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.

Dear MPPS School Community, 

Each year, our school community demonstrates its commitment to provide the very best for our students and one important way this happens is through Family Payments/Curriculum Contributions (previously known as school fees). 

While these payments are voluntary, they are absolutely vital. The government funding we receive allows us to deliver the basics of education for every child. But what makes MPPS brilliant is our range of excursions and incursions, specialist programs, vibrant classrooms, and high-quality resources which are made possible because of the contributions from our families. 

We are incredibly grateful to the families who have already made this year’s contribution, thank you so much. Your support is helping to fund the rich learning experiences our students are enjoying. We kindly ask the remaining families to make payment on QKR and finalise their payment. Our requested contribution has been kept deliberately low. So far this year, we’ve received only 50% of our target for this time of the year. If you are yet to make payment for 2025, we encourage you to make payments or contact our general office. 

If you have not yet donated to the Mentone Park Primary School Building & Library Fund and would like to do so before the end of the financial year to claim a tax deduction, please contact the school office. All contributions, big or small are greatly appreciated. Donations will directly support the maintenance and improvement of our school buildings, providing a better learning environment for our students. A tax-deductible receipt for any 2025 Building & Library Fund donation will be sent home with your child before the end of Term 3. 

We are calling all our siblings for 2026 Enrolments. It is time to have all little siblings enrolled for 2026! If you have a preschooler who is due to start school next year and are yet to enrol them, please refer to our school website (www.mentonepark.vic.edu.au/page/3/Enrolment) where you can easily locate the relevant enrolment information. 

Excitement has been building across the school, and the much-anticipated night of our disco is finally here! A huge thank you to our amazing PFA, led by our dedicated and humble President, Bree, for their outstanding efforts in planning and organising what promises to be the best disco yet for our students. We can’t wait for tonight to see everyone dancing the night away! 

If your child is feeling unwell, we kindly ask that you keep them at home to rest and recover. It’s a gentle reminder for all of us that even when we're feeling just a little under the weather, taking a break can make a big difference. Our flu season usually runs from May to October, with a peak in August. While we can’t prevent every bug from making the rounds, many illnesses can be reduced through simple, everyday hygiene habits. 

Leisa Higgins

Dear Parents, Guardians & Caregivers, 

I hope you are all well and enjoyed the long weekend! 

Peer Observations 

Across Term 2 our wonderful and dedicated teachers have been engaging in peer observations aimed at assisting them to consistently deliver best practice for all of our students. This process involves a colleague and a principal team member observing the practice of a teacher in the classroom teaching a lesson. The focus of these observations being to provide them with valuable feedback about the classroom environment, use of classroom routines and procedures, their strategies for checking for learning and understanding and their collaboration with our amazing education support (ES) staff. The teacher that has been observed then meets with the observers to reflect upon the observed lesson, both to celebrate the successes as well as to identify any potential areas for improvement. I have been very impressed with both the quality of teaching and the willingness of our teachers to both, be observed and receive feedback for improvement. We intend to continue to utilise peer observations regularly in the future to assist us in embedding improvement initiatives that promote enhanced student outcomes. 

Semester Reports & Parent Teacher Conferences 

Teachers are currently finalising Semester Reports to provide students and parents with valuable feedback regarding student achievement and growth across the first half of 2025. These Semester Reports will also include reflections directly from students themselves regarding their performance, as well as their goals for next semester. Next week, staff will begin the proofreading and checking process prior to the Semester Reports being released to students and parents on Friday 27/6. Parent Teacher Conferences are also scheduled for the afternoon of Wednesday 2/7, to provide parents the opportunity to clarify anything contained within Semester Reports and to gain further feedback regarding their child’s specific areas of growth and opportunities for improvement. Bookings for Parent Teacher conferences will open on Wednesday 18/6, via Compass. More information to come via a Compass post. 

Victorian Schools Parliamentary Program 

On Tuesday 24/6, four of our senior students, Mackenzie Owens, Benjamin Willder, Matilda Henderson and James Clarke, will participate in the Victorian Schools Parliamentary Program (VSPP). This involves them attending Parliament House in the city, along with other student leaders from many other primary schools across the state, to investigate the question: Should voting be compulsory in Australia? The program on the day includes opportunities to share their views, hear from expert keynote speakers and collaborate with students from other primary schools. Mackenzie, Benjamin, Matilda and James have already begun preparations for the program and we look forward to hearing from them about their experiences upon their return to school. We know they’ll represent Mentone Park Primary School excellently! 

