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.

Welcome back to Term 4! I hope everyone enjoyed a relaxing break and is ready for another exciting term, as we have another full schedule of activities planned. Please take a moment to review the Term 4 Calendar to stay informed about all important upcoming dates. 

Last week, I had the privilege of visiting our wonderful Grade 3 and 4 students at camp. What an incredible day! I witnessed our students supporting one another by cheering on their peers as they climbed higher on the rock wall, celebrating the bravery displayed on the giant swing, and showing resilience and patience while mastering archery skills. Thank you to our amazing parent volunteers, Zoe and Jemma who were a great help at camp! My day at camp reinforced the dedication of our staff and reminded me that wherever our students go, they consistently embody the care, kindness, and encouragement that defines MPPS every day. 

Yesterday morning, the Minister for Education, Ben Carroll, unveiled important new guidelines regarding digital device use in Victorian primary schools. Beginning in 2027, schools serving Prep to Year 6 students will no longer be permitted to ask families to purchase or supply their own digital devices (such as iPads or laptops) for school use. 

Instead, schools will provide shared class sets of devices within new time restrictions—minimal device use for Prep to Year 2, and a maximum of 90 minutes daily for Years 3 to 6 students. 

This policy aims to ease cost-of-living pressures on families and benefit students by reducing screen time, which can help minimize eye strain, sedentary habits, and decreased face-to-face interaction. 

These changes work alongside Victoria's mobile phone restrictions, representing a comprehensive approach to reducing unnecessary digital distractions. 

At Mentone Park Primary School, this announcement validates our longstanding philosophy. For many years, we have intentionally avoided implementing BYOD. 

While numerous schools adopted these models, we made a conscious choice to take a different path, not from any resistance to technology, but because the research consistently showed that increased device use didn't translate to improved learning outcomes. 

Our priorities have always centred on: 

• Health and wellbeing — reducing screen exposure to encourage physical activity, play, and genuine social interaction. 

• Evidence-based learning — utilising digital tools only when they demonstrably enhance, rather than substitute for, quality teaching and learning. 

• Equity and affordability — ensuring no family experiences financial burden to supply a personal device. 

We take pride in maintaining this stance. The Department's new policy requires minimal adjustment for us. We are currently updating our school-owned laptop collection to ensure students can access devices when truly beneficial, for instance, during NAPLAN testing, research projects, or specific activities where technology genuinely supports learning. 

However, we will remain thoughtful and intentional about screen usage. 

We are small in size but mighty in impact. At the heart of Mentone Park Primary School is a clear vision: to ignite a passion for learning and prepare our students for the future. We are committed to fostering curiosity, developing confidence, and nurturing the whole child in a supportive, inclusive environment where every student can thrive. 

 
Leisa Higgins

Principal

Dear Parents, Guardians & Caregivers, 

I hope you are all well and the first two weeks of Term 4 have started well for your family! 

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) 

PLCs provide a system for teacher collaboration, providing opportunities for teachers and relevant ES staff within a school to work together in small teams. These teams work together to: 

• focus on cohorts of students and their learning in subject domains 

• identify a problem of practice 

• investigate ways to improve student outcomes 

It is an expectation from the Department of Education and has also been recommended by both our 2024 School Review and our recent ISS Alignment Review that we implement and utilise PLCs to provide our staff with ongoing opportunities to work in small groups to improve student outcomes. Our staff had also indicated a strong desire to improve their collective ability in utilising data to improve practice, during the School Staff Survey in 2024. 

Throughout Term 3, Nick Wilton (1/2W classroom teacher & Numeracy Leader), Lauren Dalziel (STEAM teacher) and Emma Free (1/2FD classroom teacher) have been participating in fortnightly professional learning with Heather Jenkins (ISS Leading Teacher) and I to become trained as PLC Leaders. This term they will facilitate the Numeracy, Specialist and Literacy PLC teams respectively, guiding their teams through their first PLC Inquiry Cycle. We look forward to sharing our learnings and achievements with you all later in the term! 

Be Your Best @ MPPS! 

