From the Principal's Desk

Education Week

Education Week is an annual celebration of public education in Victoria.

In 2026, Victoria celebrates Education Week from Monday 18 May to Friday 22 May.

The theme of 2026 Education Weekis Showcase your school, encouraging school communities to celebrate what’s great about their school.

Every Victorian school is great in its own unique way, whether it’s the people, the place, the learning opportunities or the school community.

We asked our students the following question: Draw or write about the best part of our school! 

Each year level then chose a select number of entries which we shared at our whole school assembly last week with a resounding theme that came from the students- connections with the adults in our school is certainly something they value very highly and really impacts their learning.

Well done to all the students who came out the front and spoke on the microphone, it is not an easy thing to do and  you were all very brave.

What is National Reconciliation Week?

The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey – the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.

The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2026 is All In, a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day.

All In makes clear that reconciliation is not a spectator sport and that all of us must step away from the side lines and take action to make change.

The theme also reminds us that reconciliation and advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights isn’t a passive activity, and it is not solely the responsibility of First Nations people, who have carried the weight of championing, explaining and acting for far too long.

Reconciliation will not happen by itself, and it will not happen without all of us.

The #NRW2026 campaign was created in collaboration with Carbon Creative, a First Nations-owned and operated marketing and creative agency.

The artwork for this campaign is by renowned Gumbaynggirr/Bundjalung artist Otis Hope Carey, who applied his distinctive style to create a colourful and optimistic visual representation of people from all walks of life being ‘all in’ to make change.

Throughout the week teachers planned  lessons and activities that supports students to develop understanding, respect and appreciation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and perspectives.

Semester 1- Student Reports

I wanted to update all families on some changes to the way reports will be received this semester.

We will be providing student achievement reports for Semester 1 this year as usual.

The reports will be distributed on Wednesday 24th June via Compass.

The reports will continue to provide important details about student learning attainment, but full descriptive comments may not be included as a result of industrial action taken earlier this term by the Australian Education Union.

We will of course be pleased to discuss with you your child’s progress at our next parent-teacher interviews scheduled for Tuesday 28th July which is early in Term 3, or, as always, you can contact the school to arrange a meeting with your child’s teacher.

Kelly Club

Recently you might have seen me post on Compass a link to a survey regarding our before and after school service provided by Kelly Club. At this stage we are gathering information and feeding it back to the service as we would really like to see it continue to improve and offer the best service to families who really rely on it. 

Thank you to the many families that have already responded. The survey will be kept open for more responses should you wish to contribute. 

School Council is responsible for the management and procurement of the before and after school care provider and will continue to review this service to ensure if meets the high standards and quality that we expect for the students at Moriac Primary School. 

National Simultaneous Storytime

This week, on Wednesday 27th May, at 12 noon,  our school proudly took part in National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) — a special Australia-wide event that celebrates reading, literacy and the joy of sharing stories together. At the same time, millions of children in schools, libraries and homes across the country came together to read the same book, creating a wonderful shared learning experience.

This year’s featured story was Luna Roo: The Kangaroo Baller written by Adam Jackson and Adrian Lloyd and illustrated by Jake A. Minton. The story follows Luna Roo and her teammates as they chase their football dreams across the outback, highlighting themes of courage, teamwork, resilience and determination. 

At our school, students came together to enjoy a shared reading of the story and participate in a range of engaging literacy activities inspired by the book. Teachers used the experience to promote comprehension, vocabulary development and a love of reading in fun and meaningful ways.

National Simultaneous Storytime is always a highlight on our school calendar, bringing students together through storytelling and helping to foster a lifelong enjoyment of books and reading. 

Premier’s Reading Challenge 2026

We are excited to announce that our school will once again be participating in the Victorian Premier’s Reading Challenge! The Challenge is a wonderful opportunity for students to develop a love of reading, discover new books and build positive reading habits throughout the year.

Students are encouraged to read a variety of texts, including picture books, novels, information texts, comics and magazines, with books suited to their year level and interests. The Challenge is not a competition, but rather a celebration of reading and personal achievement.

Throughout the Challenge, students will record the books they read and work towards completing the required number of texts. Teachers will support students in class by promoting reading, sharing quality literature and encouraging regular reading at school and at home.

We encourage families to join in by reading together at home, visiting the local library and talking about books with your child. Reading regularly helps strengthen vocabulary, comprehension, imagination and confidence across all areas of learning.

More information, including login details and timelines, will be shared with families shortly. We look forward to celebrating our students’ reading journeys throughout the year!

Year 5/6 Annual Market Day!

On Friday 12th June, the 5/6s will be holding their Annual Market Day which is something our senior students work hard on during the term and are really proud to showcase within the whole school!

