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.

World Teacher’s Day  

Today we celebrated World Teachers' Day by celebrating our dedicated teachers! Our teachers play a vital role in shaping the minds and futures of MPPS students. This year has brought exceptional outcomes in our student learning and wellbeing data, as showcased in our 2025 School Performance Report. These results reflect the expertise and unwavering commitment of our talented MPPS teachers and education support staff who bring their best every single day. A special thank you to our school council for providing a wonderful morning tea to show their appreciation.  

MPPS is a High Performing School! 

Over the past 15 months, I've often shared my belief that MPPS is 'the best school ever!' I'm thrilled to report that this conviction is now validated by our official School Performance Report from the Department of Education. 

The Department recently released its annual School Performance Reports for all government schools, providing a comprehensive assessment of each school's effectiveness. 

We're excited to announce that Mentone Park Primary School has earned the highest possible overall performance rating – a remarkable milestone and transformative achievement for our school community! 

Our HIGH rating places us among the top 18 of 41 comparable schools and reflects outstanding performance across key areas: 

NAPLAN/Literacy and Numeracy: Our students are excelling, with impressive numbers achieving Exceeding and Strong results in Year 3. 

Student Growth: The progress our students make between Years 3 and 5 surpasses state, network, and similar school averages, showcasing exceptional academic development over the past two years. 

School Performance Reports are published annually and evaluate schools across student outcome measures in two equally weighted domains: 

• Learning (50%): NAPLAN performance in Exceeding & Strong categories, Relative Growth, and Teacher judgement growth 

• Wellbeing (50%): Student emotional awareness, managing bullying, sense of connectedness, student voice and agency, and attendance 

At Mentone Park Primary School we remain dedicated to our values of Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence and Respect ensuring every student receives the support they need to succeed. 

Thank you for your continued support. 

Leisa 

Dear Parents, Guardians & Caregivers, 

I hope you are all well and your children enjoyed the amazing Colour Run last Thursday! 

Peer Observations 

This week, we have begun our Semester Two Peer Observations – our second round for 2025. This process is an important part of our school’s ongoing commitment to professional growth and excellence in teaching. 

Throughout the next few weeks, every classroom and specialist teacher at MPPS will be observed teaching a lesson by two of their colleagues for approximately 30 minutes. These observations provide teachers with the opportunity to receive constructive, focused feedback and to reflect on their own classroom practice in a supportive and collaborative way. 

This semester, we are using our newly updated Peer Observation Template, which has been refined to align closely with the key elements of the MPPS Instructional Model that staff have explored through professional learning this semester. These areas include Daily Review, Learning Objectives and Success Criteria, and the 4 E’s – Environment, Encouragement, Efficiency, and Engagement. By scheduling observations at the beginning of lessons, we are able to see these essential components of effective teaching in action and provide meaningful feedback on how they are being implemented. 

Each observation is documented individually by both observers, followed by a short debrief and feedback conversation with the observed teacher, usually later the same day. These reflective discussions have already proven to be incredibly valuable, allowing teachers to celebrate strengths, share strategies, and identify next steps for continued growth. 

It has been truly rewarding to witness the high level of practice evident across all classrooms. Over the past 18 months, our staff have been deeply engaged in a significant professional learning journey, and it is wonderful to see that learning translate into powerful, effective teaching that benefits every student. The collective growth mindset, collaboration, and dedication of our teachers are at the heart of what makes MPPS such a vibrant learning community. 

I am very much looking forward to continuing these peer observations over the coming weeks and celebrating the continued professional growth and excellence of our staff. 

Yours sincerely, 

Nathan Hutchins 

Assistant Principal 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

It’s hard to believe we’re already at the end of Week 4! Our Foundation students have had such a fun start to the term and absolutely loved getting messy and colourful during last week’s Colour Run. There’s still so much to look forward to — our ‘Terrific Toys’ incursion, Grandparents and Special Friends’ Day, Sports Day, the Legoland Excursion, and Carols on the Green. It’s going to be a joyful and exciting lead-up to the end of the school year as we celebrate all our learning and growth! 

