Mentone Park Primary School acknowledges the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we learn and play.

We value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and cultures’ and recognise their connection to lands, waters and communities.

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

It was wonderful to celebrate International Women’s Day at our school assembly last week. Our amazing student leaders did a fantastic job hosting the panel of women who shared their journey, resilience, and the positive influence their role models had on them. A big thank you to Zoe Loreno, Les Baker, and Max Kakouris for inspiring and motivating both our students and the school community. 

Each year, every government school produces an Annual Report to the School Community—a report that tells the story of MPPS over the past 12 months. This report shares key data, highlights our achievements, acknowledges areas for improvement, and provides a valuable insight into the progress we’re making as a school. 

Next Monday 31st March, at 6pm in the staffroom, we will be presenting our 2024 Annual Report to the school community at our School Council meeting. This is an opportunity for parents and carers to gain a deeper understanding of our school’s performance, growth, and future direction. We warmly invite you to join us as we reflect on the year at MPPS. 

The evening will begin with a 15-minute presentation, unpacking the key facts, figures, and insights that tell the story of 2024. Following this, we will transition into our formal School Council meeting, where our newly elected Council will convene for the first time. 

This meeting will also include the election of our School Council President, Vice-President, and Treasurer—a crucial part of the governance of our school. 

At this meeting, Council will vote to ratify the Annual Report, making it official. Once approved, we will share the report in our next newsletter and publish it on our school website so that our entire community can access and reflect on our journey. 

We hope to see many of you there for this important event—it’s a chance to celebrate our successes, acknowledge the hard work of our students and staff, and look ahead to what’s next for MPPS. 

Leisa Higgins 

Dear Parents, Guardians & Caregivers, 

I hope you and your families are all well and managing this warm weather we’ve been having! 

NAPLAN Update 

This week marked the beginning of the 2025 NAPLAN assessment period for our Year 3 and 5 students. So far, our students have successfully completed the Writing and Reading tasks, under the supervision of trained teachers and educational support staff. We are very proud of the high level of focus and effort that all students have put into both tasks – well done Year 3 and 5! 

The Writing task required students to produce a response to a prompt in a particular genre (narrative or persuasive writing). Students were provided with a written prompt with accompanying pictures and could choose to use either an idea directly from the prompt or to write about their own idea related to the prompt. Year 3 students were required to handwrite their response, whilst Year 5 students were required to type their response. 

The Reading task required students to read a range of informative, imaginative and persuasive texts, and then answer related questions. This was completed online using a tailored or adaptive test design. This means that the test automatically adapts to a student’s test performance and asks questions that match the student’s achievement level. Tailored testing allows all students to demonstrate their knowledge and encourages students to stay engaged with the test. Tailored testing also provides teachers and schools access to more targeted and detailed information on students’ performance in the assessment. 

In response to some issues with technology (discovered on Tuesday, during our final NAPLAN preparation session), we have made some changes to the testing schedule. The tests all still occur on the originally planned dates, however, we have changed some of the times to ensure that all our students have access to fully functioning laptops. 

The updated 2025 NAPLAN assessment schedule is as follows: 

• Writing - Wednesday 12/3/25 - Yr 3&5 from 9am [completed] 

• Reading - Thursday 13/3/25 - Yr 3 from 9am & Yr 5 from 11:30am [completed] 

• Conventions of Language - Monday 17/3/25 - Yr 5 from 9am & Yr 3 from 11:30am 

• Numeracy - Tuesday 18/3/25 - Yr 3 from 9am & Yr 5 from 11:30am 

Lastly, please be aware that these NAPLAN sessions may also impact the specialist sessions and daily timetable for other classes on these days. We have also scheduled catch-up sessions for any absent students on Friday 14/3 from 11:30am [completed] and Wednesday 18/3 from 9am, if required. 

Parents’ & Friends’ Association (PFA) 

We would love to invite you to join our Parents & Friends Association (PFA) and be part of our wonderful school community. Whether you have a little or a lot of time to give, every bit of help makes a huge difference! 

From assisting with events, working bees, website design, fundraising, or general support, your contribution - big or small - will directly benefit our children and school. 

