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.

School Structure for 2026 

Teachers are finalising end-of-year reports and beginning transition processes for 2026, including forming classes. If you have any concerns about your child's placement for next year, please contact me by Wednesday, December 3rd. 

We have finalised the class structure for next year: Foundation x 1 class, Grade 1/2 x 3 classes, Grade 3/4 x 2 classes, Grade 5/6 x 2 classes. Specialist classes will include Physical Education, Auslan, STEM, and Art. 

It is with sadness that we prepare to farewell Mrs Monica Smith at the end of this year. Mrs Smith joined MPPS in Term 3 of 2005 and will be retiring after an incredible 20 years of service. We also farewell Gail, who joined MPPS in Term 1 of 2007 and will be retiring after many dedicated years of service as an Education Support staff member. Both Mrs Smith and Gail are well-loved members of the MPPS community and will be greatly missed. We thank them both for their dedication, care, and passion in education, and wish them all the very best for the future. 

We will farewell them both at our final assembly on Friday, December 19th, which will begin at 1:00pm. Students will be dismissed at 1:30pm. 

Drop-off and Pick-up Times 

Just a reminder that students must be supervised by a parent in the yard before 8:45am, as yard duty begins at this time. After school, the yard duty teacher is on duty from 3:30–3:45pm. Outside these times, students must not be in the yard without parental supervision. 

Hats and Lost Property 

A reminder that hats are required to be worn by all students during Term 4. If you need to purchase a new hat, please visit the general office. If your child has lost a school clothing item, please encourage them to check the lost property area. When items are found, they are hung on the clothes rack in the lost property area. Named items (that are legible) are returned to students. All lost property that has not been collected by the end of each term will be donated to charity. Some uniform items will be kept for use in Sick Bay or given to students at our school who require them. 

Christmas Celebrations - Carols on the Green! 

It's not long now until our Carols on the Green evening on Thursday, December 11th! We invite families to join us on the school oval from 5pm for a BYO picnic. Bring along some nibbles, a picnic rug or camp chair, and find a spot to enjoy the carols. 

Please note this event runs successfully each year based on the following expectations: 

• This is a pet, alcohol, and smoke-free event 

• Photos and/or videos can be taken during the event, and we expect these to be used respectfully—for example, not posted on social media

• Children need to be actively supervised by families, as staff are not on duty prior to the event starting 

Students generally wear Christmas-themed clothing; however, class teachers will be in touch with parents if a specific item (e.g., reindeer antlers) is required for their class performance. 

The concert will start at 5.30pm, where each class will perform one Christmas song. Students will be required to sit with their classes at the front of the stage area during this time. The event will finish at approximately 7pm. 

If your child or family does not wish to participate in Christmas-related activities due to religious or cultural beliefs, please contact the office. 

Leisa

Dear Parents, Guardians & Caregivers, 

I hope you are all well and getting exciting for Carols on the Green in Week 10! 

Semester Two Reports 

Over the coming weeks, teachers will be finalising assessments and preparing Semester Two Reports to provide students and families with meaningful feedback about learning achievement and growth during the second half of 2025. These reports are an important part of our school’s commitment to keeping families well-informed and involved in their child’s learning journey. 

In addition to teacher comments and assessment information, students will also contribute personal reflections on their progress, identifying their achievements and outlining their goals for the semester ahead. This reflective component helps students take ownership of their learning and strengthens the partnership between home and school. 

Next week, staff will begin the proofreading and checking process to ensure reports are accurate, clear and supportive. Semester Two Reports will be released to students and parents in the last week of the term. 

Leading Literacy Professional Learning Course 

On Monday 17th of November, Emma Free (Literacy Leader and Year 1/2 Teacher), Mel Gibson (High Ability Practice Leader and Year 3/4 Teacher) and I attended the final session of the Victoria Academy of Teaching and Leadership’s Leading Literacy course. This program, delivered over six sessions across Terms 3 and 4, has provided us with contemporary, evidence-based approaches to strengthening literacy instruction across the school. The learning has been both energising and affirming, and it has equipped us with practical strategies and resources to support ongoing improvement at MPPS. 