Acknowledgements 

On a personal note, many of you are aware that my wife, Sarah, and I welcomed our second child, a little boy, Harrison, towards the end of Term 1. Mum and bub are both doing really well and Lachie is absolutely loving being a big brother! I’d just like to take this opportunity to thank everybody for all the congratulations and well wishes that I’ve received upon starting back at MPPS, after some paternity leave. I’d also like to acknowledge the amazing job Mrs Emma Free did acting in the Assistant Principal role during this time. She seamlessly transitioned from the classroom into the role and has added real value to our learning and teaching programs especially, during this time. Thank you, Emma! 

Yours sincerely, 

Nathan Hutchins 

Assistant Principal 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

We are continuing to introduce more ‘Tricky Words’ as part of our InitiaLit literacy program. Learning ‘Tricky Words’ help your child become a more confident and fluent reader. A reminder that your child has been sent home with a Tricky Word Keyring. We are currently focusing on Set 1 and Set 2 in class. To support their learning, we ask that you practise these words together each night. Just a few minutes each evening can make a big impact on your child’s reading!  

Heads Up!

Nessy, Matific and MultiLit Elibrary  

Recently we sent home student logins for our online learning platforms; Nessy, Matific and The MultiLit eLibrary.

The MultiLit eLibrary is a wonderful resource that can be used alongside the take home readers.

Nessy (Reading and Spelling) and Matific (Maths), are interactive learning platforms designed to be used both at school and at home. We encourage students to work through these programs independently and at their own pace.

If you are having difficulty logging in to any of these platforms please contact your classroom teacher.

Literacy: We have been learning the single sounds /n/ and /g/ whilst also focussing on segmenting the beginning, middle and end sounds in 3-letter words. In writing, we have been exploring the use of adjectives to add detail. We described a soft toy and a pineapple using the 5 descriptors – shape, size, colour, number and texture. We are working towards writing our own descriptive pieces!

Numeracy: We have been continuing to explore shapes and their properties. We know some shapes have curved sides and others have straight sides, and have been learning to distinguish between similar shapes, such as, squares and rectangles. We are also learning to correctly write numbers from 10 -20…understanding ‘teen’ numbers is trickier than it seems!

Inquiry: Last week we digitally collected and presented data about our favourite chocolates. We looked at our graph and independently made statements about the data such as ‘not many people like KitKats’ or ‘the most amount of people liked M&Ms’. 

Wellbeing: We have been learning to express gratitude in our daily lives. We all agreed that while getting presents and going on holidays are lots of fun, we don’t need these things daily to feel happy. We made some groovy gratitude glasses and explored what we could see in front of us at that moment that we could be grateful for. Some things we noticed was: the sun shining through our window, having a TV in the classroom, lots coloured pencils to write and draw with, having warm clothes to wear and sitting with our friends.   

Recognising TIER Role Models

Aurelia K – For being a kind and supportive friend by celebrating the success of others in a positive manner! Aurelia, you are a great role model.

Zayn G – For coming to school each day with a smile and positive attitude, ready to do your personal best. Great work, Zayn!

Pippa K – For being a great maths partner! You were listening carefully, sharing ideas and encouraging others. What a brilliant maths friend!

Max L – For showcasing excellent contribution and application in InitiaLit lessons this week! Keep up the great work, Max!

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway through Term 2! The term has been filled with meaningful learning and enthusiastic engagement.

This week, we launched our new Writing unit on Information Reports. Students have been learning the differences between imaginative and informative texts and practise extracting and recording facts from nonfiction sources.

In Mathematics, students are strengthening their addition and subtraction skills using number lines, base-10 blocks, and place value charts to support understanding and build confidence with number operations.

Heads Up!

Daily Reading

• Well done to our students who read daily at home! We can see such great improvements in their reading skills, and we are so proud of them! Home daily reading is essential to improve your child’s reading ability. Please make sure this reading is entered into their Reading Diary each time they read.