Heads Up!

‘Terrific Toys’ Incursion this Friday! 

Students are in for a treat this Friday with our ‘Terrific Toys’ incursion! The session connects perfectly to our Inquiry focus, ‘On the Move’. 

Grandparents and Special Friends’ Day 

We’re excited to celebrate Grandparents and Special Friends’ Day on Thursday, November 6th at 2:30 p.m. Please enter through the front office and make your way to the basketball court for our Welcome Ceremony, where you can enjoy a sweet treat to start the afternoon. Afterwards, grandparents and special friends are invited to join their little ones in the classrooms to share in the learning and fun together. 

Literacy: We have been learning the new sound /ā/ (spelled ‘ay’) and revising the sounds ‘wh’, ‘th’, and ‘oo’. In Writing, students have been focusing on retelling events in the correct order. 

Numeracy: We are learning to make tens and ones with bundling and base-10 blocks, and write, say and represent two-digit numbers. 

Inquiry:  We are learning to identify and describe some things that move and the ways they move. 

Wellbeing: We are learning to understand that change is normal and is always happening. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Peggy Y - for demonstrating her understanding of grouping and sharing by splitting a collection of 20 into a variety of equal groups. Great job, Peggy! 

Finn V - for displaying a growth mindset and not giving up during writing tasks. You are improving each day! Awesome work, Finn! 

Max L - for putting your hand up and giving our InitiaLit lessons such a great go this week Max. You worked so hard to sound out and write words on your whiteboard. Super effort! 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

The whole school Colour Run was an absolute highlight! The energy, laughter and bright colours made for an unforgettable afternoon. It was fantastic to see every student get involved and cheer each other on.  The positive vibe across the school was infectious! Thank you for helping raise funds for our beautiful school. Through The Resilience Project, students explored Emotional Literacy, learning about the importance of noticing and expressing emotions. Using stories and a tin foil boat experiment, they discovered what can happen when emotions build up. It was a fun and thoughtful lesson for all! 

Heads Up!

• We love seeing all the reading that is happening at home. Keep it up! Remember to encourage your child to sound out challenging words and use expression when they see talking marks, exclamation marks and words in bold or CAPITAL LETTERS.  

• We encourage the use of Nessy, Matific and MultiLit eLibrary at home. If you have misplaced your login details, please see your classroom teacher.  
• Library sessions with Helen are running every fortnight on Fridays – the next session is 7th November. 

Writing: We have been learning to complete sentence stems starting with a subordinating conjunction to form a complex sentence. We have also been using Julia Donaldson’s picture storybook Tiddler to help us share feelings and thoughts and make personal connections to our own experiences. 

InitiaLit:      

• Year 1s: We have been learning about then letters ‘c’ saying /s/ as in ‘city’ and ‘g’ saying /j/ as in ‘gelato’. We have been introduced to the trigraph ‘_dge’ as in ‘bridge’. Our tricky words have included always, animal, open, other, another and water. 

• Year 2s: We have been learning contractions and combining all of the comprehension strategies we have learnt to understand as much as possible when we read! Our tricky words have included though, can’t and don’t.  

Numeracy: We are learning to understand the concept of fractions by exploring sharing and equal parts, while identifying halves, quarters and eighths.  

Inquiry (Physical Science): We are learning to explain that water can push up on objects in water and discuss how scientific knowledge of pushes and pulls in water can be useful in our daily lives.   

Wellbeing: We are learning to understand the importance of naming and expressing emotions when we feel them. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Juniper for creating an amazing grid map and a legend that matched perfectly! You showed great organisation, creativity, and attention to detail. Fantastic work, superstar! 

Amalia for thinking clearly and logically to create strong arguments to support her persuasive writing piece. Very clever! 