During the final session, our team presented our School Literacy Improvement Plan (SLIP), shared the work we have undertaken so far, and responded to questions from course facilitators and peers. Our presentation ran smoothly, the feedback received was constructive, and we were pleased to be able to clearly articulate our priorities and next steps. I was incredibly proud of our team’s professionalism and the thoughtful, collaborative work that has gone into shaping our plan. 

We are confident that the SLIP will further strengthen literacy outcomes - particularly in writing - and will complement our new Instructional Model, the InitiaLit program, and the extensive professional learning staff have already undertaken in Victoria’s F–2 reading approach. We look forward to sharing updates with you as we bring this work to life in classrooms across the school. 

Yours sincerely, 

Nathan Hutchins 

Assistant Principal 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

It’s hard to believe we’re already in the final three weeks of the school year! Foundation students have been practising enthusiastically for Carols on the Green and are excited to perform. Our LEGOLAND excursion was a wonderful day, with the “Dog Obstacle Course” workshop allowing students to explore push and pull forces by designing and testing their own LEGO course. Merlin’s Apprentice was also a favourite, with children discovering that the harder they pedalled, the higher they soared. It’s been a busy and joyful time of learning and fun! 

Heads Up!

Donations for our themed hampers! We are still seeking donations for our themed hampers that will be raffled at Carols on the Green. Foundation HD’s theme is ‘Christmas’ and Foundation K’s theme is ‘Spa Day’! 

Foundation will be holding an open afternoon on Wednesday the 17th at 3pm. This will be a lovely opportunity for students to share the fantastic work they’ve completed throughout the year in their personalised portfolios and celebrate the wonderful growth they’ve made in their learning. We will also be sending home all student workbooks on this day. 

Literacy: We are learning to review letter–sound correspondences, practise tricky words, read sentences and build our reading fluency. 

Numeracy: We are learning to answer questions about given data sets for yes/no questions. 

Inquiry:  We are learning to demonstrate our knowledge of how different objects move. 

Wellbeing: We are learning to understand and describe what makes a ‘good friend’. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Kit M - Excellence - For looking for ways to improve your writing by checking your work and applying feedback. Well done, Kit you have shown amazing growth! 

Aisling CH – Integrity - For always showing Integrity and initiative by doing her personal best in all learning areas! Well done, Aisling you are a superstar!

Madi M – Excellence - For asking questions and challenging herself to have a go during Maths tasks. Well done, Madi! 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

Even with the end of the year in sight, Year 1/2 students have been busier than ever! In Inquiry, they’ve loved designing and building their own moving toys and will soon be writing about how they work and which force makes them move. We’ve also been practising our two performances for Carols on the Green and can’t wait to share them with you. During Wellbeing, we’ve been exploring how to be mindful during screen time and identifying mind, body and connection activities we can choose instead. 

Heads Up!

TwistED Science Excursion  

Our Year 1 and 2 students will take part in a hands-on, curriculum-based workshop linked to our unit “Push & Pull”. This workshop will go for one hour. Students will explore questions such as: What makes objects move? What is a force? How do forces act on an object—through direct contact or from a distance—to cause movement? 
  
The students will also spend one hour in the award-winning, interactive science play space designed to spark curiosity and creativity. With a focus on fun and discovery, all play stations are hands-on, engaging, and connected to real-life situations. Students are encouraged to “switch on their science brains” from the moment they walk through the doors! 

Please ensure you have given consent and paid, to attend this excursion.  

Toys, Toys, Toys 

Thank you so much for sending in the fabulous resources for our toy making session focusing on push and pull forces. The students have done a brilliant job, and we will send them home for you to enjoy by the end of the term.  

Writing: We have been learning to write a plan for a persuasive piece. We have been learning how to create strong arguments which feature powerful language and rhetorical questions. 

InitiaLit:        

• Year 1s: We have been reviewing our key lessons and revisiting some of our important sounds and tricky words. Our storybook has been ‘Captain Jack and the Pirates’ by Peter Bently, including the WOW words ‘abandoned’, ‘spied’ and ‘hollered’.   

• Year 2s: We have been learning that /tch/ and /ch/ both make the ‘ch’ sound. We have also focused on ‘_dge’ (bridge) and ‘_ge’ (page). We have been combining all of the comprehension strategies we have learnt to understand as much as possible when we read! Our storybook has been the poem ‘Hist!’ by C.J. Dennis, including the WOW words ‘delay’, ‘gloomy’, and ‘roam’.  