The next PFA meeting is scheduled for Wednesday 26th of March at 3pm in the Chill Out Zone here at MPPS. If you would like to attend, please simply sign in at the office and the Chill Out Zone is located nearby. For further information about the meeting or joining the PFA please contact our PFA President, Bree Owens, on 4955-presidentpfa@schools.vic.edu.au. 

Guardian Mentone East 

We have had a friendly request from the Guardian Childcare Centre in Blackwood Avenue, opposite MPPS, to please avoid using their private carpark when dropping off or collecting your children from school. 

They are in the process of updating their carpark signage and thought it was an opportune time to appeal to our MPPS community to assist them in ensuring that their private carpark is available for their families and that their driveways/delivery areas aren't being blocked. 

Thank you, everybody! 

Yours sincerely, 

Nathan Hutchins 

Assistant Principal 

Important Dates

Wednesday 19th March - Special Assembly (2.30pm)

Friday 21st of March - Everyone Belongs Day

Friday 4th of April - Last Day of Term 1 (2:30pm student dismissal)

In the Spotlight / Overview

We are inching closer and closer to the end of Term 1 and we couldn’t be prouder of all our Foundation students. We are solidifying our classroom routines and delving deeper into rich learning opportunities. It is great to see students actively participating in classroom activities, whilst also forming friendships with their peers.

Heads Up!

A gentle reminder about toys at school. We would like to politely request that no toys from home are brought to school. This includes, fidget tools, figurines, toy cars, stuffed toys, dolls or games. We understand toys are expensive for parents and we would hate for them to get lost or broken. We have lots of fun things at school to play with so students do not need to bring anything but themselves! If toys are found at school they will be collected by the teacher for safekeeping and returned after school. If you could please have a chat to your child about this to ensure no toys get lost. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions regarding this request. 

On Friday 21st March we will be celebrating Harmony Day, Rock Your Socks for Down Syndrome Awareness and Cultural Week— all in one special event called Everyone Belongs Day. We encourage students to wear traditional cultural clothing or something that represents their heritage, a touch of orange to their outfit to show support for inclusivity and belonging and/or rock their crazy socks to raise awareness for Down Syndrome. This year, our celebration is even more meaningful as we recognize one of our own – Ivy Timmons, an adored Foundation student who has Down Syndrome. We are so proud to have Ivy as part of our school community and our Foundation level, and we warmly welcome Ivy and her family on this special day.

Literacy: We are learning to identify the when and who in a sentence, whilst forming our known letter ‘t’. 

Numeracy: We are learning to match collections to numerals 0-5, compare collections 0-5 (more, less, same), and add 'one more' to a collection and say the new amount (up to five).

Inquiry: We are learning to identify some of the development that occurs to humans from birth to adulthood.

Wellbeing: We are learning to understand that all emotions and feelings are normal and a part of life.

Recognizing TIER Role Models

Josh B - For showcasing the value of excellence when completing his ‘Letter M Sort’. You carefully sounded out all the words accurately! Well done! 

Kit M - For demonstrating our school value of excellence by always putting in your best effort with every activity!

Frankie L - For demonstrating our school value of respect by always listening to others and being a sensitive classmate! Amazing work! 

Oli R - For demonstrating teamwork by ALWAYS being a wonderful classroom helper for his teachers and peers.

Important Dates

Wednesday 19th March at 2:30: Student Leadership Badge Presentation and our first ever Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony  

Friday 21st March: Harmony Day/Rock Your Socks for Down Syndrome Awareness/Cultural Week Celebration - please see Compass post for more information.  

Friday 4th April: Last Day of Term 1  

In the Spotlight / Overview

Healthy Humans and Healthy Habits: This term, we are learning about the positive impacts that healthy habits have on our lives, such as drinking water, eating fruit and vegetables, being active, having a good night's sleep, and less screen time. We are also focusing on the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and discussing what we should eat more of and what we should only eat sometimes and in small amounts. The children have been involved in role plays to explore how what we put in our bodies impacts our feelings, behaviour, and also our learning. 

Heads Up!