Anthony for demonstrating excellent mapping skills by accurately transferring a 3D model to a grid map, showing great attention to detail when using the correct symbols from the legend. 

Eliza for showing a great start in our Fractions unit by confidently identifying half of a collection using arrays. Your enthusiasm and understanding are helping you become a true fraction superstar! 

Nikolas for working hard to develop his understanding of halving in our Fractions lessons. You really try your best! 

Artie for confidently using arrays to find half of a collection and showing a strong understanding of equal groups. 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

Monty’s Colour Run 

Year 3/4 students had an amazing time taking part in Monty’s Colour Run last week! The oval was alive with bright colours, big smiles, and plenty of laughter as students ran, danced, and dodged through obstacles and clouds of coloured powder. Thank you again to our volunteers and families who helped make this colourful day one to remember! 

Heads Up!

A reminder that 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. 

There are a limited number of school broad-brimmed hats available for purchase at the office for $20.45. 

Homework 

Homework is due each Monday. Completing and returning homework on time helps students build good routines and take responsibility for their learning. If family commitments/preferences mean your child won’t be able to complete homework, please let your child’s teacher know – a quick note in their diary is fine! 

1. Reading: 20-30 minutes at least 3 nights a week – students record the date, title of book and page numbers read in their reading diary. They should also include a sentence or two about what was read – for example: a prediction about what will happen next; something that part of the story reminds them of; a short summary of events; an observation about a character; something surprising that happened. Students can read independently or with a parent or family member. 
2. Maths: 20 minutes of revision tasks and/or “Adventure Island” per week as set in Matific. Matific logins are glued inside each student’s diary. If you are unable to access a device at home, please let us know.

Literacy: We are learning to read with fluency and analyse our Term 4 novel, “Leo and Ralph”. We are improving our understanding of how to add direct speech to sentences. 

We are also learning to spell words that end with a consonant plus ‘l’ ‘e’ spelling pattern. 

Numeracy: We are learning to use map grid systems, including creating and interpreting map symbols and legends. Next week we will be sorting, building, and comparing three-dimensional objects. Our multiplication focus is the 8 times tables, and we will also be revising 4 times tables. 

Inquiry: Our Inquiry unit this term is called "Heating Up”. We are excited that we have an incursion coming up. This “Mad About Science” workshop links into the 3/4 Science curriculum. Students will explore the properties of heat and other energies in a fun way. Please see Compass for details. 

Wellbeing: We are learning to understand the difference between passive and active screen time, and be mindful of how often, and why, we use a screen. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Congratulations to our most recent TIER Role Models! 

Olive D – For showing amazing resilience, great teamwork, and the confidence to step beyond her comfort zone at camp! 

Melora B – For demonstrating excellence in carefully and accurately creating column graphs, showing great attention to detail. Well done! 

Eva K - For pushing herself beyond her comfort zone at camp, showing bravery and determination towards all activities! 

Henry B – For writing lively dialogue with accurate punctuation and including adverbials of manner to bring your writing to life. Well done! 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

Another whirlwind fortnight filled with lots of learning and fun events has been and gone, with the fortnight ahead (although a little shorter due to Melbourne Cup), looking to be just as exciting! The Seniors had a spectacular afternoon at the Colour Run last Thursday being splattered with colour. Running the course in year levels, the Yr 6’s also had the opportunity to run it with their Prep Buddies. It was a wonderful afternoon, with all money raised going towards Senior School laptops. Other exciting events have included our Yr 6 students completing their final session with Kingston Youth around transitioning to Secondary School, and our Yr 5’s busy designing and voting on 2026 Gradwear! 

Heads Up!

Student Leaders -    
Congratulations to our SRC Leaders, House Leaders & School Captains who have been working hard on a variety of upcoming events. Collectively they have organised the upcoming SRC Fun Sports Day and will help run the rotations on the day. Additionally, our SRC & School Captains have been selected to attend the upcoming Remembrance Day Ceremony at Mentone RSL with Ms Higgins & Mr Hutchins.  

