From the Principal...

Welcome to the latest newsletter. I hope you and your children are settling well into the routines of school again for the new year. We are enjoying a wonderful start to the year as we re-connect with everyone and establish our shared expectations of positivity via our school values: Respect, Responsibility, Connectedness, Challenge and Resilience. It has been so exciting to see the students gaining some momentum as their stamina builds in re-establishing a full week of school.

As per the start of the year there is a lot of information to share. Some of which is contained in this edition. I realise there is a lot here and rest assured we will reduce the heaviness of content over future newsletters. Please take the time to have a read through at your leisure to ensure you are across all the happenings at MEPS.

Next week we will share further information about our 2026 School Fees. You will also receive a newsletter from your child’s year level that will outline the curriculum processes.

Parent Teacher Connect Meeting

Next week, we are excited to conduct our parent/teacher connect meetings. These will be held across Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 February. Bookings are available via your child’s Compass page. These meetings provide an invaluable opportunity to connect and share information about your child and to hear about the planned learning program for 2026.

Thank-you for supporting this opportunity to establish some great connections between home and school.

Community Picnic

Please note the date, Friday February 27 on your calendar. This will be our MEPS Community Welcome Picnic. From 3.30pm - 5.30pm families are invited and welcomed to enjoy the school grounds and our people. The opportunity to meet some new friends and connect with established ones.

Families are welcomed to BYO drinks and picnic/food or enjoy the BBQ, jumping castles and playgrounds. A great opportunity to mix with staff, students and parents. We hope to see you all here!

Baby Time!

Congratulations to Jen and Mark Tippett on the healthy and safe arrival of their first baby. Audrey was born on January 6. Jen and Mark are enjoying their newly formed family and showering Audrey with their love and adoration.

Read Read Read!

As you know, we work extremely hard to provide the highest quality learning for all students at our school. In order for us to maximise on student capabilities we require your help.  As parents and carers you have a crucial role to play within the learning framework. Your assistance at home in discussing school is an invaluable aspect of student learning. This provides opportunities for students to reflect and consolidate their understandings. As a minimum it would be fantastic to set aside some time each night to share a love of literacy. Reading to your child, reading with them, listening to them read to you and discussing the book (sounds, words, pictures, themes, characters, plot, setting, what might happen next etc..) are all helpful ways of engaging with your child around literacy. Reading each night forms a part of the homework for all students at MEPS. Further information about homework elements will be shared next week.

Signing In and Out

Please note that MEPS has a legal obligation and duty of care for supervision. Parents/Guardians/Carers are responsible for signing their children in and out of the school via the school office. Please ensure you follow our processes via our Compass kiosk located at the front office. This will provide you with a printed exit/late entry slip.

Students will remain in the classroom until signed out via the office. Students can then be collected by parents from their class by sharing the sign out slip.

All late arrivals and early departures need to be signed in/out at the school office by a parent/guardian. It is not acceptable for a student to sign themselves in or out of the school.  Late passes and early leave passes are provided through the office.

Every Day Counts!!

In the Victorian education system it is compulsory for all students to attend school each day of the school year. At times an absence may be unavoidable, however every effort must be made to ensure students attend school on time each day. Evidence tells us that students who regularly miss days of school are at risk of missing out on learning the basic building block in subjects and may experience long term difficulties with their learning. School attendance helps children develop social skills, such as friendship building, teamwork, communications skills and develops a healthy self-esteem.

Please try to ensure that any appointments and holidays are made outside of school hours. To maximize on learning opportunities we need all students here all day. If this presents a problem for you and your child, please make a time to see me.

Volunteers

The school will soon be welcoming back visitors and volunteers for the new school year. Please note that all volunteers must complete our volunteer documentation before attending the school events/activities. We ask volunteers to provide a copy of their valid Working With Children Card and to complete the MEPS volunteers permission, noting the code of conduct each year. If you would like to volunteer this year (and we would love to have you here!) please come and see us in the office.

Please also note that on all occasions all volunteers must sign in and out of the office.

If you would like to volunteer your time this year we are resetting all of our documentation processes. This supports the childsafe standards and ensures the wellbeing of all MEPS students.

Please follow these steps:

• Provide your valid Working With Children Card
• Review the Child Safety Induction Pack
• Sign the Volunteer Confidentiality Form

School open 8.15 front gate only

Further to the communication sent out previously, please be aware that only the front gate will be open from 8.15am. Other access gates will be opened from 8.30am as per previous arrangements.

Please be reminded that staff are on duty from 8.30am – 8.45am and also from 3.15pm – 3.30pm.

Outside of these times parents can access OHSC or provide adult supervision.

