be returned to students at the end of the day. This policy also applies to Smart Watches, with the expectation that communication features be disabled during school hours (8:50 am - 3:30 pm).

If Smart Watches are being used inappropriately or distracting from learning, teachers will use their discretion and may ask the student to store the device at the office. If a student refuses to comply, their device will be collected and stored in the office, with parents being notified for collection.

We encourage parents to ensure that students leave mobile devices at home unless absolutely necessary. Any communication between parents and students during school hours should be done through the school office.

For more information, you can view our Mobile Phone Policy here.

NAPLAN

This year, NAPLAN will once again be conducted online in mid-March. To help students familiarize themselves with the format, a coordinated practice test will take place before the official testing period.

NAPLAN testing for Years 3 and 5 at MPW is scheduled between Wednesday, March 11th, and Friday, March 20th. Testing will take place in the mornings on the following dates:

Year 3 & 5 Writing – Wednesday, March 11th
Year 3 & 5 Reading – Thursday, March 12th
Year 3 & 5 Numeracy – Friday, March 13th
Year 3 & 5 Conventions of Language – Tuesday, March 17th

Year 3 will complete the Writing test on paper, and all other assessments will be completed online. Students will participate in practice sessions to become familiar with the platform and test structure.

NAPLAN is a valuable tool for assessing school-wide strengths and areas for improvement in teaching and learning. It’s important that we remind students that NAPLAN is just another type of assessment—similar to others they complete throughout the year. We encourage them to try their best and show what they know.

You can find more information in the attached

naplan-information-brochure-for-parents-and-carers (1).pdf

Basket Tea This Friday

Finally, the Basket Tea is this Friday! The Athol St gates will reopen just before 4:45pm. This event provides an opportunity for parents to connect with one another, especially to welcome our new families to the school.

The event will be held on the Tiger Turf, with access through the Community gate on Athol Street. Each classroom will have a designated area, clearly marked with room numbers, to help families gather with their child’s class to begin the night.

We will also keep access to the Soccer Pitch and Big Adventure for students to enjoy. Feel free to bring along a ball or game to play with.

The Basket Tea is a BYO event (bring your own food, drinks, picnic blankets, and chairs).

We will be playing some music to create a lively atmosphere between 5pm and 7:00pm.

The toilets in the BER building will be available until approximately 7:30pm, after which time the facilities will be locked and alarmed when staff leave.

I hope to see many of you there for an enjoyable night!

Regards,

Jarrod Sutton

Principal