As we did at the beginning of Term 3, teachers and ES staff have been spending valuable time with students over the past two weeks re-teaching and further emphasising the importance of our morning routine, classroom expectations, Positive Classroom Management Strategies non-negotiables and the MPPS Positive Behaviour Matrix. These classroom expectations, procedures and routines were successfully established at the beginning of this year, and Best You Best @ MPPS! is in place at the beginning of each term to ensure they are fully embedded and being consistently implemented to a high standard right across the school. 

One of the best ways you can support your child/ren’s morning routine is to endeavour to assist them to arrive at school on time, so that they are able to jump into their safety line as the music starts at 8:48am. We regularly observe the benefits for students that can do this consistently each morning in them being much more calm, organized and ready to learn when that first learning activity begins. A friendly reminder that parents are encouraged to please avoid entering buildings and classrooms in the morning and to instead say their goodbyes at or before the external doors. We, of course, acknowledge that sometimes mornings can be chaotic, and delays can happen that can result in your child/ren occasionally arriving at school late. A reminder that if this is after 9am, you will need to sign them in at the office. Should you ever need to pass a message onto the classroom teacher, then please consider sending a written note or email. If it is particularly important or urgent, then please contact the office and we will ensure that the teacher is informed as soon as possible. Lastly, if your child ever finds drop-offs difficult or distressing, please contact their classroom teacher to develop a plan that will best support them in transitioning into school each morning. Our teachers and ES staff are experts at this and are always keen to work with parents on implementing effective strategies together!  

Yours sincerely, 

Nathan Hutchins 

Assistant Principal 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

It’s been wonderful hearing about all the exciting adventures students enjoyed over the holidays! We have a jam-packed term ahead, filled with exciting whole-school events such as the Colour Run, Grandparents and Special Friends Day, Sports Day, and Carols on the Green. In Inquiry, students are exploring how objects move and will put their learning into action during our fun-filled Legoland excursion in November, where they’ll design and build an obstacle course for dogs to explore push and pull forces in action. 

Heads Up!

Colour Run 

The Colour Run is on Thursday 23rd October from 12:30pm! Head to Compass to provide consent and payment to purchase your child’s $5.50 entry ticket. Then head to QKR to pre-order their sausage sizzle lunch for the day. 

Don't forget to create your child’s online fundraising profile at www.myprofilepage.com.au. Click Register, then personalise your page with a fundraising story, goal, and avatar! As you fundraise, your child can earn Monty Coins, which unlock bonus donations, virtual badges, and help them work towards even bigger prizes. 

Please have your child wear a white T-shirt on the day of the Colour Fun Run so the colours really pop! 

Incursion 

The Junior School will be participating in The Terrific Toys Incursion. It is available on Compass to give consent and make payment by Wednesday 29th October. 

Hats 

A friendly reminder about students needing to wear their hats outside during recess and lunch all Term 4. 

Literacy: We have been learning the new sounds /wh/ and /th/ while also revising sounds we already know. In Writing, students have been busy creating holiday recounts, making sure to include events in the order they happened. 

Numeracy: We are learning to identify and share equal amounts between two or three groups, including when there is one left over, and to recognise amounts that can and cannot be shared equally. 

Inquiry:  We are learning to identify and describe various voluntary and involuntary human movements. 

Wellbeing: We are learning to connect with nature and show appreciation for our surroundings. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Oli R –  for writing an excellent holiday recount and remembering to include all the elements. Keep up the wonderful work, Oli! 

Oliver L –  for giving insightful and thoughtful answers during our Wellbeing lesson about gratitude and for sharing his wonderful knowledge about trees. Amazing Ollie! 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

Welcome back to Term 4! It has been wonderful hearing all about the students’ holiday adventures. We have an exciting term ahead, filled with fantastic year-level and whole-school events including the Colour Run, Sports Day, Grandparents and Special Friends Day, and Carols on the Green. In our first Inquiry session, students explored a variety of toys and objects, investigating how they move and change when pushed or pulled. It was a fun, hands-on way to begin our new learning focus on forces and motion. 