Mt Eliza School Council 

Mt Eliza Primary School is governed by our School Council. The Council is made of volunteers from our parent community and also from our teaching staff, including myself.  Gary Howells is the current President of our Council. Below is some further general information as we will be running nominations and elections for the 2026 School Council over the next few weeks. You may be interested in joining our Council and inputting into our school’s development over the next 2 years. 

What is a school council and what does it do?  

All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally formed bodies that are given powers to set the key directions of a school within centrally provided guidelines. In doing this, a school council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students. 

Who is on the school council?  

For MEPS there are two possible categories of membership: 

A mandated elected Parent category and a mandated elected DET (Department of Education and Training employee category (teachers).  

Why is Parent membership so important? 

Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills that can help shape the direction of the school. 

Further information about the nomination and election process are available at any time. If you are interested or have any questions please contact me. Elections for the 2026/2027 School Council will take place during Term 1. 

MEPS School Council 

We need members of our school council! MEPS can not operate without the governance of our school council.

If you are interested in joining the council, we would be greatly appreciative. Please contact me at michael.kent@education.vic.gov.au or on 9787 1385 to discuss your interest. Thank you so much for your consideration!!

Are you interested in joining our School Council?

An election is to be conducted for members of the School Council of Mt. Eliza Primary School.

Nomination forms can be obtained from the Principal

Following the closing of nominations a list of the nominations received will be posted at the school. The terms of office, membership categories and number of positions in each membership category open for election are as follows:

If the number of nominations is less than the number of vacancies, a notice to that effect and calling for further nominations will be posted. Should the number of nominations exceed the number of vacancies a ballot will be conducted.

If you are interested or require further information (including nomination forms) please contact the me directly. Nominations must received by 4pm on Friday 27th February, 2026. 

Thank-you for your consideration.

Classroom Parent Connect

Please note that in 2026 MEPS is no longer providing the parent connect process. Due to adherence to the Child Safe standards and confidentiality restrictions including the legality of sharing information; the school is not is in a position to facilitate this process. Parents are of course welcomed to establish connections amongst themselves but the school is no longer able to facilitate these processes.

Personal Property at School 

Personal property is often brought to school by students, staff and visitors. This can include mobile phones, calculators, toys, sporting equipment and cars parked on school premises. Please note that the Department of Education and Training does not hold insurance for personal property brought to schools and it has no capacity to pay for any loss or damage to such property. 

Please note that Department has a state wide policy on mobile phone use in Victorian schools. Students are required to turn their phones off during school times and hand their phone to class teachers for safe keeping prior to the end of the day, when they will be returned.

NAPLAN

Over the period from March 11-23 students in Years 3 & 5 will participate in the annual NAPLAN tests. These tests are nationwide and provide an insight into student performance under strict testing conditions on one particular day. These tests can sometimes come with some level of anxiety and trepidation. Whilst we analyse the results of these tests to help build a picture of students in differing testing scenarios, we are very much aware that student learning evolves and presents in varied ways for all students. These tests are not the only reflection of learning or performance. At MEPS we maintain a focus on holistic learning that represents the progress of the whole child over time. We offer a breadth and depth of curriculum that is not represented in the NAPLAN tests and we are constantly assessing student performance in a range of settings and curriculum areas. If you or your child is experiencing any concerns regarding NAPLAN, please contact your child’s teacher. In 2026 all students will be completing these tests online.

School Zones

Children are our most vulnerable road users and to address this road safety issue school speed zones with lower speed limits were introduced many years ago.

Motorists should be aware that children in traffic are not like adults. They can be unpredictable and because they are small, they can be hard to see. Please take extra care and slow down when you drive past any school.

Research shows that slowing down helps to both avoid crashes and reduce their severity. According to the Monash University Accident Research Centre, an 11 per cent reduction in speed reduces road deaths by 40 per cent. Even a small reduction in travelling speed dramatically increases the chance of a child surviving a collision. Read more about safety on our roads via the Vicroads website.

Please observe the parking restrictions and speed limits around the school. Local council and Victoria Police often patrol these areas. We have pedestrian crossings that are supervised each day before and after school. Please use this service and ensure all children use these crossings.

Also please note that the staff carparks are not for parental use. This presents a danger to students and if parents use this space our staff will have nowhere to park!

Parents are asked NOT to use the staff carpark spaces.

Please be aware of our commitment to the Child Safe Standards

CHILD SAFE STANDARD - STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT TO CHILD SAFETY

Mt Eliza Primary School is committed to safety and wellbeing of all children and young people. This will be the primary focus of our care and decision-making.

MEPS has zero tolerance for child abuse. 

We are committed to providing a child safe environment where children and young people are safe and feel safe, and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives. Particular attention will be paid to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children and children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, as well as the safety of children with a disability.

Every person involved in MEPS has a responsibility to understand the important and specific role he/she plays individually and collectively to ensure that the wellbeing and safety of all children and young people is at the forefront of all they do and every decision they make. 

