Welcome back to Term 3! The term has already begun with plenty of activity. Despite the uncertainty surrounding possible industrial action, our students and staff have continued to enjoy a calm, settled start to the term.

Daily Routines and School Culture

Visitors regularly comment on our school's welcoming atmosphere, the positive behaviour of our students and their engagement in learning. This is no accident. It is the result of a consistent whole-school approach.

At the start of each school year, our three-week Learning to Learn program explicitly teaches school routines, expectations and positive behaviours. Each class also co-creates an Essential Agreement, giving students ownership of how they learn and work together. These agreements are revisited and refined at the beginning of every term to ensure they remain relevant.

Combined with our whole-school wellbeing routines and expectations, this approach helps create a safe, respectful and engaging learning environment. The outstanding results from the annual Attitudes to School Survey continue to reflect our students' strong sense of belonging, pride and enjoyment in being part of our school community.

Industrial Action

Many families will be aware that the revised Victorian Government Schools Agreement (VGSA) offer was recently rejected, resulting in the planned industrial action proceeding.

While salary is one aspect of the negotiations, the agreement also addresses teacher workload and working conditions. Over recent years, schools have experienced increasing demands, including supporting a growing number of students with diverse learning needs and more complex wellbeing and behavioural challenges.

As part of the current industrial action, participating staff are limiting their work to their paid hours, with tasks that cannot be completed, carried over to the following workday. The Australian Education Union has stated that its aim is to achieve an agreement that better reflects the changing role and workload of school staff, while supporting the long-term sustainability of the profession.

2027 Prep Enrolments

A reminder to families with children starting Prep in 2027 that online enrolment applications are due by 31 July. This includes families who already have a child attending our school, as a separate enrolment application is still required. Receiving enrolments by the due date is essential, as it allows us to accurately plan student numbers, classes and staffing for 2027, particularly for children living within our school zone and siblings of current students. Thank you for submitting your application on time.

Building Self-Management Skills

Developing strong self-management skills begins at home. We encourage families to establish routines that help children prepare their school bag, lunch and other belongings the night before. Arriving at school on time ensures students can settle calmly into the day, participate in important morning routines and make the most of the literacy block, which begins promptly each morning. Thank you for supporting your child's independence and helping them start each day ready to learn.

ICAS Assessments

ICAS is an optional, parent-funded assessment program undertaken by students across Australia. It provides an opportunity for students to challenge themselves and receive detailed feedback on their academic performance. As with any assessment, results can be influenced by a child's physical and emotional wellbeing on the day.

All ICAS assessments will be supervised by Mrs Plumb in the Library, commencing at 11:00 am, on the following dates:

Monday 3 August – Writing
Tuesday 4 August – Digital Technologies
Wednesday 12 August – English
Tuesday 18 August – Science
Wednesday 19 August – Spelling Bee
Wednesday 26 August – Mathematics

If your child is absent on their scheduled assessment day, please contact the school office as soon as possible so that an alternative session can be arranged later that week.

IB PYP Evaluation

As an authorised International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme World School, we undergo a comprehensive evaluation every five years to ensure we continue to meet the high standards and practices required for accreditation. Our evaluation takes place next week over two days, and we look forward to welcoming two IB evaluators who will meet with staff, students, School Council representatives and parents.

As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, the Education Subcommittee of School Council has reviewed feedback from the 2025 Parent Opinion Survey and identified opportunities to strengthen parents' understanding of the IB PYP. This has led to the development of a series of parent information pamphlets, with the latest being distributed this week. It explains how students are assessed, how they receive feedback, and introduces the five Approaches to Learning (ATL) that underpin all learning at Murrumbeena Primary School: communication, social, self-management, research and thinking skills. These lifelong skills are explicitly taught and embedded across all learning experiences.

Further information about the IB Primary Years Programme is available on our school website.

Thank you to those parents who will be participating in Evaluation discussions next week and thank you all for your continued support as we work together to provide the very best learning environment for every child.

Wishing all our families a wonderful fortnight ahead.

Chellee Plumb

Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge