April- Issue
4
Acknowledgement of Country
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.
Message From the Principal
Dear MPPS School Community,
I would like to begin by congratulating our outstanding Student Leaders and our Student Representative Council, who were recently presented with their leadership badges by our Member of Isaacs, Mark Dreyfus MP. It was a special moment at our assembly, and we are incredibly proud of our students who are taking on important roles within our school.
We were also honoured to hold our very first Smoking Ceremony and Welcome to Country last week at MPPS. This meaningful ceremony allowed us to connect with and show our respect for the traditional custodians of the land. It was a special occasion, and we were delighted to see so many parents and families join us for this significant event.
Last week, Helen our wonderful volunteer and retired school librarian held her first library sessions with our classes, and the students and staff have been thrilled with her sessions. We look forward to having Helen continue to work with our students and the wonderful work she is doing in our library
The Dental Van - Smile Squad - is still with us for another week! We are grateful for the opportunity to have these dental services available to our school community.
A gentle reminder to all parents and carers, please do not park in the school car park as vehicles may be locked in, and you may need to wait until 4pm to exit. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation in ensuring the safety and smooth flow of traffic.
A big thank you to everyone who generously donated items for our Easter Raffle! We are looking forward to our Easter raffle at the assembly this Friday. Your support means a lot, and we can’t wait to see the excitement of the raffle winners!
Finally, I’d like to wish everyone a wonderful, safe, and relaxing break. We look forward to seeing all our students refreshed and ready for Term 2, which begins on Tuesday 22nd April. Please remember, there is no need to wear hats in Term 2!
Enjoy your break and thank you for your continued support.
Leisa Higgins
Foundation
Important Dates
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In the Spotlight / Overview:
Well done to all our Foundation students who have commenced school full time, we love seeing you five days a week! Last week was a big one at the best school ever! On Friday we celebrated ‘Everyone Belongs Day’ - our Foundation rooms were a sea of orange, cultural colours and odd socks. We especially enjoyed visiting other classes as part of our multi-age activity. We each decorated a handprint in own unique and meaningful way – keep your eyes peeled for a whole school display coming soon!
Heads Up!
Take Home Reading Program
This week you will have received a letter regarding the commencement of our Take Home Reading Program early in Term 2. Further logistical details to come. In the meantime, all students now have access to online decodable readers via the MultiLit E-Library. If you are having difficulty logging in please see your classroom teacher.
Toys At School
A gentle reminder that we request that no toys from home are brought to school. This includes, fidget tools, figurines, toy cars, stuffed toys, dolls or games. If toys are found at school they will be collected by the teacher for safekeeping and returned after school.
Library
Library day is Friday. Please ensure that your child brings a library bag to school so that they are able to participate in our library program.
Uniform
As the weather begins to cool, and jumpers/jackets are brought to school, this is a timely reminder to ensure that all uniform items are clearly labelled with your child’s name.
Literacy:We have been learning the sound codes /a/ and /p/ whilst continuing to review /m/, /s/ and /t/. We are also learning to form these letters correctly with a focus on correct entry and exit points.
Numeracy: We are learning to count collections to 10 using 1:1 correspondence ensuring we count carefully and accurately. We are also using 10s frames to represent numbers up to 10, matching collections to their numerals and comparing collections up to 10 using the language more, less and equal.
Inquiry: We have been exploring the difference between everyday foods and sometimes foods, and we also designed our own healthy lunchbox.
Wellbeing: We are learning to recognise how we feel when we receive and show acts of kindness.
Recognising TIER Role Models
Kianin P - For demonstrating excellence in the classroom when completing literacy tasks and working hard on his listening skills.
Peggy Y - For showing excellence and taking pride in her work when writing about Tim the turtle.
Christian K – For demonstrating the value of ‘Excellence’ when completing your handwriting and storybook picture! Amazing!
Jack W – For supporting his classmates by encouraging them and consistently contributing positively to class discussions!
Oliver L - You have shown incredible effort and dedication in forming your letters correctly! Well done at showing the value of excellence!
Junior School
Important Dates
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In the Spotlight / Overview:
- Welcome Junior School families to another exciting edition of our newsletter.
- Last Friday, our school came together to celebrate Everybody Belongs Day, promoting inclusivity, kindness, and respect. Students and staff wore a touch of orange, their cultural dress or crazy socks to symbolize diversity and participated in activities that highlighted unity and acceptance. Classroom discussions, collaborative art projects, and team-building exercises encouraged everyone to embrace differences and support one another. The day reinforced the message that every student is valued and has a place in our community. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this event a meaningful and inspiring experience!