Heads Up!

• Remember to Term 4 is a Sunsmart term and remember all students must wear a school hat during recess and lunch. 

• Library sessions with Helen are running every fortnight on Fridays – the next session is 24th October. 

• Please bring in a baby photo for our upcoming STEAM lesson, part of our Science unit ‘Growing Things’. 

Writing:   

• We have been learning about persuasive writing. We have been learning to understand what an argument is and to have an opinion and justify it. We have also been learning to define pronouns and use the correct one within a sentence. 

InitiaLit:     

• Year 1s: We have been learning about conjunctions and the sounds ‘eer’ as in ‘deer’ and ‘ear’ as in ‘dear’. Tricky words including can’t, don’t and didn’t. Our storybook has been ‘Today We Have No Plans’ by Jane Godwin, with the WOW words: concentrate, notice and daydream.   

• Year 2s: We have been learning about ‘g’ saying /j/ (ge, gi, gy) and silent ‘k’ (knee) and silent ‘b’ (lamb). We have also been using the comprehension strategy ‘monitoring’. Our storybook has been ‘You and Me Murrawee’ by Kerri Hashmi with the WOW words: ancient, stride and strain.  

Numeracy:     

• We are learning to explore concepts of time, such as using calendars to identify days and dates and to measure elapsed time between days, weeks and months. 

Inquiry (Physical Science):     

• We are learning to investigate ways to move objects and then record our findings.   

Wellbeing (The Resilience Project):     

• We are learning to understand how empathy helps us to build kind and supportive friendships. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Josh Q – for excellent effort in Maths this week, using his understanding of ordinal numbers to identify positions with confidence. Great job, Josh! 

Evie W – for always being such a focused and respectful student. You love to be challenged and are always striving to improve your skills across all areas of the curriculum. You are a MPPS superstar!

Indigo L – for using her wonderful Maths skills to solve problems involving ordinal numbers in our Location unit. Wow Indi!

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

Angahook Camp 

We had such a busy and exciting time at camp! After our beach games on Wednesday we walked to camp, unpacked and had dinner followed by a campfire. Everyone told a joke or riddle to earn a marshmallow to toast over the flames. Each morning began with a delicious breakfast of cereal and toast before everyone tidied their rooms and got ready for the activity rotations. These included the giant swing, hut building, climbing wall, archery, and low ropes. Many students challenged themselves and conquered their fears. We were so proud of them! The students also enjoyed a fun trivia and movie night, then had a good night’s sleep before our final activities and bus trip back to MPPS. We had so much fun –many of the students wanted to stay longer! 

Heads Up!

Camp Medication – If you handed in medication for camp, please come to the office to collect it this week. As per school policy, we’re unable to return medication directly to students — it must be collected by an adult. 

Hats
Please also remember our school follows the SunSmart guidelines — students must wear a broad-brimmed hat when outdoors or they will be only allowed to play under the COLA. 
We have a limited number of school broad-brimmed hats available for purchase at the office for $20.45. 

Literacy: We have started our new novel study, “Leo and Ralph”. We are also improving our understanding about the prefixes that mean “not, or the opposite of” – “mis”, “un”, “dis”, “in”, im” and “il”. 

Numeracy: We have begun our unit about data collection and column graphs. Our multiplication focus is the 9 times tables. 

Inquiry: Our Inquiry unit this term is called "Heating Up”. We are looking forward to learning about how heat can be produced in many ways and can move from one object to another. 

Wellbeing: We are learning to describe different emotions via colour, imagery and similes. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Congratulations to our most recent TIER Role Models! 

Harlow L – For her effort and strong understanding of representing decimals in standard and non-standard expanded form.

Hutch G – For his wonderful effort developing dot point notes into detailed sentences, making his ‘Day of the Dead’ Inquiry presentation engaging and informative.

Melora B – For her excellence during Spellex lessons, demonstrating effort and continuous improxement well done!