MultiLit eLibrary

• The MultiLit eLibrary is an excellent resource and can be used alongside their take home readers. These texts can be entered into their Reading Diary. Your child has their logins in their Communication Folder. Please ensure your child’s Communication Folder is at school each day.

Nessy and Matific

• It is fantastic to see students using the educational programs, Nessy (Reading and Spelling) and Matific (Maths), at home. Well done! They are both excellent programs that support the work we do here at school.

Literacy: We are learning to collect facts about an animal and record notes on a template. We will then use our notes to create super sentences and use them in our information reports.

InitiaLit:

• Year 1s: digraphs including ‘ar’ as in star, ‘or’ as in fork and ‘ore’ as in snore and the tricky words (house, why, because). Our storybook has been ‘Max’ by Bob Graham including the WOW words (legendary, hover, firmly).
• Year 2s: Spelling skills such as doubling the last consonant and adding –ing, verbs, and the comprehension strategy of ‘asking questions’. Our storybook has been ‘The Story of Rosy Dock’ by Jeannie Baker including the WOW words (newcomer, precious, scatter).

Numeracy: We are learning to add and subtract one-digit and two digit-numbers using a range of strategies including partitioning and by using blank number lines.

Inquiry: We are learning to navigate Google Classroom and use Google Slides to digitally publish an autobiography project

Wellbeing: We are learning to understand the importance of expressing emotions as they arise so they don’t build up.

Recognising TIER Role Models

Evelina B - Congratulations, Evie, on your wonderful effort during narrative writing! Your stories are imaginative, and descriptive, and a pleasure to read. Keep up the fantastic work!

Indigo L - For working hard to collect some amazing facts about giraffes when investigating the structure of an information report.

Miko I - For showing great effort in solving addition problems using MAB visuals and place value charts, and bravely demonstrating an example in front of the class.

Arlo JVW - For your effort and focus in Maths during both group and independent work. You demonstrated a good understanding of the partitioning strategy for addition and subtraction. 

Josh Q - For showing a wonderful act of kindness towards one of your peers and for always giving your very best in every task! 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

Over the past few weeks, the 3/4 students have enjoyed participating in our Bricks 4 Kidz incursion sessions where they engaged in video gaming and robotics using Scratch 3.0. They will complete their final session next Thursday.  

Homework
Well done to all the students completing their reading and diary entries, and 20 minutes of Matific tasks each week. Please let your child’s teacher know if they are unable to complete homework due to other commitments – or just write a quick note for us in their reading diary.  

Heads Up!

It’s hard to believe we have already had 8 weeks of school this term! The last day of Term 2 is Friday 4th July. We will be having our assembly at 2pm, and students will be dismissed from their classrooms at 2:30pm. 

Literacy: We are learning to research, plan, and draft a Factual Recount on a topic of our choice. We are learning when to apply the change ‘y’ to ‘i’ suffix rule for words that end in ‘y’.

Numeracy: We are learning to measure area using formal metric units. We are learning to identify and evaluate the graphical display of data.

Inquiry: We are learning to explore a range of digital systems with peripheral devices for different purposes.

Wellbeing: We are learning to understand the ‘feeling’ and ‘thinking’ parts of the brain, and that helpful thinking and positive self-talk can change how we feel.

Recognising TIER Role Models

Congratulations to the past two weeks’ TIER Role Models! 

Henry B – For showing kindness by helping others during our Bricks 4 Kidz incursion and working well in your team. 

Sidney Y – For consistently displaying integrity, effort and resilience. Sid, you are an amazing role model! 

Michael J – For working hard this week, especially in SpellEx and Wellbeing, and showing improvement in your behavior and focus. 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

It’s hard to believe we’re almost at the end of term and halfway through the school year! Time has flown, and our Year 5/6 students have been making the most of every moment. A recent highlight has been the exciting digital technology incursion, where students had the opportunity to explore stop-motion, and problem-solving in creative and hands-on ways. It’s been fantastic to see their curiosity and confidence grow as they engage with new challenges and technologies. 

Heads Up!

A reminder that Yr 3-6 students will be participating in a 4-week (one 60–90-minute session per week) incursion facilitated by Bricks 4 Kidz. Our first session begins this week, and the remaining dates are listed above. 

If participating in soccer or AFL for interschool sports, please remember to bring protective gear (mouthguard – both, long socks – both, shin guards – soccer). 

