Thursday 18th March

Dear families,

We are experiencing some normality again with many activities, events and opportunities taking place that we are greatly appreciative of and hope the students are enjoying and learning from. Cool Cats is up and running again with the support of many helpers, excursions are happening, community events are taking place and guest speakers are inspiring our students.

Today our 1/2 students have gone to the Melbourne Aquarium to compliment the work being done in the classroom. The aquarium is always amazing and I can’t wait to hear all about their day. Thanks to the staff and parents who supported our students.

On Monday we presented our Year 6 students with their leadership badges. Each year the students nominate a person of significance that they wish to help with the presentation. This year, via the wonders of technology, we were able to have Justine Kolliou speak to the students and help with the presentation. Justine was a teacher at Menzies who now works in Sydney. It is nice seeing these badges being worn with pride and we are looking forward to seeing the students develop their leadership potential this year.

Last Friday we had a visit from AFLW player Charlotte Wilson. Charlotte plays for Carlton and she spoke with all the students about her journey and her involvement in sport. She was very generous with her time, answered many questions and even made some time for a kick and to provide her autograph. She is a wonderful role model and thanks to Lilly Markovic for organising this visit. We celebrated International Women’s Day on Tuesday and having Charlotte visit was a fitting end to the week.

We also had an opportunity for our families in Foundation, Year 1 and 2 to informally gather for a relaxed afternoon and BBQ last Friday after school. The weather was perfect and it was nice to have staff and parents connecting with one another again. I would like to acknowledge our OSHC provider TheirCare for supporting this event and providing the sausages for us.

Bunnings BBQ fundraiser

Speaking of sausages, we are looking for volunteers to assist us on Sunday, March 28, to work a couple of hours at the Fountain Gate Bunnings in Narre Warren. Please contact Kate in the office if you are able to support this.

Goodbye and good luck to Courtney

Tomorrow is Courtney Gilmour’s last day with us as she is about to commence Family Leave. This is an exciting time for Courtney and Steve - we wish them all our best and can’t wait to see her and the baby when the time comes.

Menzies Creek Preschool Family Fun Day! Save the date

The preschool team are looking to organise a family fun day at the preschool on Sunday 23rd May from 10 am to 1pm. The purpose of the event is to bring together families from Menzies Creek Primary School, Preschool and the broader community to enjoy some fun activities together and see what the preschool has to offer.

The preschool will be set up with loads of free play experiences that promote the preschool program and philosophy. The preschool educators will be there to catch up with families. We are hoping to reach out to families looking to enrol their child in preschool in 2022 or beyond but just as importantly we want our community families to come together for a fun day.

If you would like to get involved with helping at this event (such as have face painting skills, or know of a kid’s activities business) please contact the preschool team or Kate in the office.

As mentioned in the last school newsletter, Monica Moulday has now joined our Preschool team. She has had a busy couple of weeks settling in and getting to know the students and the families. Together with Abby, Lara and Jacinta, she is working to provide the best opportunities for our preschool students and families.

The Preschool is a vital part of our school’s community and operates out of the Menzies Creek Community Hall. If you know of any families looking to enrol please encourage them to visit our website and/or organise a visit as we do have some availability.

Check out the photos in this newsletter from last Sunday’s Preschool working bee. Thanks to the families for their time and effort making the grounds presentable for the students to continue enjoying.

Menzies Creek Footy Tips.

We are running a Menzies Creek footy tipping competition. If you are interested in joining, click on the link below and create an account. Staff, parents and students are all welcomed https://www.footytips.com.au/comps/Menzies_Creek_PS

Good luck! First game starts tonight so don’t delay. Go Pies!

Compass update

Compass will be looking different soon. None of these changes will impact the functionality that you are used to within Compass, they are updates to the design that hopefully will make your use of Compass easier. Through prioritising inclusion and accessibility as core design principles, the new Compass interface is intended to be simpler, cleaner and more contemporary. As always, let us know if you are having any issues.

We do have Assembly tomorrow at 2:45pm. We will invite families to join us online by accessing https://eduvic.webex.com/meet/mcinerney.dale.j.

At this stage only parents of Foundation students receiving their first award are invited to assemblies.

A reminder we finish school for the term on Thursday, April 1, at 2:30pm. No joke!

Regards,

Dale McInerney

Compass Update