Henry B – For his effort, resilience and positive attitude during swimming! Well done!
 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

Welcome back to our final term for 2025, and what a term we have planned! The excitement is building as we begin preparing our Yr 5 students for leadership and supporting our Yr 6 students as they transition to Secondary School and celebrate all their success here at MPPS. Our first two weeks back have been a wonderful opportunity to remind ourselves of how we can demonstrate our TIER values and ‘Be Our Best @ MPPS!’ We encourage regular conversations at home and school about the importance of this, especially as we enter our final term together.  

Heads Up!

Girls Footy -    
Congratulations to our team of Senior Girls who competed at the Opal Little Saints Cup for footy. Our side of 16 included: Zoe, Annabel, Stella, Elizabeth, Asha C, Avey, Aubrey, Kavya, Isla, Matilda, Myla, Misha, Ashleigh, Mackenzie, Abbey & Asha W. They all did a wonderful job of representing MPPS, with 3 wins and 4 losses. The girls were treated to gift bags (and glitter) from the St. Kilda AFLW team. Well done! 

Graduation Fundraising/Photos -  

Our main source of fundraising for graduation is the sale of Zooper Doopers on Fridays and at special events. We would be very grateful for any donations of bags of Zooper Doopers to help support our graduates. With the warmer weather coming up, keep an eye out for supermarket specials! 

Thank you to the families who have already provided the following photo requests for the Graduation presentation. If you are yet to do so, details are as follows: 
- A baby photo 
- A Prep/Foundation photo (If your child did not attend MPPS for Prep, please provide one from their first year of school.) 

These photos will be used in both the Graduation Video and in the slideshow shown as each student receives their certificate. 

Please email your child’s photos to: 

mentone.park.ps@education.vic.gov.au 

with the subject line: PHOTO: [Your Child’s Name] 

For example: PHOTO: Sam Brown 

Health -  

We have a student returned to school whose immune system is currently compromised due to medical treatment. We know our school community values care, compassion, and looking out for one another — and this is one of those moments where we can all make a difference. We kindly ask that you keep your child at home if they are unwell. If your child/ren are diagnosed with chickenpox or measles this must be reported to the general office as soon as possible. 

Literacy: Analyse themes such as justice, perseverance, and identity in our novel, ‘Holes’ by Louis Sachar. Create a topic sentence by looking at the supporting details. 

Numeracy: Identify and calculate complimentary and supplementary angles 

Inquiry: Explore the different types of energy identified by scientists & observe the different types of energy used at school. 

Wellbeing: Give and receive compliments. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Sadie R – for demonstrating excellence and depth with her sensational vocabulary choices. You gave powerful and vivid descriptions of what was happening in your Big Write! 

Asha W – for demonstrating excellence by completing a sweet and well structured Big Write. The theme of ‘how one book changed the world’, was beautiful.

Ollie T – for demonstrating excellence during whole class discussions of our novel ‘Holes’, by Louis Sachar. You have a wonderful ability to think beyond the text to greater themes.

It’s been a great start to Term 4 in the Art Room, with students exploring Construction, Threads and Textiles, and Clay Modelling.

Grades 5/6 created impressive 3D constructions using coloured paper strips and enjoyed experimenting with foil artwork techniques.

Grades 3/4 designed and built sculptures from sticks collected in the school yard and have been learning a range of stitching techniques in their sewing projects.

Grades 1/2 made colourful masks and showed strong focus and creativity when working with clay modelling.

Our Foundation students had fun decorating sock puppets and creating clay echidnas, showing great imagination and care in their work.

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

Term 4 - Week 1-2

Last week, students enjoyed kicking off Term 4 with AFL football sessions, where they built on their skills in handballing, kicking, marking, and teamwork. It was fantastic to see everyone getting involved and having fun on the field.

This week, our focus has shifted to Cricket! Students are learning the fundamentals of batting, bowling, and fielding, while also exploring the strategies and teamwork needed in the game. The enthusiasm has been wonderful and we’re looking forward to seeing skills grow as the weeks continue.

