Principal's Message
Term 4 - Week 7
Marrung Update: Community Special Invitation
Come along to our Reconciliation Day events on Monday 25th of November to celebrate the work we have already been doing on our journey towards reconciliation. Our event will be held on the oval from 2.45pm. As such, this week’s pupil of the week and specialist awards will be presented at assembly on the following Monday 2nd December.
Personal Property at School
We would like to remind families that it can be challenging for students to manage personal belongings brought from home, such as toys and personal stationery. To avoid items being lost, damaged, or causing distractions, we encourage families to keep these items at home.
This helps ensure a safe and more focused environment for all students, especially during class time but also at break times in the playground. Thank you for your support and understanding!
Annual Thank you to our Volunteers!
Every year we take the opportunity to formally thank all of the people who have made possible that amazing work we do at MPRPS&K. Please come to our Thank you Breakfast @8.00am in the Hall on the 22nd November.
Please RSVP for catering purposes via the link
P&F in 2025 will look a little bit different, as we look to spread the organisational load across a larger group of parents through the creation of sub-coordinator roles.
Thank you to George Ma - BBQ Coordinator 2025
Thank you to Sandhya Lyle - Kinder Coordinator
Please see Important Information and P&F for more information on the roles that we have available for 2025.
Year 2 Sleepover
Sausage sizzle, ice cream, a movie and making memories with friends. The Year Two students had an incredible time at their Sleepover last week. The teachers were all impressed with the responsibility and independence demonstrated by all students. Thank you to all the staff that helped to support the students through their first step in the camping program. They can’t wait to camp next year!
ICE Showcase
And its a wrap . . . for another successful year of ICE (and of course Junior Rotations!) Congratulations to Brooke Henwood and her huge band of Year 5/6 leaders, teachers and ES for their amazing displays and performance that followed weeks of preparation and creation!
This well loved program has gone through many iterations and continues to thrive as it is so highly valued and enjoyed by our students.
Digital Technologies Review
On Wednesday, October 30, we hosted our inaugural Digital Technologies Community Forum in response to parent feedback about our digital learning program. The forum brought together families, staff, students, and School Council members for a constructive discussion about the future of digital technologies at MPRPS.
Key Updates and Changes:
- Screen Time Protocols: In response to concerns about screen time, we’ve reduced the number of lessons that require the use of devices. We've scaled back passive use, and introduced a guideline limiting screen use to no more than 50% of lessons.
- Device Management: Families can now opt for iPads to stay at school, where they will be securely stored and charged. Please reach out to the office or your child's classroom teacher if you would like to opt in.
- Cyber Safety: We’re exploring a trial of ‘Jamf,’ a system that enhances device management and safety. Expressions of interest for participation will be sent out soon. This extra layer of protection will allow parents and teachers to 'lock out' distracting apps and sites. We have also introduced a blanket ban on YouTube and Spotify for listening to music on students' personal devices at school. If you think your child benefits from being able to listen to music while working, please reach out to the school office and Erin our AP will be in touch with you.
- Improved Documentation and Communication: We are committed to sharing more updates an resources with families about our digital practices, policies, and curriculum. A new Acceptable Use Agreement (preview below) and policy are being drafted and will be communicated and in place for next year. We are also working on a BYOD Webinar that can be accessed any time.
These updates reflect our commitment to balancing the educational benefits of digital tools with student learning & wellbeing. We thank all who participated and look forward to continuing this important conversation.
School Council Newsletter
It was our last school council meeting for 2024 and there are many people to thank for another busy and successful year at MPRPS. I would like to sincerely thank Kim, Rahima, Amanda, Nick, Emily and Alan for your organisation in leading our meetings and subcommittees. Thank you for sharing with us what happens behind the scenes in the school and kindergarten, for being open to discussions and for listening and acting upon parent feedback.
Thank you to the school council parent team: Luke Neilson, George Ma, Jonathan Dimbleby, Sandhya Lyle, Jonathan Prescott, Rachel Anderson and David Griffiths for your time and commitment each month, for your open minded problem solving and respectful discussion.
The school council would like to thank all the staff of MPRPS who have worked tirelessly to ensure the continued growth and success of our students, as well as nurturing their social and emotional needs and making MPRPS so enjoyable for our children.
Special thanks to our office staff who continue to support our families and the MPRPS team. Also, thank you to Rahima, Louise and Jane for all the additional time they have put in beyond their regular hours, as well as our ES staff who continue to go above and beyond in supporting our students and staff. Special thanks to Stephan for his ongoing maintenance of the kinder and school grounds.
We would like to especially acknowledge our P&F president Leonie Semmens for the generosity of her own time and resources in organising and supporting all of our special events across the year. Leonie works incredibly hard to organise, delegate and support different functions. The P&F team desperately needs more parent support and volunteers in order for these responsibilities to be shared and for the events to continue to run at our school. We require at least 12 people to coordinate the different roles that are usually organised by the P&F committee.
One event that may not be possible without parent/community volunteers is the Bazaar for 2025. Luke Neilson has offered to run with this project, providing there is enough support from the community for it to go ahead. A pre planning meeting will be organised to gauge parent participation. If you would like the Bazaar to go ahead at Mt Pleasant Road Primary, keep an eye out for a meeting time in the next few weeks.
We would also like to thank Jess Walker, who continues to do an amazing job with coordinating the community support group and Mais Sukkar for organising our head lice checks. Please keep showing your support by volunteering to help out in these roles.
We look forward to getting together for our end of year celebrations!
School Council President,
Jennifer Teoh