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. Read, spell and define words with the Greek morpheme, di, meaning two (or split). 

Numeracy: Adding and subtracting decimals using a vertical algorithm. 

Inquiry: Work in collaborative learning teams to investigate how energy from the Sun can be used to heat water. 

Wellbeing: Describe what happens to our brain when we feel certain emotions and develop strategies that promote pleasant emotions. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Bailey E - for demonstrating EXCELLENCE in Maths by identifying vertically opposite angles using supplementary angles. Superstar effort! 

Tate F - for demonstrating EXCELLENCE and RESPECT during our fortnightly library session. You are thoughtful in your responses and read confidently to the class. Well done! 

Annabel A - For demonstrating TEAMWORK and EXCELLENCE both in our Friday maths mayhem investigations and during our girls' footy gala day

Isla D - For demonstrating EXCELLENCE in her classwork, by always giving 100% effort and completing her work to a high standard across all subjects. 

Last week, all year levels took part in cricket lessons, developing their fundamental movement skills such as striking, throwing and catching through fun, game-based activities. Students practised teamwork and fair play, linking directly to the Victorian Curriculum’s Health and Physical Education strands of Movement and Physical Activity. 

This week and for the next three weeks, all students will be participating in Touch Football lessons. These sessions are designed to build skills in passing, catching, evasion and spatial awareness while promoting communication, cooperation and respect for others in a team environment.

Students in Years 3–6 are also being coached by the experts from Synergise Sport, providing an exciting opportunity to refine their technique, learn game strategies and develop confidence through structured coaching and positive feedback. Our Foundation–Year 2 students are exploring the basic movement patterns of running, dodging, and passing in modified games that focus on participation, enjoyment and inclusion.

I look forward to seeing students continue to develop their fitness, confidence and teamwork skills as our Touch Football unit progresses!

In the Spotlight / Overview 

Our Grade 1/2 students have been exploring the fascinating world of life cycles, with the current focus on humans. Students compared themselves now to when they were a baby, looking at features that are similar and different.  

A big thank you to the 1/2 families for sending in baby photos of the students. We had a great time guessing who the photo was of, before completing the activity.  

To compliment this work, we also have baby photos of some of the Mentone Park Primary School staff up outside the STEAM room. Students have had fun trying to decipher the staff. I will reveal who is who in a few weeks. 

Recognising TIER Role Models  
  
Ivy T - Ivy enthusiastically engaged in our seed activity. She ensured that her sugar snap seed had plenty of water and completed her labelled plant pictures. 

Hudson R - For his amazing and colourful crayon leaf rubbings in STEAM. Well done on trying your best! 

In the Spotlight / Overview:

In Auslan we have been learning signs for transport and places.

Foundation and Grade ½ students have practiced these signs through games such as Bingo and roll a sentence.

In Grade ¾  and 5/6 the students have been signing simple sentences to explain a place they went to and how they travelled there. E.g. I ride to school. Weekend I go to shops.

Over the coming weeks, students will learn about countries and travel as we prepare for the Deaflympics that will begin in Tokyo on November 15.

It’s been a wonderfully creative time in Visual Arts! Students have been exploring clay modelling, threads and textiles, painting, and drawing. And plenty of excitement around Halloween art, too!

Grades 5/6 have been learning about line drawing in motion, creating a series of figures that show movement using expressive lines and different poses. They also loved designing their spooky and fun Halloween artworks!

Grades 3/4 proudly finished their hessian mobiles, learning how to sew a variety of stitches and bringing their textile creations to life. Their Halloween artwork was full of colour and imagination!

Grades 1/2 were thrilled to paint their clay models, which turned out bright, bold, and full of personality. They also showed great enthusiasm while creating their Halloween pieces.

