Principal's Report
New Newsletter
Welcome everyone to our new Newsletter format. In response to parent feedback from our recent surveys and parent forums we have decided to go with iNewsletter. iNewsletter will enable people to subscribe/unsubscribe easily, see one page of important dates (which eventually will be downloadable to calendars), easily view on phones/tablets. In moving to iNewsletter we have made some changes to the format, these inlcude placing Pupil of the Week awards under each Learning Center's News, a Specilaist Page whcih will include news and student awards.
Spotlight on Student Voice - Planning Days
Student Voice has definitely been on show this week, with not only our Q and A session, but also through the involvement of students in the term planning days. Students in the Senior School attended the Planning Day with their teachers and were able to give ideas on what worked well this term and what they would like to see next term as far as the teaching and learning program. Junior Students were also surveyed in a similar way.
Student Voice plays a major role in engagement and self-reflection and it is imperative we recognise student voice in learning and assessment. By involving students in decision making, we are creating a positive and engaged learning culture. These opportunities to have a say and be heard provide students with communication channels to engage with teachers on things that matter to them.
Annual General Meeting
Our School Council Annual General Meeting is this Thursday at 7:30pm, and the school community is invited to attend. The AGM is held before the School Council meeting starting at 8:00pm the purpose of the meeting is to present the annual report to the community.
Q and A Visits MPRPS
After receiving excellent feedback from our Grade 6 Student Forum we discovered some interesting questions and ideas that needed to be addressed. This led to hosting our very first Q and A style session, answering the students' burning questions and responding to their suggestions, while filming the session for the rest of the school. The panel consisted of Miss Chooi (Student Voice and Agency Leader) Miss Nelson (Assistant Principal) Luke Watters (School Council Vice President) Jarrod Stafford (Year 7 Coordinator Forest Hill College) myself and Clayton Sturzaker (Senior Education Improvement Leader DET) as host. This esteemed panel answered some tricky questions from students while also giving them insight into the plans for our school. The feedback from students was heartwarming with most enjoying the perspective from different panel members and that 'everyone took it seriously'. Their behaviour throughout the hour long session was commendable and we look forward to sharing some of the highlights with the school community.
Canteen News
In response to student and family feedback we will be trailing a school canteen service run by Miss Peppercorn cafe in Blackburn South every Thursday. This service starting next term, will allow families to place orders online that will then be delivered to school by Thursday lunch time. The menu provides a range of nutritious hot and cold food choices as well as gluten free options. More information will be coming home this week.
Student Reports, Portfolios and 3-Way Conferences
Student reports will be available through Sentral on Wednesday and all portfolios will be finalised by Wednesday with Junior School students bringing them home on this day. It's important the report is read with the portfolio, through Seesaw for Senior students, as the assessed work samples give an indication of the standard your child is achieving.
Bookings for 3-Way Conferences will open the first Monday of Term 3 and close on the Wednesday. All students prepare for the conferences and this is an important part of the feedback loop as we work in partnership to support students achieve their learnign goals.
Have a great last week of term and I wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday.
Kim Streitberger