• Morning (quiet) reading takes place in the classroom from 8:50 am to 9:05 am every day. We now welcome parent helpers during this time! We would really appreciate your support in roaming and reading with the students 1:1. Please ensure you have a current Working With Children Check and that the office has a copy. Please also make sure you have signed in at the office before entering the classroom.  

• Home apps - Next week, your child will bring home new logins for our new maths and reading apps. We encourage your child to log in and explore them when they get the chance!  

Writing: 

• Write a narrative with a clear beginning, middle and end. 

InitiaLit: 

• Year 1s: digraphs including ck (chick), th (thumb/feather), oo (moon/book), ng (swing), tricky words and super sentences. 

• Year 2s: digraphs including ue/ew, ai/ay, oa/ow, pronouns and informative texts. 

Numeracy: 

• We are learning to compare and order numbers. We have been using tens-frames, base 10 blocks, hundreds charts and number lines to do this. 

Inquiry (Healthy Humans): 

• We are learning to identify the different food groups and understand the importance of a balanced diet. 

Wellbeing (The Resilience Project): 

• We are learning to identify healthy and unhealthy habits and understand what can happen if we keep repeating unhealthy or healthy habits. 

Recognizing TIER Role Models

Harmony Fletcher - For showing excellence in striving to improve your letter formations. your letters are neatand accurately sitting on the dotted thirds. Congratulations!

Jayce Putt - For demonstrating excellence by listening, learning and trying his best in InitiaLit.

Aman - For being a kind and encouraging member of the class, demonstrating our school values TEAMWORK and RESPECT!

Annabelle Henderson - for demonstrating our school values of Teamwork and Respect. It is lovely to see you show care and kindness to others when needed.

Aston Ooi - For taking on extra challenges to improve his knowledge during Maths lessons! Keep it up Aston.

Olivia Ooi - For creating an engaging narrative retell of 'Pig the Pug' with exciting detail. Keep it up, Olivia!

Lacey Monk - Lacey consistently displays our school values by always trying her very best and being a kind and respectful member of our school.  

Important Dates

In the Spotlight 

This week the Year 3s (and Year 5) began their NAPLAN testing and have already completed their Writing and Reading. Well done to all the students! Next week Year 3 (and Year 5) will be completing the Language Conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and Numeracy tests.  

Year 4s have been working collaboratively with Year 6s to brainstorm ideas to improve our school environment. They will now work in small groups to research and develop a persuasive presentation explaining why their idea should be implemented at MPPS. 

Heads Up!

• On Friday 21st March we will be celebrating Harmony Day, Rock Your Socks for Down Syndrome Awareness and Cultural Week— all in one special event called Everyone Belongs Day. We encourage students to wear traditional cultural clothing or something that represents their heritage, a touch of orange to their outfit to show support for inclusivity and belonging and/or rock their crazy socks to raise awareness for Down Syndrome. This year, our celebration is even more meaningful as we recognize one of our own – Ivy Timmons, an adored Foundation student who has Down Syndrome. We are so proud to have Ivy as part of our school community and our Foundation level, and we warmly welcome Ivy and her family on this special day.

Literacy: 

• We are learning which graphemes are used to make the long vowel sounds /ā/ and /ē/ 

• We are continuing our novel study of “Matilda”. 

Numeracy: 

• We are learning to calculate elapsed time using formal units of time and practising using ‘am’ and ‘pm’ notation correctly. 

Inquiry: 

• We are learning about what it means to be healthy and identifying nutritious foods. 

Wellbeing: 

• We are learning how regular practice of healthy habits helps us both feel better and perform better. 

Recognising TIER Role Models 

Eve Cheek - For always being a positive role model to her peers by always showing respect and following our classroom expectations. Well done!

Billy Porter - For demonstrating excellence in his writing and being a role model to others.

Jase Owen - For consistently showing enthusiasm and excellence in Literacy lessons and class discussions.

Lachy Willder - For his focus and enthusiasm during Literacy lessons. Thank you for always striving for excellence. 

