Hi everyone and welcome to the latest edition of the newsletter. I hope you and your children are enjoying the many and varied activities happening in and across the school at the moment.

Please note the upcoming Curriculum Day on Monday November 3, followed by the Melbourne Cup public holiday on Tuesday November 4. Students will resume back at school on Wednesday November 5.

World Teacher’s Day

On October 31, we joined schools across the globe to celebrate World Teachers’ Day – a special opportunity to recognise and acknowledge the outstanding work, dedication, and professionalism of our teachers. Each day, our teachers go above and beyond to create engaging learning experiences, support student wellbeing, and nurture a love of learning in every child. Their commitment to excellence and care for our students makes a lasting difference in our school community. This day is a wonderful reminder to pause and express our gratitude. Today students shared thoughtful messages, cards and smiles to thank their teachers for all they do. To all our teachers – thank you for your passion, patience and professionalism. Your hard work inspires not only our students, but our whole school community. We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated team shaping the future with kindness and care.

Thank-you to the PTA and all the families who helped in acknowledging the teachers today. It was lovely to share in the coffee van and the amazing tasty treats provided through morning tea. Thank-you.

Congratulations to the year 3 students whom recently enjoyed their camp experience at Golden Valleys Adventure camp in Flinders. The students did an amazing job at taking on the challenges of camp whilst showcasing their supportive and cohesive attitude across the two days! Thank-you to the staff team Miss MacDonald, Mr Thresher, Miss Harris and Miss Nevin for their great work in preparing and supporting such a great camp experience.

I also extend a huge thank-you to the parents whom attended in support of the camp. We rely on this support in providing these opportunities. Thanks to Sheree, Toni, Brenton and Nat for their support, energy and surviving some mild sleep deprivation!

Staffing

Welcome back to Mrs McLaughlin whom has returned to MEPS this week after some well deserved leave. Tracy and the family enjoyed some fantastic travels and built some long lasting memories. Great to have her back with whistle in hand!

Next week we farewell Mrs Tippett whom will enjoy the latter stages of her pregnancy in awaiting the healthy and safe arrival of her first child. Her last day will November 6. We wish Jennifer all the very best for this wonderful life milestone. In Jennifer’s departure we welcome Julia Gibson back to the school whom will be teaching in 5T for the remainder of the year.

Transitions

As you are aware we are excited about the prospects and opportunities ahead as students prepare to enjoy our school wide transition programs that help to ensure the most balanced classes for 2026.

Policies

Please be reminded that school has a suite of MEPS policies that are available via the school’s website. MEPS has a rolling schedule of cyclical review of our policies. These are audited, amended and refined on a systematic and regular basis.

Working Bee

Seems like a long time ago now… but thank-you again to the students, parents and friends of MEPS whom recently helped at the working bee. It was so great to have our community come together but also wonderful to see the resultant school facelift!

Congratulations to the girls representative basketball team for making the regional finals and finishing second overall. This is an amazing achievement by all the girls involved. Well done!

Sunsmart

A reminder to ensure all students have an appropriate sunsmart hat to wear during term 4. Please make sure these are appropriately named and labelled to avoid lost property. Please be aware that school hats are part of our compulsory uniform.

Remembrance Day (11th November) marks the anniversary of the armistice which ended the First World War (1914–18). Each year Australians observe one minute silence at 11am on 11th November, in memory of those who died or suffered in all wars and armed conflicts. We remember those whom made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and also we take time to acknowledge the ongoing efforts of those special people whom continue to serve our great nation. Staff and students will take time on this day to share information and reflection.

The school will acknowledge this important date and service by observing a minute silence at 11am on November 11 as well as some related acknowledgements across the day.

Our student leaders will continue selling poppies across our community to help commemorate this important date.

Sout East Water

Congratulations to the student whom participated in the South East Water poster competition. MEPS won the district award for the most entries and received a $500 Scholastic book voucher that will generate some further book titles for all the students to enjoy!

Premier’s Reading Challenge

Congratulations to al the students whom participated in the Premier's Reading Challenge. We had a huge uptake of participants. Certificates were sent home this week via the classrooms. Well done to everyone and a great focus to keep reading as much as possible!

I hope you enjoy your weekend.

Michael

Respect, Resilience, Responsibility, Connectedness and Challenge

Riding to and from school: What you need to know about e-scooters in Victoria

As more families consider options for getting to and from school, it’s important to understand the rules around electric scooters (e-scooters) under Victorian law — and what this means for primary-school students.

What the law says

In Victoria, private e-scooters that meet certain specifications are legal to ride. These rules are set out by Transport Victoria and in the Road Safety Road Rules Amendment (Electric Scooters) Rules 2024.
Riders must be 16 years or older to ride an e-scooter on public paths or roads.
Mandatory rules when riding: wearing a helmet, no riding on footpaths, no riding on roads with speed limits above 60 km/h, no carrying passengers or animals, obeying laws and mobile phone usage restrictions.
Penalties apply for riding non-compliant devices (or if breaking rules) — fines for riding on footpaths or using a device not meeting legal specs.

What this means for primary-school children

Given the above, there are a few important take-aways for primary-school families:

Because the law requires riders to be 16 years or older, primary-school students are not legally permitted to ride e-scooters on public roads or shared paths in Victoria.
Students must not ride e-scooters to or on school grounds, but non-motorised scooters (foot-powered) are permitted.
For all vehicle use (bikes and scooters) helmets must be worn at all times

Why these rules are in place

The speed and design of e-scooters can present higher risks, especially in school drop-off/pick-up zones or mixed pedestrian areas.
Ensuring consistent rules helps protect younger students who may not yet have the judgment or experience to navigate traffic or shared paths safely.
It reduces confusion for parents/carers, school staff and local drivers — having clear expectations means safer journeys for everyone.

What you can do as families

If you are considering your child riding to school, opt for a foot-powered scooter or a bicycle (with the correct helmet and supervision) rather than an e-scooter, until they are legally eligible.
Ensure that your child understands safe behaviour: dismounting and walking inside school grounds, using crossings, giving way to pedestrians and wearing a helmet at all times.
Walk with younger children on the journey: modelling safe behaviour, using designated crossings, avoiding busy roads can help build their confidence and skills.
Remind children: obey local traffic signals and always ride in a way that keeps themselves and others safe.

Final words for our community

While e-scooters may be a convenient mobility option for older teens and adults, under Victorian law they are not suitable for our primary school children’s commute. We encourage families to work together — students, parents/carers and the school — to choose safe, legal and age-appropriate means of travel. Whether it’s walking, scootering (foot-powered) or cycling, the journey to school can be a healthy, safe and communal part of the day. Let’s keep working together to keep our students safe on the way to and from school.

Year 3 Camp