Heads Up!
- Morning (quiet) reading takes place in the classroom from 8:50 am to 9:05 am every day. We continue to welcome parent/grandparent helpers during this time! We would really appreciate your support in 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.
- There has been a change to our Library schedule. Each class will attend the Library once a fortnight on a Friday for one hour. We now have a wonderful volunteer whose name is Helen (retired teacher) who is volunteering her time to conduct formal Library sessions with our students. This will include students learning the Dewey Decimal System, learning to care for our Library, understanding Library processes, discovering non-fiction and fiction texts, as well as, book return and borrowing. We will begin this next Friday, on the last day of term. Please help us to remind your child of this change.
- On Friday (28/3/25) students will come home with their student logins for Matific and MultiLit eLibrary. Please take care of them and enjoy using these educational programs at home.
Literacy: Write a rhyming couplet poem.
InitiaLit:
Year 1s: compound words, tricky words, digraphs including ai/ay.
Year 2s: pronouns, comprehension strategies including predicting, grammar.
Numeracy: We are learning to add and subtract using a range of strategies including counting on, partitioning and bridging to 10.
Inquiry: We are learning to demonstrate basic hygiene practices (handwashing, brushing teeth) and understand how cleanliness helps to prevent illness.
Wellbeing: We are learning to understand the importance of noticing how our body is feeling and looking for clues about the emotions we are expoeriencing.
Recognising TIER Role Models
Evie W - For always trying your best in everything you do and demonstrating all our school values.
Ryan O - For showing integrity by trying his hardest during Initialit sessions and making sensible decisions to help his learning.
Lacey M - For putting in your best effort with every task, and always being kind and respectful!
Eden W - For always demonstrating respect and integrity through your kind and caring attitude to all your classmates.
Madelynn H - For showing integrity by trying her hardest to follow instructions and participate in class.
Braxton H - For being an exceptional role model to your peers and for always enthusiastically participating in your learning.
Giacomo B - for your excellent work in our handwriting lesson this week. You can be proud of your focus and effort to improve the tricky letter 'p'. Keep up the great work Giacomo!
Cooper B - For trying his hardest to concentrate and learn. You are setting a great example for your classmates! Keep it up!
Madi R - For demonstrating excellence during Maths, making equivalent number sentences using five frames and counters.
Middle School
Important Dates
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In the Spotlight / Overview:
Special Assembly
On Wednesday, 19th March, we had a special afternoon here at MPPS. First, Mark Dreyfus presented our 2025 school leaders with their badges which was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge our student leaders. Congratulations to our Year 3/4 SRC representatives; Maisie Donaldson and Henry Baker.
In addition, we had our first ever Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony, a significant and meaningful event to cleanse the area and ward off bad spirits, ensuring a positive and welcoming environment at MPPS!
Heads Up!
Parent Reminder - Holiday Reading:
Keep the reading habit going! Encourage your child to read for 20 minutes each night over the holidays.
Literacy:We are learning about homophones. We are learning to enhance our writing at the sentence level, using a range of engaging sentence structures.
Numeracy: We are learning multiplication and division facts for 3, 4, 5 & 10.
Inquiry: We are learning to understand why keeping active is an essential habit to have.
Wellbeing: We are learning to identify and describe different emotions.
Recognising TIER Role Models
Declan R - For his amazing teamwork and enthusiasm during the Year 4 “School Design” project. Great work!
Brodie L - For his amazing teamwork and enthusiasm during the Year 4 “School Design” project.
Judd O - For demonstrating integrity in the classroom and being a positive role model for your peers.
Olive D - For always having a positive attitude to learning and consistently presenting her work to a high standard.
Sofiia C - For her excellence during our maths lessons on division and multiplication facts for 5 and 10.
Casey A - For his responsible, respectful and polite behaviour, setting an excellent example to his peers.
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Senior School
Important Dates
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In the Spotlight / Overview:
With the blink of an eye, Term 1 has almost come to a close! We are incredibly proud of the efforts and resilience shown by our Senior students as they have participated in MANY activities within this first term. From the 3-6 Swimming Carnival, Senior Swimming Water Safety, District Swimming, Summer Interschool Sport, NAPLAN, Cross Country Trials through to Special Assemblies, it’s been jam packed full of fun Term 2 looks to be just as exciting! If we don’t get the opportunity to see you between now and the beginning of the holidays, have a wonderful and well deserved break!