Important Dates:

Friday 14th March - Cross Country 

Monday 17th March - NAPLAN - Conventions of Language 

Tuesday 18th March - NAPLAN - Numeracy 

Wednesday 19th March - Special Assembly at 2:30 

Friday 21st March - Interschool Sport Vs. Kingswood (away) & Diversity and Inclusion Celebration 

In the Spotlight / Overview:

Congratulations to our Yr 5 students who have been calmly preparing for NAPLAN and successfully navigated the first couple of tests. Remember that these tests are just a snapshot of one day and do not take into account all the wonderful things that make your child unique. Whatever the outcome, we are incredibly proud of their efforts! 

Over the last fortnight we have begun our schoolwide wellbeing program, The Resilience Project. Students have been introduced to their journals and have begun to understand how regular practise of healthy habits helps us feel and do better. You may have had your child come home recently and point to random things and say ‘dis!’ - this was from a clip, ‘Gratitude with Hugh’, to introduce the concept of gratitude. 

Heads Up! 

• Interschool Sport continues throughout March. Please ensure you provide payment on Compass in order to attend away matches. Each Friday your child will need to bring a drink bottle and wear runners, their MPPS sport top, MPPS hat and sunscreen.  

• Our adventure to Cave Hill Creek for Senior School Camp in Term 2 is now live on Compass! Please ensure the Confidential Medical Form (hard copy given to students) is returned to your child's teacher promptly to assist in planning. Consent and payment can both be made via Compass, in addition to 6 camp-related questions. If you wish to use the School Saving Bonus or CSEF, please contact the office. 

• We have a special assembly scheduled for Wednesday, March 19th at 2:30pm, dedicated to bringing our school community together for two significant celebrations. Firstly, we welcome Mark Dreyfus, who will be presenting our Student Leaders (School Captains, House Leaders & Green Team) with their badges and sharing some words of encouragement. Secondly, we will be hosting a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony, led by a respected Elder, to acknowledge and celebrate the land we gather on. 

• On Friday 21st March we will be celebrating Harmony Day, Rock Your Socks for Down Syndrome Awareness and Cultural Week— all in one special event called Everyone Belongs Day. We encourage students to wear traditional cultural clothing or something that represents their heritage, a touch of orange to their outfit to show support for inclusivity and belonging and/or rock their crazy socks to raise awareness for Down Syndrome. This year, our celebration is even more meaningful as we recognize one of our own – Ivy Timmons, an adored Foundation student who has Down Syndrome. We are so proud to have Ivy as part of our school community and our Foundation level, and we warmly welcome Ivy and her family on this special day.

Literacy: 

• Read and respond to queries from our class novel, Can You See Me? by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott. 

Numeracy: 

• Identify factors and multiples with algorithms. 

Inquiry: 

• Investigate the different strategies used by the media to influence food choices. 

Wellbeing: 

• Identify and describe different emotions. 

Recognizing TIER Role Models

Flynn W - For always giving 100% effort in our maths lessons, and being able to show data in different representations.

Nelson G - For his wonderfully written and convincing persuasive piece about compulsory wearing of hats. Excellent!


McKenzie O - For working well in a group setting with a Year 4 student during Naplan prep.


James C - For consistently demonstrating teamwork & integrity when working in and out of the classroom. Superstar!

In Auslan, students in Foundation continue to learn to sign the alphabet and asking “How are you?”. They have learnt to sign teacher and principal. We have introduced a range of different emotions including sad, happy, angry, sick, tired/sleepy and excited. Students have learnt to sign “I feel” with a specific emotion.

In grade 1 & 2, students have been learning to sign questions related to themselves and respond appropriately e.g. “Live, where?”, “How old?” and “Birthday, when?”. We have revised our numbers, alphabet signing and emotions signing.

In grade 3 to 6, we have been focusing on signing a range of Auslan signs about themselves including “Enjoy, what?”, “Brothers/sisters, how many?”, “mum, name what?”, “Live where?” etc We continue to put these questions into practice with peers and are excited to work on a pair presentation for the end of term.

Here are some signs you can practice at home: 

Students have been developing and extending their drawing skills using Zentangle line techniques.

