Leadership @ MPS

A Small Change to Our Newsletter 📰 🔄

From this edition onward, there will be a slight change to the content of our school newsletter. The Student Spotlight section will no longer be included.

This decision has been guided by the readership data available through our newsletter platform. Overall readership sits below what we would hope to see given the number of families in our community, and the Student Spotlight section in particular attracts a notably smaller number of readers, with less time spent engaging with the content. In response, we are streamlining the newsletter to focus more strongly on big-picture and strategic school information, with the aim of increasing engagement and reducing the number of Compass feeds being sent to families.

Importantly, this change does not affect the Student of the Week or Specialist Program sections, which will continue as usual.

The original intent of Student Spotlight was always to celebrate our students and their learning. We remain deeply committed to this, and student work and successes are now being shared in a more visible and accessible way. The windows of the Administration Building (closest to the Junior Building) now feature dedicated cohort display spaces that showcase student achievements and learning across the school. These displays will be updated a couple times each term and are easily viewed during drop-off and pick-up times, or whenever families are on school grounds.

We encourage all members of our community to take a moment to stop and enjoy these displays when you are next on site!

Mobile Phones and Smart Watches at School📱 🔒

We would like to remind families of our school’s Mobile Phone Policy and outline a small but important clarification that will be implemented shortly. A link to the full policy is below.

As part of our ongoing commitment to student wellbeing, learning focus and safety, teachers will continue to collect mobile phones at the beginning of the school day and store them securely. These devices are returned to students at the end of the school day.

In addition, smart watches that connect to, or have similar functionality to, a mobile phone will now be treated in the same way. This means they will also be collected by teachers in the morning and securely stored for the duration of the school day, before being returned at dismissal. This process will be implemented shortly, once each classroom has access to appropriate lockable storage. We wanted to provide families with advance notice so students can be prepared for this change.

Teachers have been speaking with students about this process and the expectations around devices at school. We would greatly appreciate families reinforcing the same message at home, so that students are clear about requirements and confident about what to expect each day.

Hats at School and Sun Safety🧢 ☀️

We would like to clarify expectations around school hats and sun safety, as there can sometimes be a misunderstanding that hats are only required during Terms 1 and 4. This is not the case.

At school, hats are required to be worn whenever the UV level is 3 or above, in line with SunSmart recommendations. While this most commonly occurs during Terms 1 and 4, UV levels can also reach or exceed this threshold early in Term 2 and at other times throughout the year. In fact since the beginning of Term 2, UV levels in Montmorency have regularly reached 3 and 4, which is comparable to UV levels experienced during parts of the summer months.

To help students stay safe when playing outdoors, we ask that school hats are always kept at school (in student tubs) or in school bags, regardless of the term or time of year. This ensures hats are readily available on days when UV levels are high and outdoor play requires sun protection.

Our priority is, as always, the health and safety of our students. Consistent access to MPS Sun Smart hats allows staff to confidently support safe outdoor play and helps students develop positive sun‑safe habits all year round.

MPS Comedy Night 🎤 😂

A little while ago, a Save the Date (Friday, June 19th if you missed it) went out for our upcoming MPS Comedy Night, and we’re hoping it’s already firmly locked into calendars — with babysitters organised and plans made.

We’re very excited to share that this year’s event features a fantastic lineup of well-known Australian comedians. A huge thank you goes to Chloe Jeffers for helping bring the talent together.

• Our host is a well-known media personality and former Triple J favourite, best known for co-hosting breakfast radio and bringing sharp wit and warmth to every stage he’s on.

   

• Opening the show is one of Australia’s most recognisable comedians — a long‑time Logies favourite with countless TV appearances and a voice and delivery you’ll recognise within seconds.

• Also on the bill is one of Australia’s most in-demand comedians, known for his big energy, quick wit and regular appearances across TV, radio and podcasts.

• Rounding out the night is a returning favourite who absolutely smashed it at our last comedy night — smart, relatable and a huge hit with the MPS community. Yes, she’s back.

Yes… those people.

More details, including ticket sales, booking information and the answers to the clues above, will be shared shortly (hopefully next week). Keep an eye out — this is shaping up to be a brilliant night and one not to miss!