Heads Up!
- As we close out our Summer Interschool Sports, we have begun gathering preferences for Winter Interschool Sports which will run throughout Term 2. Consent to attend throughout Term 2 was included in the original event. More information regarding sports and equipment will follow once teams are chosen.
- Thank you to everyone for returning their Medical Forms for Senior School Camp. Please ensure you have also consented and indicated payment via Compass, in addition to the 6 camp-related questions. If you wish to use the School Saving Bonus or CSEF, please contact the office.
- The first week of Term 2 is only a 3 day week with Monday being Easter Monday and Friday as ANZAC Day. Our School Captains will run a special ANZAC Assembly on Thursday 24th of April at 3pm.
Literacy: Read and respond to queries from our class novel, Can You See Me? by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott.
Numeracy: Solving expressions using the order of operations.
Inquiry: Investigate the different strategies used by the media to influence food choices.
Wellbeing: Understand that empathy is practised through acts of kindness.
Recognising TIER Role Models
Isla D - For her excellent work on lowest common multiples and highest common factors, she assisted others while completing her set tasks.
Charlie VDW - For her effort and perseverance in our maths lessons, her dedication is shown in her work.
Luna S - For her well written persuasive introduction, appealing to the reader to make healthy food more affordable!
Orlando S - For persisting with the grid/area method for multiplication of 2 digits by 2 digits. Keep up the good work!
Abby P - For showing teamwork and excellence in her group inquiry project. She has given 100% effort into her apple ad.
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Auslan
In Auslan, students in Foundation, Grade 1 and 2 have been learning Auslan signs for family members including mother, father, sister, brother, Auntie and Uncle. We have also learnt signs to do with Hobbies and Interest including dance, painting, netball, soccer, basketball etc. Grade 1 and 2 students have focused on extending these signs to include “My sisters name is…” or “I have 2 brothers” as well as focusing on “I like/don’t like” and “I play…”
Grade 3 & 4 students are putting all their signs together to interview other students in the class. They have all worked very hard with coming up with some basic questions including “How old?”, “Family, who?”, “Brother how many?”, “Sister name what?” etc
Grade 5 & 6 students have been busy researching a famous person to role play an interview scenery with asking questions learnt during the term. Students will participate in pairs with one person will take on the role as an interviewer and the other will pretend to be the famous person. Students will perform in front of their peers in week 10.
Here are some Family Signs you can practice at home:
Recognising TIER Role Models
Sofia K - For respectfully following the rules during alphabet bingo in Auslan. Well done!
Frankie L - For being a superstar in Auslan and signing some family signs. Well done!
Art
- Prep: Our youngest artists are exploring basic shapes by tracing, drawing, and colouring. They are also learning how to create happy people using simple lines and bright colours.
- Year 1/2: Students are experimenting with Zentangle patterns, drawing intricate flowers, and developing their paper collage skills to add texture and depth.
- Year 3/4: The focus is on capturing movement! Students are drawing people in motion, learning how to use lines and positioning to create a sense of action.
- Year 5/6: Older students are taking on a design challenge—creating detailed treehouse illustrations using a combination of curved and straight lines to enhance their architectural drawing skills.
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Physical Education
On Friday 14th March, Years 3-6 students participated in our House Cross Country Event at Mentone Park Primary. Everyone ran their best and completed as many laps as possible, with the goal being 2km for 9/10 year olds (4 laps) and 3km for children aged 11-13 years (6 laps.) Congratulations to everyone who participated, we are so proud of you!
The following children have been selected to represent our school in the District Cross Country event which will be held at Karkarook Park (Heatherton) on Tuesday 13th May. A Compass Event will be sent out to parents in the coming weeks.
Congratulations to:
9/10 Year Olds
Myla, Maisie, Eve C, Savannah, Henry, Lachie, Castiel, Billy, Jett, Aidan, Judd, Austin, Chase
11 year olds
Asha C, Asha W, Matilda, Jade, Oscar, James, Tate, Flynn
12/13 year olds
Mackenzie, Stella, Annabel, Zoe, Luna, Isla, Aston, Evan, Bailey, Lennox, Ben, James
In P.E the Preps have been continuing to work on Fundamental Motor skills, including throwing, catching and running and have been learning to cooperate and play minor games such as ‘Rob the Nest’ and Kickball.