Literacy:Create a factual recount based on the class novel Black Cockatoo, retelling events in chronological order and creating a glossary of First Nations words and their meanings.

Numeracy: Finding equivalent fractions, converting mixed numbers to improper fractions using multiplication and then back again using division.

Inquiry: Understand the implications of not adhering to online safety and etiquette. Wellbeing: Understand how the catastrophe scale functions as a tool for assessing the severity of problems or challenges, and the range of emotions associated with them.

Wellbeing: Understand the catastrophe scale and how we can manage our emotions and emotional reactions based on the scale of the problem at hand.

Recognising TIER Role Models

Humairah K – for showing excellence and teamwork when working with a partner to complete her digital comic. 

Nicole T – For displaying the values of teamwork and excellence when participating in our digital technology incursion, she worked well as a team to create a stop motion video. 

Important Dates

• Yr 5/6 Interschool Sports this week: Mentone Park V’s St. Brigid’s (home game) 

• Sports Day, Thursday 14th August 12:00pm-3:00pm Dolomore Reserve, Queen’s St Parkdale 

We will be asking for some parent volunteers to please assist us on the day. Please let us know if you can help! Thank you for your continued support, your assistance is what makes these fun days possible! 

In the Spotlight / Overview

This past few weeks in PE, students across all year levels have been putting their netball skills into action through modified games and match play. Foundation to Year 2 are practising moving into space and passing under pressure. Year 3/4 are applying tactics like marking and finding space during small-sided games. Our Year 5/6 students are now playing full games, using team strategies, positional awareness, and quick decision-making. It's been great to see students using their skills in real game situations with growing confidence and teamwork!  

This week the Year 3-6 children began the first of 4 Softball sessions, coached by Softball Victoria. We look forward to sharing more on this in the coming weeks! 

Recognising TIER Role Models 

Ryan O -  for always putting in 100% effort during PE and for being a super star listener to his teacher and peers. Congratulations!

In the Spotlight / Overview 

On Thursday 5th June it was World Environment Day and this year's theme was Beat Plastic Pollution! 

Our Green Team leaders; Aston, Stella, Jade and James would like to tackle the worldwide issue of plastic pollution, starting here at Mentone Park Primary School by introducing Nude Food Wednesdays. Beginning in term 3, we will be encouraging students to have a wrapper free lunchbox on a Wednesday.  

In STEAM classes last week, we looked at examples of what this may look like and ways in which we can achieve this.  

Our Foundation, Grade 1 and Grade 2 classes made examples of lunchboxes that were plastic free. Whereas our senior classes looked at the benefits of buying food in bulk - saving money and using less packaging! 

Recognising TIER Role Models  
  
Zayn G - For participating so positively in our Nude Food Lunchbox activity. Super Effort! 

Matilda H - For creating an engaging poster highlighting the impact plastic pollution has on our world. 

Dear Mentone Park families,  

We hope you’ve enjoyed practicing Gem Chats with your family at home, with a particular focus on Gratitude and Empathy. This fortnight our Gem Chat Home Activity has a focus on Mindfulness. 

Review from previous newsletter edition:  

At Mentone Park Primary School, we are committed to supporting student wellbeing and resilience through our whole school approach The Resilience Project (TRP). Your child is already engaging with the key principles of Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness (GEM), Emotional Literacy and Connections in their learning, and now we have an exciting opportunity for parents and carers to deepen their understanding and bring these strategies into the home, through Gem Chats. 

What are Gem Chats? 

GEM Chats help families practice The Resilience Project’s principles of Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM), offering a simple wellbeing check-in while building stronger connections through daily conversations. 

• GEM Chats are: 

• Short, regular check-ins or discussions. 

• Designed to be done in classrooms and at home. 

• Focused on helping students reflect on what they’re grateful for, how they can show empathy, and how to be more mindful. 

• A tool to build emotional literacy and resilience in kids. 

Additionally, The Resilience Project has ‘GEM Conversation Cards’ for sale to families to optionally purchase if they wish to. They also have Family Wellbeing Journals and GEM Kids Activity Home Books. These products have been created to support the activities students complete in class with their school journal.  Please follow the link below if you wish to purchase any of these optional products.  

https://theresilienceproject.com.au/shop/product-category/kids-products/ 

How To Use Gem Chats (This Fortnight’s Home Activity) 

We encourage Mentone Park families to make GEM Chats a part of your dinner routine to reflect, check in, and practice empathy with your child. This fortnight’s home GEM chat has a Mindfulness focus.  

