From the Principal's Desk
Dear MSPS Community,
As we finish Week 5, it is hard to believe we are halfway through Term 1 and now looking towards the end of term events. The last 5 weeks have been eventful in that we have been able to celebrate several activities and community events that have not been on the calendar for some time. Prep barbeque, whole school assembly, District Swimming Sports, School Council, Parents and Friends AGM, Prep ssembly and Prep Welcome to Country. And next week, we will have another whole school assembly and proudly present our school captains with their badges. It is these events that forge our sense of community and establish those much-needed connections with each other. It is the partnership that ensures we have a productive teaching and learning environment which is our core business.
Our staff are working closely with our Teaching and Learning leaders and support staff to ensure a comprehensive and collaborative planning and delivery of the curriculum. It is imperative that teaching sessions are at each student’s point of need. We continually look at common areas for improvement and work together in teams to plan learning activities to lift the quality of these skills across each particular year level. Whether it is in classrooms, the French room, the SAKG area, MSPS is providing a quality education for all students.
As our moto says, together we create a great learning environment, and we are proud of what we do together with our community.
School Photos - Thursday 17th March
Thursday 17th March is our school photo day. Your order selection and payment can now be made to MSP Photography via Compass. You can find a link included on your Compass homepage now or see the attached flyer.
Prep Welcome
On Wednesday, we officially welcomed our Prep students to the school. The morning was a great success. It was a thrill to see our newest members of the school community welcomed by indigenous elder, Uncle Ian in the Welcome to Country smoking ceremony and for them to walk the “red carpet” and be introduced to the whole school. Thank you to the Prep staff, Mitchell, Michelle, Kate and Rachael for their hard work in organising the event. Thanks also to Emily Kilkenny for teaching the students their first performance and for the rest of the staff and Year 6 buddies and School Captains, who made sure that we could welcome our newest school community members. Thanks also to the families who came along. We wish our Preps every success in their school life and hope they enjoy their experience at Monty South.
Easter Bonnet Parade Prep-2.
This will be held on Thursday, 7th April, commencing at 9:30 am for our Prep-Year 2 students. We also like to invite the children from Panorama Heights to join us on the day. At the conclusion of the Parade, which usually takes around 45 minutes, the rest of the school joins us for the drawing of the Parents and Friends Easter raffle.
The Easter Bonnets are made at home as the teaching staff prefer to focus on the teaching and learning of students and art has a set curriculum that does not include making hats. I am asked every year can they be made in class, and we always ask the staff, but their preference is not to do so. However, as I know not everyone is creative (as a parent I used to cringe at special days), we will include an award this year that caters for those students who make their bonnets at home with no adult help.
There will be 3 awards per class issued
- Self-Made Award
- Most Colourful Award
- Most Unique Award
I should add that it is not the teachers who make the selections of the prize winners but our student leaders and captains. We feel it is a good opportunity for leadership and student voice.
Thank you for your understanding and support.
Year 6 Badge Ceremony
At school assembly on Wednesday 9th March, we will officially announce our Year 6 Leaders in a Badge Ceremony. Families are welcome to attend. The assembly will take place at 2.45pm on the school oval (or inside the gym, weather permitting).
Monty South Achievers
Congratulations to our swimming squad who competed in the District Swimming competition last week. The entire squad made it through to the Division Finals this week resulting in three 3 relay teams going on to the SSV Northern Metropolitan Region Swimming championships to be held at Watermarc on Tuesday 22 March. Competing will be the 11 year girls (Hope Christian, Ava Coombs, Jessika Blair and Charli Walters) 12/13 year boys (Ben Van Dijk, Cooper Haynes, Oscar Whitmore and Evan Sealey), the girls’ medley team (Ava Thickens, Jessika Blair, Annabelle Lowe and Ava Coombs) as well as Ben Van Dijk, Ava Coombs, Ben Nicholls and Hope Christian going on in individual events. Well done to you all for your efforts and good luck to those who made it through!
Well done also to two of our staff members, Kate Little and Tracey Cole who have pulled on the baseball gloves and are playing in a Masters baseball competition.
School Council – New Members
Thank you to Erin Smith, Beck Faldon and Shane Borczuch for nominating to become parent representatives on School Council. Their term will commence at the next School Council Meeting on Tuesday 8th March. We are incredibly grateful to you for giving your time, advice and expertise to the management of Monty South Primary for the next two years.
Thanks once again to outgoing councillors Jane Plunkett, Nghiem Tran, Shayley Holland and Emma Di Pietro. In particular I would like to acknowledge Jane, Nghiem and Shayley who have served multiple terms on Council ensuring we had continuity over a period of change that included increased student growth, the new build and of course Covid-19.
Privacy and Personal Property
Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the DET Schools’ Privacy Policy. The Privacy Collection Notice is attached and for more information about the policy, refer to: https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Pages/schoolsprivacypolicy.aspx
Just a reminder that private property items brought to school by students (including balls, bicycles, skateboards and scooters) are not insured and the school does not accept any responsibility for their loss or damage. We advise that all items brought to school are named.
Thank you for your donation
Thanks to Chris Nicholls, Dad of Will Nicholls, for the generous donation of 24 reading lamps. Not only did his donation save these quality lamps from going to landfill, they will help our teachers to furnish reading spaces in their classrooms.
Memorial Chair
We wish to remember former student Charlie Scott. He could always be found playing sport on the school oval. As our way of remembering him we have just installed a new seat on the end of the oval.
Rapid Antigen Tests and masks
The DET has determined that Rapid Antigen Testing in schools will continue until the end of Term 1. The next round of tests are now available for collection. It is strongly recommended that students test twice weekly for Covid-19 for the remainder of the term.
Changes to mask wearing rules across Victoria came into place last week. For primary schools however masks are still required for all staff and students in Years 3 – 6.
Roadworks
The final of several roadworks projects around the school is now almost complete. An asphalt footpath on Mitchell Ave/Buena Vista Drive has been constructed outside the school grounds.
The new Kiss and Drop Zone will be completed soon on Reichelt Ave with 10 new kiss and drop parks. Please remember these parks, during peak pickup/drop off times are for a max. of 2 mins stay only. You must not park and leave your vehicle. These signs will soon be installed by the Council as a reminder.
Dates for the diary
Thurs 17 March – School Photos
Friday 25 March – Casual Dress Day (Donation of items for Easter raffle rather than gold coin)
Weds 30 March, 8:30am – Second hand uniform sale
Weds 30 March – Year 3 Yarning Circles excursion
Thurs 7 April, 9:30am – Easter Bonnet Parade & Easter raffle draw
Friday 8 April – Term 1 ends / 2.30pm finish
Tues 26 April – Term 2 starts
Leanne Sheean
Principal
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Montmorency South Primary School acknowledges traditional owners of country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and to elders both past, present and future.
‘Montmorency South is an inclusive learning community where students are inspired to be respectful, creative, curious and independent learners.’
Our Belief:
We believe that every person in our Montmorency South school community has the capacity to assist each student in attaining our vision.
Motto - Together we learn, lead and achieve