The Year 1-4 students have been working on their throwing and catching skills and learning all about how to play Teeball, while the 5 / 6 students have been mastering their softball skills. 
Recognising TIER Role Models
Kit M - For being a super star basketball player and great listener during P.E. Well done!
Isla I - For being a good sport and great leader, congratulating other teams on their win! You're a star!
S.T.E.A.M.
Our Year 3/4 students were introduced to the three states of matter: solids, liquids and gases. They learnt that solids hold their shape, liquids flow and take the shape of the their container and gases expand to fill any space.
We also learnt that there are some exceptions, like Oobleck (cornflour and water mixture). This is called a non-Newtonian fluid, which acts like a solid and a liquid. We then got very messy as we made Oobleck in groups and discovered non-Newtonian fluid for ourselves!
Recognising TIER Role Models
Eddie W - For showing amazing perseverance whilst building his kitchen gadget.
Eve C - For her creative kitchen machine design. A fantastic effort!
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Student Wellbeing
Dear Parents, Guardians & Caregivers,
Welcome to The Resilience Project!
Mentone Park Primary School is committed in developing strong and positive relationships between all students and teachers through our Wellbeing Program. We understand that students reach their full potential only when they are happy, healthy and safe, and that a positive school culture helps to engage students and support them in their learning. Our school acknowledges that student wellbeing and student learning outcomes are closely linked.
Based on this commitment and following current research, this year we are excited to introduce The Resilience Project across the whole school from Foundation to Year 6. The Resilience Project curriculum was designed by teachers for teachers and aligns with Victorian and Australian Curriculum standards and framework in the areas of Personal and Social Capabilities and the Health and Physical Education. The Resilience Project has been extraordinarily successful working with many schools and sporting teams (including AFL and NRL teams).
This program will continue to improve our student, school and community mental health and wellbeing.
Why are we partnering with The Resilience Project?
Current research tells us:
1 in 4 adolescents have a mental illness.
1 in 7 primary school students have a mental illness.
1 in 5 adults will experience mental ill-health throughout the year.
65% of adolescents do not seek help for mental illness.
The Resilience Project delivers emotionally engaging programs and provides evidence-based, practical strategies to support positive mental health and build resilience. We will be presented with stories and research on how we can build mental health in our day to day lives and support the mental health of the children in our care.
We understand that as primary carers, you have an essential role to play in building positive mental health with your children. The program is based on the philosophy that, in order to live a happier more fulfilling life, we need to regularly practise Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM). Emotional literacy – having self-awareness and recognition of one's own feelings and knowing how to manage them – is also an integral part of the program. Each week to build resilience, we conduct a formal lesson based on one of these practises and the students complete an entry into their Resilience Journals. The lessons also engage the students in activities such as creating gratitude posters, mindfulness colouring and matching appropriate emotions to different events. 
The Resilience Project’s School Program has been evaluated by the University of Melbourne, with parents observing positive changes in how children handled home situations.
The evaluation also demonstrated that the program had targeted benefits in building:
- Children’s use of daily gratitude strategies and their sense of gratitude.
- Confidence and self-esteem, especially in relation to their peer relationships.
- Relationships at school and home.
- Knowledge and ability to express emotions.
- More supportive classroom environments.
Feel free to learn more about The Resilience Project by exploring the ideas, activities and resources which bring Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM) to life on TRP@HOME.
Check out below The Resilience Project daily reflections clip with Martic Heppell that your children will really enjoy.
The Resilience Project Daily Reflections
For further information, please visit The Resilience Project: https://theresilienceproject.com.au and see Parent Carer FAQ.
Please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s classroom teacher if you have any questions.
Warm regards,
Pamela Kousis
Student Wellbeing Coordinator
Community News
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.
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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!
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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!
After School Hours Care
Our school has partnered with an independent provider TheirCare to provide Before and After Care services to our school community.
The program services the children in the school from 7.00am in the morning until 8.45am and operates from 3.30pm each day until 6.00pm.
Families wishing to use this service can visit the TheirCare website: Families are also eligible for a Government rebate which reduces the cost per session.
Further information can also be obtained by contacting TheirCare on 1300 072 410.
TheirCare provides a stimulating and safe environment for all children and an environment where children enjoy their time in their program. During sessions children develop life skills, friendships, confidence, and creativity through play.
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