Our Foundation students enjoyed exploring colours and shades in our world, painting beautiful scenes inspired by their surroundings. They had a fantastic time adding a touch of Halloween magic to their artwork, too!

Dear Mentone Park Families, 

This fortnight, our wellbeing focus is on the importance of sleep. Quality sleep helps children to concentrate, manage their emotions, stay energised and enjoy each day at school. It supports healthy growth, strong memory, and a positive mindset for learning. 

Our recent Youth Resilience Survey results showed that across several year levels, many students are not getting enough sleep or are feeling tired and low on energy during the school day. This is a helpful reminder that healthy sleep habits are just as important as nutritious food and regular exercise when it comes to helping children thrive. 

This Fortnight’s Wellbeing at Home Activity: “Sweet Dreams Routine” 

As a family, you might like to create your own calm evening routine. Try these steps: 

• Set a bedtime goal that allows for 9 to 11 hours of sleep for primary-aged children. 

• Turn off devices at least one hour before bed. Phones, tablets and TVs can keep the brain alert. 

• Choose a quiet wind-down activity such as reading together, gentle stretching or drawing. 

• Keep a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, even on weekends, to strengthen the body’s rhythm. 

Reflect together each morning: 

• How do we feel when we’ve had a good sleep? 

• What could we do differently if we feel tired or grumpy? 

Why It Matters 

By helping children build healthy sleep habits now, we are supporting their ability to focus, learn and manage emotions with confidence. When our students are well rested, they are better equipped to connect with friends, enjoy learning and approach each day with energy and optimism. 

Wishing all our students many sweet dreams and calm, cosy nights ahead. 

Warm regards, 
Pamela Kousis 
Student Wellbeing Coordinator 

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.

Please note: For the next three weeks, Dance will be held on Mondays to allow students to combine and practise their routine for the big night.

If your child will not be attending the Carols on the Green evening Thursday 11th December, please advise the office as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Calling All Community Champions!

Our much-loved Carols on the Green is fast approaching, and we’re putting together a Silent Auction to help raise funds for Mentone Park Primary School.

We’re reaching out to our wonderful community for support — whether you’re a local business owner, work for a company that gives back, or simply have connections that could help, we’d love your contribution!

We’re looking for donations big or small — think vouchers, hampers, experiences, products, memberships, or services. Every contribution helps make our auction a success and supports our students and school community.

If you, your workplace, or someone you know can donate, please get in touch!
Louise - Office Manager or drop donations at the school office.

Together, let’s make this year’s Carols on the Green one to remember — and show what an incredible community we have here at Mentone Park! 

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.

☀️ Term 4 SunSmart Reminder

As we head into Term 4, a friendly reminder that Mentone Park Primary follows the SunSmart guidelines to help keep our students safe in the sun.

• Hats: All students must wear a broad-brimmed hat when outdoors.
  Students without a hat will be asked to play under the COLA.

• Sunscreen: Please ensure your child applies sunscreen before school.
  Each classroom also has sunscreen available for students to reapply during the day.

We have a limited number of school broad-brimmed slouch hats available for purchase at the office for $20.45.

Let’s stay safe and SunSmart this term!

 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 for Supporting Monty’s Colour Fun Run! 

What an incredible day we had at our Monty’s Colour Fun Run! A huge thank you to our amazing students, families, and staff for your enthusiasm, support, and generosity.

Together, we raised an outstanding $6,973.50! 
These funds will go directly towards purchasing new laptops for our students — an incredible boost to their learning experience.

It was wonderful to see our students having so much fun, running through clouds of colour, and celebrating our school spirit. Thank you to everyone who registered, fundraised, and helped make the day such a success — especially our dedicated PFA and volunteers who made it all happen.

Your support truly helps make Mentone Park Primary School the best it can be.

Thank you again for your amazing effort — what a bright and colourful success!

IMPORTANT REMINDER

TERM 4 NEW LUNCH ORDER MENU