In its planning, decision-making and operations Mt Eliza Primary School will:

1. Take a preventative, proactive and participatory approach to child safety.

2. Value and empower children to participate in decisions which affect their lives.

3. Foster a culture of openness that supports all persons to safely disclose risks of harm to children.

4. Respect diversity in cultures and child rearing practices while keeping child safety paramount.

5. Provide written guidance on appropriate conduct and behaviour towards children.

6. Engage only the most suitable people to work with children and have high quality staff and volunteer supervision and professional development.

7. Ensure children know who to talk with if they are worried or are feeling unsafe, and that they are comfortable and encouraged to raise such issues.

8. Report suspected abuse, neglect or mistreatment promptly to the appropriate authorities.

9. Share information appropriately and lawfully with other organisations where the safety and wellbeing of children is at risk.

10. Value the input of and communicate regularly with families and carers.

Support programs

We are excited to be commencing many of our additional programs across the school. This includes some of our lunchtime clubs, 2026 Student Representative Council, MEET reps, support and extension programs.

Some of these groups provide additional programs for our students to enhance their social, emotional and academic capacity. We have groups that focus on many areas including:

• Literacy support via tiered intervention in reading and writing
• Support and extension groups 
• Social and emotional support groups 
• Enjoyment based lunchtime clubs and groups
• Student leadership meetings
• Wellbeing support programs

We are proud to be able to offer a diverse and differentiated approach to catering for the individual needs of our amazing students.

Our classroom teachers do a wonderful job at providing an engaging, challenging, enjoyable and targeted learning program each and every day.

We also offer a breadth of tutoring supports across the school.

Anaphylaxis

As you know this is a life threatening condition for all whom suffer from it. As a school we have an obligation to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for all students. Therefore, I remind you of our school’s Anaphylaxis policy that relates to all students.

MEPS is not a nut free school however we encourage families to consider relevant allergies within their child’s classroom. We discourage the sharing of food at school including birthday or other treats. We would ask treats or food celebrations to be handed out away from school to ensure consideration of inclusiveness, health risks and other parent values regarding their children accessing treats.

Uniform/Belongings

Please be vigilant in clearly naming all uniform items and personal belongings (lunch boxes, sports equipment etc.) This allows us to return any found items to the rightful owner. We have a LOT of hats appearing without names and therefore unable to be returned to the students.

Dogs at School

Mt Eliza Primary School has a no-pet policy. Please do not bring pets onto the school grounds at any time, and we kindly ask that you also refrain from tying pets to external entrances while collecting your children. School environments can be busy and noisy, which may cause pets to become stressed or unsettled, and students may naturally approach animals without realising this may not always be safe. Thank you for your understanding and for helping us keep all members of our school community safe.

Compass Permissions

Please make sure that you have access to Compass as this is the main tool for school communications. This includes student permissions and general information. If you or anyone you know needs support in accessing Compass please contact the school office.

We have a number of permissions available next week for your review and attention. These include:

• Headlice
• 2026 Photography/ Filming/ Recording Permissions
• Digital Technologies Code of Practice

If parents are happy to sign these permissions, please do so as soon as practicable.

Updating contact details / medical 

I ask all families to please ensure that you have up to date contact details at the office. This includes current address, phone numbers, emergency contact details etc.

Also any students who have a medical condition must have to date medical records at the office. Of most importance is to ensure Asthma and Anaphylaxis management plans are up to date. These need to be signed off by your local doctor and are required to be updated annually. 

School leaders 

Congratulations to the student leaders for 2026. It was wonderful to share in these processes as I am excited by the capacity of our whole Year 6 group for this year. We encourage all students to be active leaders in their learning and having a strong voice at MEPS. It was great to share in the badge presentations today at our assembly.

Uniform

Please note that the Uniform Shop opening hours for 2026 will be as follows:

• Tuesday: 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm
• Thursday: 8:30 am – 11:30 am

Sunsmart

Please note the school’s sunsmart policy that requires all students to wear their school approved, sunsmart hats until April 30th.  

Hot Days and Extreme Weather Days 

On days when it is extremely hot (like next week’s forecast) the children will remain in classrooms and be supervised as they are on wet days. 

Being aware of Potential Dangers

Schools are always informed of potential issues and dangers that surround our students when out of school hours. Whilst we haven’t had any reported incidents, I remind everyone to be vigilant in considering your awareness. As a school we are focused on providing a safe and secure learning environment and our care extends beyond the school grounds. Families are reminded of the regular need to continue educating our students of issues such as being safe around our streets. This includes being aware of traffic dangers (using crossings), stranger danger and being cyber safe.

Below are some helpful hints when considering what to tell your child about a stranger:

• Students need to know not to converse with unknown people.

• Tell your child not to listen to or be near a stranger–rather to move away or back inside.

