At the first whole school assembly I shared a story from the Gunnia people of South Gippsland; the story is about a water holding frog from Central Australia.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, in the Dreamtime, lived a frog called Tiddalick. Tiddalick was the largest frog in the entire world. One very warm morning, he woke up feeling very, very thirsty and started to drink the fresh water. He drank and he drank and he kept drinking until all the fresh water in the entire billabong was gone!

When the other animals arrived at the billabong to get their morning drink, they found it was all dried up. This made them very sad. They knew Tiddalick the frog had drunk all the water. They knew they needed to come up with a plan to get the water back, but they didn’t know how. They thought and they thought and they thought until they realised that the best way to get the water back was to make Tiddalick laugh. If they could make him laugh then all the water would come spilling out of his mouth and back into the billabong!

The first animal to try and make him laugh was the echidna. She rolled herself up into a tight little ball and rolled down the bank of the billabong like a bowling ball! The kangaroo laughed and so did the emu, but Tiddalick didn’t laugh.

The next animal to try and make Tiddalick laugh was the wombat. The wombat stood up on his hind legs and danced around in a circle until he fell over in the dirt! The galah laughed and so did the goanna, but Tiddalick didn’t laugh.

The next animal to try and make Tiddalick laugh was the kookaburra. She perched herself on a branch close to Tiddalick and told her funniest story. It was so funny that she burst out laughing! But Tiddalick didn’t laugh. He just sat there with his big belly full of all the water.

Finally, the snake decided to try and make Tiddalick laugh. She started to dance and dance, wriggling and squirming all over the ground until she eventually tied herself into a knot. The knot was so tight that she struggled and struggled to untie herself but was stuck! Tiddalick watched the snake trying to untie herself, and let out a small chuckle. That small chuckle turned into a rumbling in his tummy before it turned into a great big belly laugh! The water came gushing out of his mouth and filled the billabong back up once again.

All the animals jumped with joy as they took big, long, gulps of water to quench their thirst.

I reminded our students that the Tiddalik story helps to teach us a number of different lessons. Firstly, the importance of our environment and the preciousness of our water resources which aligns with our MFG trait where we are responsible and active global citizens.

It also reminds us to share and not be greedy or selfish – our MFG trait of being caring and respectful of others and ourselves.

The animals working together remind us of the MFG trait to be flexible collaborators, leaders and team members, which was a trait selected by our Year 12s yesterday as a key trait to focus on in 2020.

Finally, the story reminds us of the value of our Elders and the importance of listening to those whose life experiences can help us make good decisions; the teachers and their parents and carers.

Thank You

Thank you for your kind responses regarding my request for a freezer. The Tot family have arranged one for us and we will use it to supply meals to our students who would benefit from a home cooked meal. If you would like to be on the list of people to supply food from time to time please contact me, Michelle Crofts, on the school email mfgsc@edumail.vic.gov.au and I will contact you to make arrangements for this to happen.

Staff Update

We welcome Eamon McNelis to our staff. He will be teaching Brass on Tuesdays, starting on Tuesday 11th.

Feedback and Complaints Policy

MFG is always happy to discuss with parents/carers and community members any concerns that they may have. Concerns should be directed to the appropriate people in the school who are best placed to support you and your child. Where possible, school staff will work with you to ensure that your concerns are appropriately addressed.

If you have a learning concern please contact the following people in order from left to right.

If you have a wellbeing concern please contact the following people in order from left to right.

If you have a staff concern please contact the following people in order from left to right.

In 2018 School Council developed and ratified the feedback and complaints policy (attached).

Student Leadership 2020

This year the following students are leaders in our school supported by our Leading Teacher Sarah Tolley.

What is a study plan?

A study plan is an organised schedule outlining study times and learning goals. Just like with work or school schedules, you should develop a schedule that sets aside dedicated time each week for studying. This schedule should include dates of assessment items.

6 tips for creating a study plan :

Analyse your current study habits and how you prefer to learn
Evaluate what you do each week (sport, study, work, etc.)
Plan how much time you need to study for each class
Develop a study schedule – block out study times each week
Identify your learning goals for each class which will help you determine how much time you need to spend studying
Stick to your schedule and if you do not have set homework, revise, read ahead and reflect on your lessons that day

Attendance

We like to work in partnership with parents and carers to ensure your child attends school regularly.

Please act early if you have any concerns by contacting your child’s Home Group teacher and asking for advice and support.

Remember that every day counts
There is no safe number of days for missing school – each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes and their social connectedness
Talk positively about school and the importance of attending every day
Open and prompt communication with your child’s Home Group teacher about all absences is a good idea
Avoid making routine medical and dental appointments during the school day or planning family holidays during the term

Ms Michelle Crofts

Principal of Matthew Flinders Girls

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