As in previous years, the stalls are designed, created and run by the students. They create, make and provide home made goods or services, such as lollies, cookies, handmade jewellery, lucky dips and carnival games to name a few. Students from every class will have the opportunity to visit the student stalls to purchase from the students.

Students from Years Prep-6 may bring any amount up to $10 to spend at the stalls (this is parent choice on the amount). Classes are scheduled to visit the stalls throughout the day and supported by classroom teachers and support staff when visiting and making their purchases. We are asking that students only bring coins as change will be limited on the day. Students might wish to bring their money in a wallet or named snap lock bag for safe keeping. 

Prices of products for purchase at the stalls will range from 50 cents to $4 and ingredients for homemade items will be listed on all foods. If your child has a food allergy of any kind, it is worth reminding them and discussing this with them prior to the day. All staff are aware of food allergies in our school and can also support. The profits will go to the Fight MND Charity, which is very timely given the recent passing of  Neale Daniher. This was voted on and chosen by the students with the rest of the money going towards the 5/6 end of year celebrations which the students have direct input into as well.

We thank all our families for supporting this event as it is really something the senior students are so proud about each year.

Staff at Moriac PS love reading! 

Check out the responses from some staff at MPS when asked about their love of reading, what books were their favourite as a child and why!

• My Favourite Book as a child was: Baby Sitters Club series- I had all the books and read each one more than once! 
• My favourite book in the last 12 months was: The Body Keeps the Score
• I love reading books about ….Anything self-development that I can learn from.

• I love reading because …..You can learn so much!

   

  Thanks Ms Fisher!

• My Favourite Book as a child was: The Hobbit
• My favourite book in the last 12 months was: Wicked
• I love reading books about ….Fantasy and Science Fiction.
• I love reading because …..You can escape to different worlds and explore a range of characters and themes that teach us more about ourselves.

Thanks Mr Smith!

• My Favourite Book as a child was: Fantastic Mr Fox - Roald Dahl
• My favourite book in the last 12 months was: Reminders of Him - Colleen Hoover.
• I love reading books about ….Romance (Fiction) and Biographies/Health & Wellness (Non-Fiction).

• I love reading because …..Reading lets you experience other people’s lives, ideas, and emotions while still sitting quietly in your own space. For me books create a sense of comfort and calm, but they also challenge thinking and spark imagination.

  Thanks Mrs Mather!

• My Favourite Book as a child was: The Magic Faraway Tree.
• My favourite book in the last 12 months was: 'November 9
• I love reading books about ….Love, friendship, family.
• I love reading because …..It's my time to relax with a coffee in a quiet corner preferably with an open fire.

Thanks Mrs Craig!

• My Favourite Book as a child was: Go, Dog. Go!
• My favourite book in the last 12 months was: Red Rising
• I love reading books about ….Psychological Thrillers or Sci-Fi.
• I love reading because …..It helps me relax and unwind after a busy day. When on holidays I love reading a book by the pool or on the beach.

Thanks Mr Fischer!

• My Favourite Book as a child was: Folk in the Faraway Tree
• My favourite book in the last 12 months was: War Horse
• I love reading books about ….Suspense, thrillers.
• I love reading because …..It is quiet and you can escape from life for a bit!

Thanks Ms Burns!

• My Favourite Book as a child was: Hungry Caterpillar 
• My favourite book in the last 12 months was: The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
• I love reading books about ….Places I've been or want to go - Romantic Comedy/Psychological Thrillers.
• I love reading because …..it clears my mind!

Thanks Melinda!

• My Favourite Book as a child was: Just Crazy, Just Kidding - anything that was funny! 
• My favourite book in the last 12 months was: Thursday Murder Club books 
• I love reading books about ….Murder Mysteries
• I love reading because …..It takes you to another world, all you have to think about is what is happening in the book. 

Thanks Ms Merchant!

• My Favourite Book as a child was: Green Eggs and Ham
• My favourite book in the last 12 months was: The Last Bear
• I love reading books about …. I love reading books to my kids that are funny and teach them important lessons.
• I love reading because ….. it can take you to so many places without having to leave your chair!

Thanks Mr Evans!

• My Favourite Book as a child was: The Cat in the Hat.
• My favourite book in the last 12 months was: The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher.
• I love reading books about ….Biographies 

• I love reading because …..I still love to learn new things.

   

Thanks Chris!

• My Favourite Book as a child was: Anything Goosebumps
• My favourite book in the last 12 months was: The Gambler-J.P. Pomare.
• I love reading books about ….Realistic fiction, murder mystery, really anything!

• I love reading because …..I become engrossed in something entirely separate from my own life and can take it with me in my head wherever I go.

   

Thanks Ms Lumsden!

Have a lovely weekend everyone,

Mel Maccora