Numeracy:        

• We are learning to compare and order objects based on mass and capacity. 

Inquiry (Physical Science):        

• We are learning to design and make a toy that moves using a push, pull or spin/rotate. 

Wellbeing (The Resilience Project):        

• We are learning to recognise and appreciate the diverse roles and contributions of community workers within our local area. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Mckinley L – Excellence - For writing an engaging story titled 'Mckinley the Big Sister,' using speech marks to show dialogue and including a clear, creative storyline. What a great effort! 

Audrey D – Excellence - For her amazing talent shown when writing her narrative, 'The Forbidden Forest'. You have used your amazing vocabulary, paragraphing and great description. So good! 

Xander M – Excellence - For writing an engaging and imaginative narrative about the day it rained something strange! You used exciting details and descriptive language to paint a vivid picture and keep the reader hooked from start to finish. Fantastic work, Xander! 

Nash B – Excellence - For designing and making 'Mr Robot,' a fantastic toy that moves using push and pull. You showed great creativity and a strong understanding of how toys move during our inquiry unit. Well done! 

Eddie W – Excellence - For thinking outside of the box to create a wonderful 'Baby Alarm' in our 'Push & Pull' Inquiry unit. Such a great idea, Eddie! 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

Police Visit 

Last Wednesday, Year 3/4 students enjoyed a visit from three police officers, including Sav’s mum! The day began with the officers parking their police car on the school oval, which attracted everyone’s attention! 

The police officers joined the students in the classroom for an engaging and informative discussion about online safety. They spoke about making safe choices, protecting personal information, and knowing what to do if something doesn’t feel right when using technology.  

After the classroom session, we headed outside for a hands-on look at the police car. Students had the chance to sit inside, explore the equipment, and learn what all the different buttons are used for. There were plenty of smiles as everyone took turns trying on the police vests and hats! 

We are very grateful to our Sav’s mum and the other two police officers for giving our Year 3/4 students such a fun and educational experience. 

Heads Up!

Carols on the Green is a great fundraising opportunity for the school, and in addition to our silent auction, sausage sizzle and facepainting, we will be holding a raffle. Each class has a unique theme, and we are asking that students bring in an item to contribute to their class’ hamper. Our themes this year are: 3/4B - Gardeners Delight, 3/4G - Fitness & Wellness. 

Literacy: We are completing our narrative about an invisible friend, inspired by our class novel, ‘Leo and Ralph’. We have also completed a ‘cold write’ based on the prompt ‘The Day it Rained Something Strange’. In SpellEx, we are beginning to investigate word origins. 

Numeracy: We are learning about probability, including ordering outcomes from least to most likely, conducting chance experiments and identifying independent events.  

We have also been revising our 3 times tables and practising their matching division facts. 

Inquiry: We are conducting an investigation of the conduction of heat through different materials. 

Wellbeing: We are identifying ways in which we can show kindness, compassion, and care. We read the book, ‘Kind to you, kind to me, kind to the planet’ and paid attention to how the characters interact with one another and with their environment. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Congratulations to our most recent TIER Role Models! 

Zach N – Excellence – For showing great effort and determination, becoming increasingly independent in his learning and making wonderful growth through perseverance. 

Lachy W – Integrity – For being an upstander and consistently showing integrity. Your kindness and mature attitude make a positive difference every day! 

Declan R – Excellence – For showing perseverance and growing confidence in his writing, developing greater independence as he works to express his ideas. 

Asher JV – Excellence - For showing persistence in Maths and confidently sharing her understanding of mutually exclusive and consequential events. 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

Congratulations to our Senior students who have been working hard throughout the last fortnight, completing assessments and reflecting on a fun filled semester. A huge success has been the completion of our novel study, ‘Holes’ by Louis Sachar where we were able to celebrate by comparing and contrasting it to the 2003 film adaptation. It prompted rich discussions and students are now busy working on character ‘body biography’ projects to reflect on the key themes of justice, perseverance and identity. Check out how the projects are coming together in the photos below! 

Heads Up!

Donations -    
- Zooper Doopers: Icy pole Friday’s are a huge hit across the school as the main fundraiser for Yr 6 Graduation and as the weather heats up, the demand for icy treats grows! Zooper Doopers are currently 50% off at Coles and 30% off at IGA. If you are able to include a bag in your next shop, we would really appreciate it! Any donations can be left at the office. 