• Tell your child to never ever go with a stranger–no matter what the stranger says.

• Tell your child that strangers may make up sad stories, like looking for a lost pet, needing help with a sick child or needing directions.

• Tell your child that a stranger should never be believed, no matter what they say.

• Tell your child that strangers may offer treats, gifts or lollies for 'helping'.

• Tell your child that you will never send a stranger to collect them. Make a list of the only known people you would send to pick them up.

• Ensure your child know the routines of arriving and departing school safely and notify them of any changes to the ‘normal’ arrangements

• Tell your child to go immediately back inside and ask someone they know if unsure.

• Practice makes perfect

Having explained 'stranger danger' or protective behaviour you might breathe a big sigh of relief. However, let's not relax just yet. Research shows that kids often can quote what mum or dad said very well, but when placed in the situation, they more often still give in.

At home, role play certain situations with your child, such as pretending mum is sick and that a new person needs to take them home. Role play or practise a variety of strategies or other scenarios.

Try a test in a safe environment at home, such as an unfamiliar friend at the front door trying to entice them outside to look at a sick, cute rabbit.

Research shows that kids often 'forget' after a period of time. Thus a yearly family refresher course is very worthwhile.

Active, protective behaviour

• Teach your child never to wander off or go out of sight.
• Teach your child to always walk with and stay with friends–to never go alone.
• Teach and practice saying NO loudly and repeatedly, if they are unsure.
• Teach your child to yell HELP, as loudly and repeatedly as possible, until they are heard. Predators hate noise and attention.
• Teach your child to find a safe adult (a policeman or a mum with a stroller) or a safe spot (if they are fearful) such as a school, shop or safety sign. However, don't tell your child that all uniforms are safe as some predators may be wearing a uniform.

A healthy balance

• Assure your child that most adults are loving, caring and trustworthy.
• Discuss good, safe and friendly people in the world, to avoid fear of all adults.
• Remind your child of helpful adults, like firemen, teachers, police, doctors, etc.
• Remind your child of 'good' adults in their world, who can be trusted.

• Protect them from over exposure to graphic news stories.

   

Telling

• Encourage your child to 'tell' if they even think they came across a stranger.
• Encourage your child to 'tell' if they felt scared, unsure or uncomfortable ('yucky' with any adult).
• Affirm that you will be happy and praise them for 'telling'–that they won't be in trouble.
• Affirm that you will listen and believe them.

Basic protective safety for parents

• Always know where your children are.
• Keep your kids within your sight or supervision.
• Be alert to other people around you, but not paranoid.
• Be alert to Internet threats–research shows predators are increasingly luring more mature children through the Internet, such as online, through forums, chat lines and message systems.
• Always keep young children's computers within your vision (not in their bedrooms), and under your supervision.
• Install a 'Net-Nanny' or Parental Control Software program on your computer.
• Teach your child to never ever give out personal or private information.

Cyber Safety 

Just a reminder that next week on the 10th of February we recognise Safer Internet Day. This date compliments our ongoing message about being a safe digital citizen and managing screen time. We encourage students to balance their online activities (age appropriately) to ensure a healthy lifestyle that promotes positive mental and physical health.

eSafety

• As we know cyber safety is a hugely important element for our students as they navigate the digital world and online connections.

• How cyber safe are you? Does your child have access to the internet at home? Do they have access via their phone? Are they allowed to search the internet freely without your supervision?

• The staff continue to model and teach our students about the impacts of being cyber safe! This is a very real and current issue with so many young and vulnerable people having access to devices and internet access. This involves social media as well. There are many age restrictions on certain Apps and social media sites. Parents need to be aware of these. They exist for a reason. Many of these software packages are trackable and without appropriate settings being applied, locations are easily visible. Additionally to this is the fact that a young person chatting to another unknown person may seem and feel innocent to the user….how do they (or you, or me) know who is actually on the other end of the chat site???

• Cyber safety is a real issue. Apart from perpetrators there are also so many examples of cyber bullying that students need to be aware of. There are potential dangers of using such software and communications. We often talk to children about stranger danger…what about cyber stranger danger?

• As a school we are committed to educating and promoting safe online practices. We continue to do this via our participation and accreditation as an e-smart school. This involves teaching the students and modelling targeted and explicit cyber safe practices. We also promote a positive and supportive learning culture through our whole school wellbeing programs. This permeates across the school and helps to ensure students conduct themselves in a positive and respectful manner at all times (online or in person). As parent you have a significant role to play in educating, modelling and policing online behaviour and activity. Be aware not alarmed! And most importantly be proactive and educated on the ever evolving cyber world.

• If you have any concerns please contact myself or your child’s teacher.

Have an amazing weekend ahead!

Kindest Regards,

Michael

Respect, Resilience, Responsibility, Connectedness and Challenge