Leadership @ MPS

A Warm Welcome to Our New School Council Members!

Last week, we had the pleasure of holding our very first School Council meeting with our newly elected councillors, alongside our Annual General Meeting. We are thrilled to introduce and welcome the following parents who have joined our School Council: Paul Cammack, Jess Manovella, Caitlin Morrison and Andrew Thickins.

Also, a big thank you to the following councillors who have committed to another year:

Amy Barclay, Brett Hayes, David Koolstra and Cathy Stamboulakis. 

Our School Council plays a vital role in shaping our school community, and we are excited to work together to ensure that MPS continues to provide a positive and engaging environment for everyone. With our councillors' passion, commitment and fresh ideas, we are confident that this year will be filled with productive initiatives, exciting events and meaningful contributions to our school. We look forward to another year of collaboration and growth.

Election Update

Unfortunately, we have recently been notified that our school has not been reinstated as an official voting location since the last election, which occurred during our school’s construction period. We are understandably disappointed by the news, as we had hoped to raise funds on the day by selling democracy snags, cakes and other treats. 

However, we’re excited to announce that, in addition to a Mother's Day cake and plant stall, we will also be hosting a raffle with beautiful hampers as the prizes! To make this a success, we are kindly asking for donations of items that could be included in the hamper. Whether it’s a special treat, pampering product or something unique, we appreciate any contributions. Please start thinking about what you can donate to help create a wonderful gift for one lucky winner! Accepting donations now! 

We Need Your Help!

Late last week we put a call out for an expression of interest from families who may be willing to help the school out, when the time is right, and so far we have had a somewhat underwhelming response. Please see the original post below:

☀️ Help Support Our School – Flexible Fundraising Opportunities! ☀️

Dear MPS Community,

At Montmorency Primary School, we’re committed to making our school even better for our students (your children!), and in 2025, all funds raised will go towards offsetting the cost of our solar panel upgrade — helping us move towards a more sustainable future!

We know families are busy, so we’re keeping this simple. We’re creating a list of parents/carers, grandparents and other family members who are happy to help when it suits them — no meetings, no ongoing commitments, just a chance to pitch in when time allows. We are aiming to run one fundraiser per term, and when something comes up, we’ll reach out to see if you’re available to help.

If you or a family member are happy to be on our list of potential fundraising helpers, simply fill out the short form here.

Every bit of support, big or small, helps us reach our goal. Thanks for being part of our amazing school community!

Paul Wickham and Kelly Flaherty (mother of Jacob 4H and Noah 2L)

If this sounds like something you could support with, and you haven't yet filled out the form, please do to ensure we get the best for our school and students!

Sibling Enrolment for 2026 

If you have another child who will be starting school in 2026, it’s time to think about sibling enrolments. Enrolments will open at the start of Term 2, so if you’re planning to have your child join us, please contact our office staff and fill out an enrolment form. 

2026 Foundation Information Session 

We’re excited to announce our 2026 Foundation Information Session for prospective new families, as well as current families that will be enrolling another child. This will be a fantastic opportunity to learn about our Foundation programs, in particular the updates to our Numeracy and Literacy programs at MPS. 

Date: Tuesday, 29th April

Time: 7:00 PM

Location: The Discovery Centre

Heads Up: A Busy Start to Term 2!

Term 2 will kick off with lots of exciting events and activities! Here’s what you need to know for the first week of the term:

It’s going to be a busy start, but we’re sure the students will have a great time participating in these events!

Long Service Leave - Janene 

I will be taking some Long Service Leave starting in Week 3 of Term 2, for a period of 6 weeks. During this time, I'll be accompanying my youngest son to Italy as he has been offered a contract with an U23 cycling team for 3 months. It’s an exciting opportunity for him, and I look forward to supporting him for part of his journey. I’m confident the school will run smoothly in my absence and in Mr Wickham's care!

Grade 6 Camp

Grade 6 students at Montmorency Primary School recently returned from an exhilarating camp at Anglesea, filled with thrilling adventures and memorable experiences. From conquering ropes courses to navigating team-building challenges, the camp offered a perfect blend of excitement and camaraderie. One highlight was their beach day, where students embraced the waves through surfing and bodyboarding at Urquhart's Bluff Beach, soaking in the sun and surf of Anglesea's picturesque coastline. It was a camp that not only fostered outdoor skills but also created lasting memories of fun and friendship.

Camping News

Last week, ABC News published an insightful article about the pressures schools face when organising school camps. At MPS, we understand the value of these experiences and are proud to continue offering a variety of camping opportunities for our senior students. Each child will have the chance to attend two 2-night camps, and two day camps during their senior years. These camps provide invaluable opportunities for personal growth, team-building and creating lasting memories. We are committed to ensuring that these experiences remain an integral part of our students’ education. See below for more details.

School camps in decline in Victoria due to rising costs and teachers' time-in-lieu

Since 2023, new provisions requiring educators to receive time-in-lieu for out-of-hours work have made school camps more difficult for schools to fund, despite the Fair Work Commission requiring the state government to add $130 million to school budgets to ensure camps could continue.

Previously, teachers were not compensated for the extra hours spent at camps.

Despite the Fair Work Commission ruling, financial strains are forcing many schools to reduce camps to every second year, shorten their duration or cut back altogether, opting for day excursions instead.

Tammy says she is lucky her son's primary school is continuing to subsidise the costs of camp. "But a lot of schools aren't as fortunate to have a committee that does the same thing," she said. In Victoria's south-west, Kangaroobie School Camp owner and manager Sophie Bowker has seen the decline in school camps first-hand. "We've seen lots of changes, especially in the last couple of years since the time-in-lieu arrangement changed," Ms Bowker said. "Schools that have been coming to us for 20 years have had to cancel due to the time-in-lieu agreement because they can't afford it anymore."

She said since 2023, 10 schools, mainly from Melbourne, have stopped coming to Kangaroobie which was worth "close to $200,000".

Grant Laidlaw owns and runs two camps north of Ballarat, Log Cabin Camp in Creswick and Adekate Camp in Dean. He said Principals in Victoria say they're doing everything they can to keep the tradition of school camps going. He said the time-in-lieu change was a factor, but so were rising living costs for parents and schools. "For a two-night camp, you'd be looking at $400 to $500 easily," Mr Laidlaw said. "It's not just one factor, buses have become a lot more expensive as well as time-in-lieu [for staff]."So if you've got to travel three hours on a bus with a bunch of kids, you're looking at thousands and thousands of dollars. "It's not ideal for us as a business, we had a few four-night camps and some of those have dropped back to two nights … and camps coming for two nights [have gone] down to day visits."

The Australian Education Union said in a statement that while "school camps are an important part of schooling for all students, school staff should be paid for all the work that they undertake". "It is incumbent on the government to properly and fully fund schools so that staff members are adequately compensated for working outside of regular hours, just like every other worker should be," the union said.

A Department of Education spokesperson said it offered "a range of programs and supports to help families with cost-of-living pressures, including the $400 School Saving Bonus and the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund".  Monday 24th March 

Wishing everyone a wonderful and safe, school holiday break.