- Christmas Hamper: Each class has been allocated a theme for their Christmas Hamper and are seeking donations related to the theme. The theme for 5/6G is Games Night (think cards, puzzles and family fun), while the theme for 5/6O is BBQ (think marinades/rubs, BBQ utensils and picnics). Any donation, big or small, is greatly appreciated as all funds from the raffle of the hampers goes back into the school! 

Preparation for 2026 -  
Preparation is in full swing for 2026 for both year levels as the excitement and anticipation grows.The Year 5’s, are preparing to nominate themselves and give speeches for 2026 Student Leadership and have submitted 5 preferences for class allocation next year. Additional transition sessions have begun for many of the Year 6’s as they begin familiarising themselves with Secondary School. Along with preparation for secondary school comes all the fun, (albeit emotional) tasks of celebrating their time here as they work on their yearbook and slideshow video for Graduation. Please keep an eye out for key Compass communications regarding upcoming events! 

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. Read and spell words with the Greek morpheme, poly, meaning many. 

Numeracy: Solving worded problems involving the measurement of length, mass and capacity. 

Inquiry: Identify what electricity is used for in households and how it is used. 

Wellbeing: Acknowledge that setbacks evoke strong emotions as things don’t go as planned. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Sadie R for demonstrating EXCELLENCE in Maths when converting between units of length, mass and capacity. Pushing yourself to the Super Challenge is a wonderful achievement! 

Ben W for demonstrating EXCELLENCE during his Cold Write by using sophisticated & subject specific vocabulary. Your theme and use of flashbacks was very impressive. Well done! 

Aubrey D for EXCELLENCE throughout the Maths unit. She successfully used multiple strategies to convert between metric units of length, mass and capacity. Well done! 

Ratu N for INTEGRITY for consistently doing the right thing both inside and outside of the classroom, he is always trying his best and is a great role model to others 

All Students have been compiling their Art folios and reflecting on their skills learnt and enjoyed sharing their artwork with friends.

Grades 5/6 and Grades 3/4 enjoyed painting their clay models.
Grades 1/2 have been learning different techniques when drawing with pastels.
Foundation were very excited to take their sock puppets home and had fun wriggling them and talking to them. They also looked at shapes when drawing flowers and animals.

As we head into the final few weeks of STEAM for 2025, our students will be completing their final projects. 

The Foundation students have been looking at the various features of animals and different ways we can classify them. They have all picked a favourite animal and are researching lots of different information about them. 

The grade 1/2 students have begun designing and building Bug Hotels. These hotels have been designed to help attract insects and creatures that will help with pollination, keep pests away and create a safe place for the insects to hide from predators.  

Our grade 3/4 students have been looking at fossils and what they can tell us. They are now researching a chosen dinosaur. This information will be then presented in the form of a poster.  

The 5/6 students have been researching resilient creatures. Students were challenged to change their thoughts for the criteria for judging an animal as tough. These creatures are not only physically tough, but they are able to adapt to their environment, have physical adaptions and unique behaviours. Some winning creatures include the tardigrade, the lungfish and the naked mole rat. 

Dear Mentone Park Families, 

This fortnight, our wellbeing focus is on helping children understand, name, and manage their emotions. This comes directly from our recent Youth Resilience Survey insights, which showed that many students across Year 3–6 are finding it challenging to: 

• manage feelings of worry, 

• maintain positive energy levels, 

• solve problems when things feel hard 

• recognise and express their emotions confidently 

These findings remind us that emotional literacy; being able to notice, name, and understand our feelings is a vital foundation for resilience. When children can identify what they’re feeling, they’re better able to ask for help, use strategies to calm their bodies, and navigate social or learning challenges with confidence. 

At school, we continue to embed emotional vocabulary and regulation strategies through Community Circle, Zones of Regulation, Daily Mindfulness Meditation, Resilience Project, restorative conversations and our daily classroom routines. These small, consistent habits help students feel safe, supported, and able to express themselves. 

