Principal's Report
First Aussie of the Month Award
The Aussie of the Month award is sponsored by Bruce Atkinson. Bruce is the President of the Legislative Council and a Member for the Eastern Metropolitan Region. He grew up in the area, going to school in Nunawading and Mitcham, and continues to live locally. Bruce’s wife, Libby Atkinson, used to work at MPRPS&K.
The program is a fantastic way to recognise those outstanding members of our school community, and honors their hard work and contributions. Learning Centre teachers spend a great deal of time considering worthy recipients of the award each month. All students view the award as a great honour and rightly so. Miss Emma Honan coordinates the award and liaises with Bruce Atkinson’s office. I thank her for all the work in making sure the award is ready each month.
It was my pleasure to award our first Aussie of the Month award for 2020 to Thomas M. Thomas is a wonderful contributor to life at MPRPS. He demonstrates a love of learning in all curriculum areas and consistently strives to challenge his skills and understanding. Thomas is a humble, reliable and dedicated member of the class, always offering his support to others. He is a polite, hard-working and quiet-achiever that consistently acts as a role model in the Leadership learning centre.
Thomas is curious about all endeavours he is involved in and likes to explore his creative imagination. He constantly strives to uphold the values of the school and demonstrates this behaviour especially through his role as a school leader. Thomas is a very organised and prepared student and completes his work consistently on time and to a high standard. He is always involved in extracurricular activities within the school, including the school play and his involvement in Senior sport. It has been a pleasure to see his work as a Grade 6 student this year and meet with him as he completes his leadership action plan.
Junior School Rotations and I.C.E.
On Friday the first session of our extra- curricular programs of Junior Rotations and I.C.E were held. There was such a buzz around the school as Foundation students joined with Year 1 and 2 students to visit different classrooms and work together on a variety of activities that they had selected. All students from Year 3-6 were highly engaged in their chosen I.C.E activity. I thank all staff and Miss Campbell with the help of a great number of volunteers including parents and community volunteers who run activities.
Bullyzero - Cybersafety Sessions
Last week the school community had the opportunity to work with Katie from Bullyzero on bullying and cybersafety. The students in Years 3-6 participated in sessions that focused on:
- bullying and the effects it can have
- the importance of being an ‘upstander’
- how to keep safe on online and age restrictions on apps
The same message was reinforced at both the staff and parent sessions to ensure the whole school community can work together to educate and support each other.
Thank you to all the parents for attending the parent session last Thursday evening. The turnout was fantastic with just over 100 parents on the night. The information Katie presented was confronting and highlighted some ways families can support their children at home. The feedback we have received from families was overwhelmingly positive and we look forward to reinforcing these messages with the students. If you would like more information on online safety please visit https://www.esafety.gov.au/. Parents can also sign up for the Bullyzero newsletter at www.bullyzero.org.au
Individual Education Plans and Student Support Group Meetings
Student Support Group meetings were held last week on Wednesday and Thursday. Parents and carers know the dates for each term and can plan ahead for the meetings for the year. Class teachers have also completed Individual Education Plans for those students who are achieving more than twelve months ahead or more than six months behind the expected standard. You may have already received a plan for your child if they come into this category. Teachers are continually assessing all students and setting tasks and working with them so that they can achieve their individual goals.
Twilight Sports 2020
Our sports start at 4.30pm with Kinder and Foundation - 2 students competing. Bring along a picnic or purchase a sausage and a drink from the BBQ from 5.15pm and be ready to be entertained by students in their running and novelty races. We are still looking for helpers for the BBQ if you are able to assist on the night. Don’t forget there is also a parent’s race at the end of the Kinder -Year 2 events and at the end of the Year 3-6 events and a past students race to finish off the evening which is highly competitive for some and a lot of fun for the rest. Students are encouraged to come along dressed in their house colours.
2020 MPRPS Twilight Sports
Running Sheet - 4.30pm-5.15pm- Junior School - Kinder, Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2
1. Kinder race- 3yo then 4yo. Genders mixed
2. Foundation race. Girls then Boys
3. Year 1 Race. Girls then Boys
4. Year 2 Race. Girls then Boys
5. Foundation Novelty Race
6. Year 1 Novelty Race
7. Year 2 Novelty Race
8. Parents Race
5.00pm - BBQ & Family Picnic
5.30pm House Chants - 6pm-8pm - Senior School Years 3-6
1. Year 3 races- Girls then Boys
2. Year 4 races- Girls then Boys
3. Year 5 races- Girls then Boys
4. Year 6 races- Girls then Boys
5. Past Students Race
6. Year 3 - Novelty Race
7. Year 4 - Novelty Race
8. Year 5 & 6 Novelty Race
9. 3/4 Long Distance Race- Girls then Boys. 2 laps of oval
10. 5/6 Long Distance Race- Girls then Boys. 3 laps of oval
10. Parents Race
Breakfast and Lunchtime Clubs
Breakfast club runs on Fridays after Running Club, a gold coin donation is appreciated. Miss Marsh looks forward to seeing many smiling faces each Friday morning ready for some breakfast. Also all of our lunch time clubs started last week . All classes have a copy of the timetable and one is also located at the end of the newsletter.
Uniform Blitz
This week we will be encouraging students to be in full school uniform. A couple of reminders:
- Leggings cannot be worn on their own, they maybe worn under a dress, shorts or skort.
- Socks should be white or blue.
- School hat orange or blue.
- Trousers must be the school cargo trousers not track suit pants.