Thursday 14th July

Dear families

Welcome to Term 3. I hope all our community had the chance to spend some quality time together with family and friends. We have enjoyed seeing the staff and students reconnect with each other as they have started another term of learning with many things to look forward to this term.

Congratulations – a great acknowledgement and achievement.

Our Menzies Creek Preschool has recently undergone an assessment and rating review for each of the seven quality areas in the National Quality Standard.

In determining the ratings, the Department of Education has undertaken a rigorous assessment of the quality of our service against the NQS and the National Law and the Education and Care Services National Regulations 2011 (National Regulations).

Menzies Creek Preschool has been rated as Exceeding National Quality Standard in all areas.

This is a wonderful achievement and we would like to acknowledge the efforts of our Educational Leader, Monica Moulday and our educators Lara Coysh and Jacinta Corbett. A copy of the report will is now available on our website.

https://www.menziesps.vic.edu.au/preschool

2023 Foundation Enrolments – Due Date

A reminder to any families with Prep students starting in 2023 that Enrolment Forms are due by Friday 12 August. Please contact the office on 9754 3695 or by email (menzies.creek.ps@education.vic.gov.au) to ask for a form. Please also contact us if you have any queries. It would be great if you could pass this information on to any families you know of who may wish to enrol their Foundation child for next year. Families will be advised by Friday 26 August regarding confirmation of the placement at MCPS.

Three-way conferences

As communicated via Compass, next week we will be having our three-way conferences to discuss the semester 1 progress and reset for this semester. These will be split over 2 days. Parents can make bookings via compass.

We will have these happening at the following times:

Tuesday 19 July conferences from 3:30pm to 7:30pm
Wednesday 20 July conferences from 3:30pm to 5:30pm.

Conferences will go for 12 minutes. These can be in person or via webex. Can families please indicate which option they would prefer by accessing this link and completing the google form. If you find you need to make another time you are welcome to arrange this with your child's teacher, as is normal practice. Please ensure you read your child’s report prior to the conferences, as well as the learning tasks as these form the basis of the conferences.Please contact the office if you are having trouble making a booking.

Whole school excursion – Puffing Billy

We are so excited to be travelling on Puffing Billy Railway (PBR) next Thursday. As this is a whole school excursion we will not require the assistance of any parent helpers as our ticket only covers staff and students. We are grateful to have this opportunity provided to our school free of charge. We require consent as per our normal excursion process and PBR would also like consent to be taking photos. Please access compass events to provide consent for us and access this link for PBR statement of release details. Thanks to the families that have already done this.

Timetable:

Arrive Menzies Creek Museum 10:30am for photo indemnity check, introduction, snack, toilets, Menzies creek museum explore and to board the train
Board Puffing Billy at 11.35am
Arrive Lakeside station 12pm
Rotating education workshop and photoshoot, explore and lunch 12pm-1:50pm
Board Puffing Billy Railway at Lakeside Station at 2:00pm
Depart Emerald Park Lake on Puffing Billy at 2:00pm to Menzies Creek Station
Arrive Menzies Creek station at 2:30pm to return to school

Staffing update

This week we have welcomed Erin Carter to our school community. Erin is teaching our Year 5 class and is enjoying getting to know the students and the school.

Kate Watkins started her new role of teaching PE and Visual Arts this week. Look at for her report later in the newsletter.

Covid updates

There are some brief updates regarding COVID Safe management from the Department of Education - please see below:

Families are still required to please report any positive student cases to the school.
We are still required to send home notifications regarding positive cases in particular cohorts. When there are no cases reported on a day, there will be no message home.
Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) will no longer be sent home after today (these are included in the smile squad bag) unless families request them. Please contact the office if you would like a box/boxes of tests sent home with your child if you are symptomatic or are household contacts.

Schools are asked to remind staff, students and families that the current advice from the Victorian government is that it is recommended face masks are worn in indoor settings (except for close contacts, who must wear a mask indoors unless an exception applies).

With COVID-19 and other illnesses still impacting Victoria, the Department of Education is acutely aware of the continued workforce pressures we are facing going into Term 3. As a school we will endeavour to do our best to provide stability and continuity for our students and thank you in advance for your understanding.

It is appreciated by the school when families are keeping students at home when they are unwell so to avoid spreading any illness. Thanks to those families who are entering this information into compass attendance so we are aware too.

Thank you

Over the holidays we had some staff and families continue to support our school in various ways. We would like to acknowledge this as we are very appreciative.

to the Spencer family who came and moved some mulch from the oval onto our garden beds.
to the Eagleton family for hosting our chickens
to Kelly Black and Georgia for preparing the plot to pot garden beds
to Mandy Rudeforth for taking home our interschool sport uniforms and sick bay linen to wash.

Washing

If anyone is able to assist us this term with any washing we would be very grateful. Each week we have aprons and tea towels from plot to pot as well as the sick bay linen. Please contact the office if you are able to assist. Thanks in advance.

Smile Squad

Students have taken home information regarding the new Victorian Government school dental program today. This will replace the Teeth on Wheels service that we had been using. Our visit will take place in October. The pack includes a toothbrush and some toothpaste. We added the RAT kit!

Parking

We are always mindful of safety around our school at drop off and pick up times. Please ensure you are abiding by the road rules and parking appropriately. We have had instances where cars are being blocked in when parked correctly which is unfair.

With the roads being slippery with winter in full swing please take your time around the school, be mindful of students walking and avoid U-turns on School Rd. We don’t want any avoidable accidents

Take care,

Dale McInerney

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