Why Naming Emotions Matters 

Research shows that when children can accurately label their emotions (“I feel worried,” “I feel frustrated,” “I feel nervous about the test”), the brain becomes better at: 

• calming the amygdala (their “alarm system”), 

• improving problem-solving and decision-making, 

• staying connected to others, and 

• reducing the intensity of big feelings. 

It’s a powerful, everyday skill that makes a huge difference, both at home and at school. 

This Fortnight’s Wellbeing at Home Activity: “Feelings Check- In Cards” 

A simple, practical way to help children understand their emotions is to create a set of Feelings Check-In Cards. 

What you’ll need: 

• Paper/cardboard 

• Textas or pencils 

• Optional: a small box or zip-lock bag 

How to make them: 

1. Together as a family, write down 6–10 common feelings on small cards: 
   happy, worried, calm, angry, proud, tired, frustrated, excited. 

1. On the back of each card, write a matching “What I can do” strategy. 
   For example: 

• Worried → Take five deep breaths / Talk to an adult. 

• Frustrated → Have a break and try again. 

• Tired → Drink some water / stretch / early bedtime. 

1. Place the cards in a labelled box or bag. 

How to use them: 

• Each afternoon or evening, ask your child: 
  “Which feeling card matches how you’re feeling today?” 

• Read the strategy on the back together. 

• Celebrate when they choose a helpful tool or can name their feeling clearly. 

This activity helps build emotional vocabulary, encourages healthy coping, and opens up gentle conversations after school. 

Why It Matters 

By strengthening emotional literacy at home and at school, we can support children to: 

• feel more confident in expressing themselves 

• seek help earlier when things feel overwhelming 

• develop stronger coping and self-regulation skills 

• build healthier friendships 

• stay focused and positive during learning time 

Together, we can help our students grow into resilient, reflective, emotionally aware young people who know that their feelings matter and that there are always tools and people to support them. 

Warm regards, 
Pamela Kousis 
Student Wellbeing Coordinator 

We Need You for Our Bunnings Sausage Sizzle!

Saturday, 13 December

We’re excited to share that Mentone Park Primary School has been selected to host the famous Bunnings Sausage Sizzle — one of our biggest fundraising events of the year!

To make this day a sizzling success, we’re calling on our wonderful school community for support. Here’s how you can help:

Volunteer on the Day

We need enthusiastic helpers for setup, cooking, serving, and pack-up.

Whether you can spare one hour or a few, it all makes a huge difference — and it’s always a fun, feel-good day connecting with our Bayside community!

Sign up here: https://signup.com/go/puGKgZu

Donate a Pack of Snags

Can’t volunteer? You can still support our fundraiser!

If you’re able, we’d be so grateful for a $12 donation toward a pack of sausages for the BBQ. Every pack helps keep the snags sizzling and boosts our fundraising total! Please go to QKR to donate.

Why it Matters

All funds raised go directly towards supporting our students, programs, and school community.

Let’s fire up the BBQ, rally together, and finish the year on a high!

Thank you for your amazing support.

Silent Auction Donations

Our much-loved Carols on the Green is fast approaching, and we are putting together a Silent Auction to help raise vital funds for Mentone Park Primary School. This is one of our biggest community events of the year — and we’d love your support to make it shine!

We’re reaching out to our amazing school community to help us secure donations. Whether you’re a local business owner, work for a company that gives back, or simply have connections around Bayside, we’d be incredibly grateful for any help you can offer.

How you can help:
 • If you have a business in mind that might donate, feel free to pop in and collect a formal school donation request letter from the office.
• You’re welcome to approach businesses, clubs, gyms, cafés, salons, sports centres, or workplaces — anywhere that might want to support our students.
• Donations big or small are welcome: vouchers, hampers, products, services, experiences, memberships, or items we can bundle into themed prize packs.

Your contribution helps us raise funds to support school programs, resources, and opportunities for our MPPS students — and it also highlights the wonderful community spirit we’re so proud of.

If you, your workplace, or someone you know can donate, please get in touch with Louise – Office Manager, or drop donations directly into the school office.

Let’s come together and make this year’s Carols on the Green truly unforgettable — celebrating community, generosity, and festive fun.

Every Friday lunchtime during Term 4, students can purchase a $1 icy pole. All money raised goes towards celebrating our 2024 graduating class! 

If you are able to please donate a packet of Zooper Dooper's to support our fundraiser, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be left at the office.

 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.