• The Preps created a leaf for their class tree.
• Grades 1 and 2 designed intricate flowers.
• Grades 3 and 4 used their handprints as a base to showcase their line drawing skills.
• Grades 5 and 6 combined a colorful pastel background with their Zentangle heart designs.

It’s been wonderful to see their creativity and focus shine through in these detailed artworks!

Students in Year 1-6 have been looking at sustainability in the kitchen and ways we can make a positive difference. From this we then put our engineering hats on and designed, built and tested some innovative ideas. All students have shown amazing creativity as they have thought outside the box, used new materials and tools and worked collaboratively with peers.  

Our Year 1/2s created useful, multi-use and safe kitchen gadgets. 

The Year 3/4s made kitchen machines inspired by Wallace and Gromit’s Autochef. 

The Year 5/6s were tasked with designing a 100% plastic free biscuit packet.  

Recognizing TIER Role Models

Dustin Baker - For his amazing kitchen gadget design. Very creative-well done!

Aston Lococo and Ratu Nailiko - For persisting with the construction of their plastic free biscuit packaging. 

'Everyone Belongs Day'

Next week is a big week, with three important events being recognised. On Friday 21st of March we are celebrating Harmony Day, Rock Your Socks for Down Syndrome Awareness, and Cultural Week Celebrations. Students can choose to be involved by wearing a touch of orange, crazy socks (wearing odd/colourful socks which symbolises the celebration of individuality and diversity) or wear your cultural clothing.

Additionally, we are celebrating these important events by:

• Whole School Lunch – All classes to eat their lunch together to foster togetherness by eating lunch together. Each student has been invited and encouraged to bring a small food item in their lunchbox that represents their culture, to create a conversation with their peers.
• Reading a book that promotes the inclusiveness, respect, and a sense of belonging for everyone.

Foundation – Year 2 will read the book ‘I’m Australian Too’ by Mem Fox and Year 3-6 will read ‘The Boy Who Tried to Shrink His Name’ by Sandhya Parappukkaran. Please see YouTube links to the books below.

I’m Australian Too - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ul91oNsILkc

The Boy Who Tried To Shrink His Name - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GErF05NtTZw

• Each student will receive a ‘paper hand’ that they will colour in and draw something that is unique to them or their culture on their hand. All hands will be put together into a big flower and display it in the corridor.

For further information on events please see:

Harmony Week - Everyone belongs

www.downsyndrome.org.au/news-events/national-events-filter-by-s-t/lots-of-socks/

Cultural Diversity Week: 17 - 23 March 2025 | multiculturalcommission.vic.gov.au

Thank you for your support.
MPPS

Term 2 Calendar

Attached is the Term 2 Newsletter, designed to keep families, carers, and staff informed about upcoming educational events, activities, meetings, and fundraising opportunities for the term ahead.

Please note that while we aim to keep to this schedule, our primary focus is always the children’s education. As a result, some events may be subject to change. Thank you for your understanding.

                              2024                                                        2025

Library Volunteers 

A huge thank you to our wonderful volunteers, Helen and Meredith, for dedicating their time to revamping our library. In just a few weeks, the transformation has been incredible and is truly appreciated by students and staff alike.

Helen has been, and will continue to, generously volunteer her time on Fridays, sharing her expertise with classes on how a library is run and hosting engaging storytime sessions.

We’re excited to have our Lunchtime Library back up and running! Over the past couple of weeks, it has been a hit with the students, with sessions filling up each day.

Lunchtime Library Schedule:

• Tuesdays (2:00–2:30 PM) – Mrs. Unwin (Grades 3–6)

• Thursdays (2:00–2:30 PM) – Mrs. Smith (Foundation–Grade 2)

Thank you to everyone who has helped bring our library to life!

Poco Music is an external Music Lesson Provider to our school.

Please see below for more details.

Our lunch order Classroom Cuisine has refreshed their menu.

Please see attached for more yummy options.

After-School ART CLASS! 

Do you have a little artist at home? Let their creativity shine!

WHEN: Every Thursday
WHERE: In the Art Room
TIME: 3:40 PM – 5:00 PM
Bring a snack!

First class FREE! 

Come and create with us!