A big highlight this week was the 5/6 Girls AFL Little Opals Gala Day at RSEA Moorabbin on Tuesday 15th October. The competition was strong, but our girls showed incredible teamwork, resilience, and sportsmanship. Out of 7 games played, the team came away with 3 wins – a fantastic achievement! Congratulations to all players for their outstanding effort and for representing our school with such pride.

In the Spotlight / Overview 

In STEAM our grade 3/4 students finally got to test their homes they designed and built in term 3, against extreme weather. We used a hose, ice and a leaf blower to simulate rain, hail and wind. Perhaps we have some budding engineers or architects among us! 

For term 4 the STEAM primary topic will be Biological Sciences.  

Foundation are looking at plants and animal’s fantastic features. 

Grade 1/2 have begun looking at life-cycles. 

Grade 3/4 will be exploring the features of living-things and how they can be classified.  

Grade 5/6 students will be looking at the role of micro-organisms in our food and medicines.  

Recognising TIER Role Models 

Annabelle H – For confidently sharing her knowledge of mealworms with the class in STEAM.

Jonah K – for sharing SO MANY amazing solar system facts in STEAM!

Dear Mentone Park families,

This fortnight, our wellbeing focus has been on care, compassion, and community. Our school has been deeply affected by the recent passing of a valued parent and community member. During times of loss, it’s natural for both children and adults to experience a range of emotions that include, sadness, confusion, worry, or even a sense of disbelief. These feelings are all part of the grieving process, and our priority as a school is to support one another with empathy and understanding.

Over the coming weeks, our focus will be on providing care, maintaining routine, and creating space for gentle conversations as needed. Consistency in daily routines can offer children a sense of safety and normalcy, while open, honest communication helps them process their emotions in healthy ways.

Our principal, Leisa Higgins, shared some valuable guidance with families earlier this week. We would like to reinforce two key messages for our students:

• It’s okay to feel sad or unsure and it’s always okay to talk about it.
• When we feel worried or upset, we can always ask for help and comfort from trusted people.

Recommended Books to Support Children Through Grief

In addition to conversations, reading together can be a gentle and effective way to help children understand and express emotions around grief and loss. Below are some recommended picture books that families may find helpful:

• The Invisible String by Patrice Karst – A comforting story about love and connection that continues even when someone is no longer with us.
• Badger’s Parting Gifts by Susan Varley – A gentle tale that helps children understand loss and how memories keep loved ones close.
• The Goodbye Book by Todd Parr – Bright, simple, and warm; it helps children see that love remains even when someone is gone.
• Tear Soup by Pat Schwiebert & Chuck DeKlyen – Uses a beautiful metaphor to explain that everyone grieves and heals in their own time and way.
• When Dinosaurs Die: A Guide to Understanding Death by Laurie Krasny Brown & Marc Brown – Offers clear, honest explanations to common questions about death and emotions.

This Fortnight’s Wellbeing at Home Activity: Memory Garden

As a family, you might like to create a small Memory Garden or reflection space at home. This could be a special corner of the garden, a pot plant, or even a decorated jar where family members can place drawings, flowers, or messages that remind them of someone special.

You could:

• Plant a flower or tree in memory of a loved one.
• Write a note or draw a picture about a happy memory.
• Decorate a jar or small box to hold messages and keepsakes.
• Spend a few quiet minutes together sharing stories or favourite memories.

Reflect together:

• What is one thing you’ll always remember about them?
• How does it feel to share memories together?
• What can we do to show care and kindness when others are feeling sad?

Creating a Memory Garden offers children a simple, tangible way to remember someone special while reinforcing that love, kindness, and connection continue to grow.

As we move through this time together, please remember that no one in our community is alone. Families are also encouraged to contact us directly if they need support or guidance.

Warm regards,
Pamela Kousis
Student Wellbeing Coordinator

TERM 4  

HATS
SunSmart Reminder

 Photo Permission Reminder

When completing your Photo and Media Consent preferences, please remember that selecting ‘No’ to social media use also means your child’s photo cannot appear in our school newsletter.
Our newsletters are published on the school website, which is considered a public platform under the Department of Education’s guidelines.

If you’d like your child to be included in school photos featured in the newsletter, please ensure you have given consent for both newsletter and website use.