Consider using the following prompts to encourage meaningful conversation with your child: 

• What mindfulness tools did you use today?  

• Take a moment to look out the window or around the room. Ask your child 3 things they can see, 2 things they can hear and 1 thing they can feel. Notice how you feel after stopping for a moment.  

Wishing you a calm and connected fortnight ahead. 

Warm regards,  

Pamela Kousis  

Student Wellbeing Coordinator  

UPCOMING

MPPS Student Disco – Friday 13th June 

Get your dancing shoes ready—our MPPS Student Disco is just around the corner! Held in the MPPS School Hall, this fun-filled night is a fantastic way for students to let loose and celebrate with friends in a safe, supervised environment.

Session Times:

• Foundation – Year 2: Crazy Creatures Theme | 5:00 PM – 6:15 PM

• Year 3 – Year 6: Tropical Theme | 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

Ticket Info:

• $15 per student

• $30 per family (3 or more siblings)

• Tickets must be pre-purchased via CompassTix. No door sales.

Sign-In/Out Procedures:

• All students must be signed in and out by a parent or guardian.

• Please arrive promptly for your child’s session.

• No food, drinks or merchandise will be sold at the event—just pure disco fun!

Let’s make it a night to remember! 

REMINDERS

2025 School Contributions/Parent Payment Arrangements

The school contributions are important in enabling us to provide the best learning environment for the children at Mentone Park Primary School. The Mentone Park Primary School Council is extremely appreciative of the generosity of parents who are able to support the school through the payment of the voluntary contributions. 

The ongoing financial support of our families ensures the long-term viability of vital programs, facilities, and support for our students. School Council makes every effort to keep the cost of these items to a minimum and affordable for all parents.

We thank the families who have contributed as your support is greatly appreciated. The voluntary financial contributions for 2025 are available on QKR. If you have any questions regarding payment, please contact the office.

School Saving Bonus reminder and allocation to school activities 

The Victorian Government has delivered the School Saving Bonus (SSB) – a one-off support of $400 for eligible government school students from Prep to Year 12 in 2025.

The SSB can be used for uniforms until Monday 30 June 2025.

Any funds remaining after 30 June 2025, including online voucher amounts that have not been redeemed, will become a credit to use on school activities. However, the credit will not be available on your family account at our school until late July.

To use any remaining SSB funds to cover the cost of school activities in July, please refer to the SSB online system and allocate the funds to school activities before 30 June 2025.

To learn more about the SSB online system, download the step-by-step System guide for parents and carers (DOCX, 945KB) or watch this School Saving Bonus video. System guide translations are also available in 14 languages.

The Department of Education’s SSB contact centre will remain available until 30 June 2025. The contact centre can be reached by:

• completing the School Saving Bonus enquiry form 
• calling 1800 338 663, between 8:30 am and 4:30 pm on weekdays.

After this date, please contact the office for any SSB related questions.

CSEF Funding Applications is closing soon

This is a reminder to families that if you have a current Health Care Card or Pension Card, you may be eligible for the Camps/Sport/Excursions Fund (CSEF) payment. If your child is eligible, $154 will be used towards excursions, camps and sporting activities run through the school. 

If you are eligible, please contact the office before the 27th of June.

Change of contact details

Parents and guardians – please ensure that any changes to your contact details are communicated to the school. This includes change or address, phone numbers, emergency contacts and anything medical related. Please email mentone.park.ps@education.vic.gov.au.

Absences

If your child is absent we require parents to report this absence on Compass (before 9am). All absences need to be entered on Compass with a reason for the absence.  If you are experiencing any difficulties with Compass please contact the office.

Secondhand Uniforms

As the coolers months are on us please, note secondhand uniforms are available for purchase just outside the foundation class. Prices range from $2-$5.

Lost Property

PLEASE take a moment to check lost property located in the Kids Cafe for any missing clothing. Within the next few weeks items that have not be collected will be added to the second hand unifrom store, as we have quite the collection!

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.

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!