Thank you for helping us follow the Department’s photo and privacy policies while celebrating our students’ achievements safely and respectfully.

Thank you so much for supporting our school to be the best it can be! In term 4 we are hosting a Monty’s Colour Fun Run for our students and raising funds to go towards new laptops for our school.

How Do We Fundraise?

Fundraising for our school is easy! Simply go to www.myprofilepage.com.au and click the register button to create a cybersafe, online profile page. Once you’ve created a parent account and profile page, you can share that around to family and friends to receive online donations. Please note that this is an online fundraiser only and all cash donations must be converted to an online donation before Friday October 24th. Receive a prize for your fundraising efforts by simply raising $10 online!

At the end of the fundraiser, students can mix and match up to a total of five prizes based on their donations received or they can give back to one of the six causes on offer - The Great Barrier Reef Foundation (coral planting or turtle protection), Carbon Neutral (tree planting), OzHarvest (providing meals to those in need ), The Smith Family (reading support) or Dolly’s Dream (end bullying in schools).

You can also receive some bonus Monty the Monstar incentive prizes! Check out your sponsorship form booklet for more information!

Event Information:

Thursday 23rd October 12:00pm - 3:30pm

Mentone Park Primary School – School Oval

• Wear a white shirt to make the colour pop!

• Each student will also receive a pair of sunglasses and a headband!

• Students are required to wear closed-in shoes.

• Students will be covered in non-toxic, biodegradable colour powder.

We look forward to seeing the students all bright and colourful on the day of our Monty’s Colour Fun

Run! For further information, please contact MPPS PFA Vice President - Stacey Kyriakou via staceykyriakou@gmail.com 

Happy Fundraising!

MPPS Picnic Fundraiser! 

Please join us as we come together as a community to celebrate our beautiful Millie (Grade 6) and to honour the memory of Amber, the incredibly brave mum of Chase (Grade 4).

This special evening is all about connection, care, and community spirit.
ALL profits raised from this event will be shared between both families.

Venue: MPPS Oval
Date: Friday 7th November `
Time: 5.30pm – 7.30pm
Cost: $20 per adult | $5 per child

Bring along your picnic rug and your own food to enjoy a relaxed evening under the stars with music, a roaming magician, and raffle prizes (tickets available on the night).

Book via QKR
School Fundraiser/School Event/Picnic Fundraiser
To include a donation with your payment, please specify the amount in the “Enter Amount” section.

Let’s come together to celebrate courage, kindness, and community — supporting two wonderful families who hold a special place in our hearts.

School Choir 

We are now very excited to announce that our Choir is now open to all year levels Prep–Grade 6 in conjunction with Poco Music!

This is a wonderful opportunity for students to develop their confidence, teamwork, and love of music and perform at the end of year Carols on the Green!

To keep consistency for our choir teacher, Brad, we ask that students commit to the program once they join. If a child wishes to withdraw from choir, they will need to:

1. Speak directly with Miss Febbaro, and

2. Provide written permission from a parent/guardian.

This ensures the best experience for both our students and our instructor.

We look forward to hearing the final performance at Carols on the Green in December.  

How to join:
This is the final week to join. 

We can’t wait to see our students shine on stage! 

Transition dates for Foundation 2026

We are all looking forward to welcoming our new 2026 students to our Transition session in 2025.

Please see attached information.

Carols on The Green Silent Auction – We Need Your Help!

Our Carols on the Green is fast approaching, and we’re putting together an exciting Silent Auction to help raise funds for our school!

We’re calling on our wonderful Mentone Park community for donations – big or small! Whether it’s a voucher, product, service, or gift item, every contribution helps make this event a success.

If you or someone you know owns a local business or could donate an item, we’d love to hear from you.
Please contact Louise at louise.johnson3@education.vic.gov.au or drop your donation at the school office by Friday, November 28.

Let’s come together to make this year’s Carols a night to remember and support our school community!

IMPORTANT REMINDER

TERM 4 NEW LUNCH ORDER MENU

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

Please see below for more details.



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!