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.

The first two weeks back at school have been calm, settled, and full of positivity, and it has been wonderful to see our school community ease so smoothly into the new year. 

Our students have returned with smiles, enthusiasm, and a strong sense of care for one another. Across the school, we are seeing kindness in action, with our students looking out for each other, building friendships, and showing respect in classrooms and in the yard. This positive start has created a welcoming and safe environment where our student feels valued and set up for success. 

Our teachers have also had a fantastic start, enjoying getting to know their new classes and establishing routines that support learning and wellbeing. There is a sense of optimism and energy among our staff as they begin the year ahead with clear goals and high expectations. 

We are incredibly proud of how our students and staff have embraced the start of the year. Thank you to our families for your continued support, it plays a vital role in helping make Mentone Park Primary School such a happy and connected place to learn. 

We look forward to building on this positive momentum as the term continues. 

Leisa

Dear Parents, Guardians & Caregivers, 

I hope you are all well and had a lovely summer break! 

Sub-school Hubs 

As part of our ongoing work to foster a safe, happy and included learning environment at Mentone Park Primary School, this year we have introduced Sub-school Hubs. 

To support this structure, our Prep class is now located in the Year 1/2 Building, creating our Prep–Year 2 Sub-school Hub. In addition, 3/4B and 3/4G are now located in the Year 5/6 Building, forming our Year 3–6 Sub-school Hub. Each Sub-school Hub provides separate classrooms for every class, along with a shared Atrium space that allows students and staff to gather together as a larger cohort. 

Teachers and students are currently working together to establish clear classroom and Sub-school expectations, helping to ensure consistency and a strong sense of shared responsibility within each Hub. Each Sub-school has also updated their morning routines so that they are more closely aligned across classes. 

A key change you may have noticed is that all classes now line up in the mornings on the basketball or netball courts. This has been a positive step in building a more connected whole-school community and supporting smooth, calm starts to the day. 

In terms of eating routines, Prep–Year 2 students are currently having their Eating Time together in the Atrium of their building, while Year 3–6 students eat together under the COLA. Looking ahead, we are working towards all students having their Eating Time together under the COLA, which will further promote community connection and encourage students to interact across classes and year levels. 

Trial of Three Breaks – Eating & Drinking 

As part of our trial of a three-break daily schedule, we wanted to provide some clarity around how eating and drinking will work throughout the day. 

Students will continue to have access to a piece of fruit at 10:00am each morning. We ask that this is something simple, easy and clean for students to access and consume independently. 

Students will be able to take a snack out at the beginning of both the Morning Break and the Afternoon Break. In addition, there will continue to be a dedicated 10-minute Eating Time prior to the Lunch Break. This Eating Time will take place with the other classes in their Sub-school (Prep–Year 2 or Year 3–6), further supporting connection and social interaction between classes. 

Students are encouraged to bring a water bottle to school every day so they can access water during class time, and they will also have access to drinking taps during break times. 

We ask that families please factor in the above when preparing your child’s food and drink each day, including ensuring that all lunch boxes, containers and water bottles are clearly labelled. 

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support as we trial these changes and continue working together to create a positive and connected school environment for all students. 

Yours sincerely, 

Nathan Hutchins 

Assistant Principal 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

What a phenomenal start our Preps have had at Mentone Park, from attending 2 shortened days, to completing 4 full days - they have certainly impressed us all! The main focus has been adjusting to life and routines here at MPPS. Within the classroom, the Preps have been busy working on making connections with peers and understanding boundaries as they begin to navigate their way outside amongst the rest of the school. Again, we wish to thank you in helping this smooth transition in the morning and encouraging independence. 

Heads Up!

Communication/Readers 
Information will be sent home shortly regarding Take Home Readers and Reading Diaries. In the meantime, we encourage you to enjoy reading books from home or the library for fun! 

Specialist Subjects   
Specialist Subjects began this week with Prep students attending Art on Monday, STEM on Tuesday and PE & Auslan on Thursday. Specialist classes are taught by Miss Oates (Art & PE) and Ms Zienow-Sy (STEM & Auslan).   

Sunscreen 
If your child is sensitive to sunscreen or they would prefer to use their own, please send it to school labelled and we will keep it in a tub to remind students to reapply. A large pump pack of sunscreen is always available for student use.  

Labelling 
Please ensure all items (clothing, lunchboxes, waterbottles, containers etc.) are clearly labelled. This ensures that items can quickly be returned. If ever something is lost, please check in with the teacher or lost property. 

Literacy: Identify the character traits of a good writer 

Numeracy: Copy and continue three part movement patterns. 

Inquiry: Understand why we have classroom rules and how they help keep everyone safe and happy. 

Wellbeing: What the Zones of Regulation are and what each Zone feels like. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Adelina - Excellence - For showing wonderful self-control and proudly putting her hand up to share her ideas.

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

Welcome to our first Year 1/2 newsletter for the year! It has been a wonderful start to the school year, and it has been so lovely to see the students settling in, reconnecting with friends, and getting to know their teachers and classrooms. We have been focusing on establishing strong routines and clear classroom expectations to help create a calm, positive, and supportive learning environment for all students. We have also been revisiting our school TIER values - Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence, and Respect - and what these look like in our classrooms and playgrounds each day. These strong foundations will support our students as they grow in confidence, independence, and learning throughout the year. 

Heads Up!

Art Smocks 
Please make sure your child has a named art smock as this will ensure their school uniform stays clean during Art lessons. If your child brought their art smock home at the end of last year, please ensure it is named and returned ASAP.  

Library 
All students must have a named library bag to be able to borrow each week at our school library. This ensures we take good care of our library books. Students will need a library bag and have returned the previous week’s book/s to be able to borrow. No bag and/or no returned books = no borrowing.  

Take Home Books 
Students will soon bring home their take home books. Please read with your child each night and record it in their reading diary. Please ensure their take home books and reading diary are in their Black Communication Pocket and returned to school each day. This allows us to listen to your child read their take home books while at school.  

Headphones 
Please ensure your child has a named and working set of headphones to remain at school during the school year.  

Name! Name! Name!  

Please ensure everything is named. This includes lunchboxes, drink bottles, plastic containers, jumpers and hats. This makes it so much easier to return items to their rightful owner. 

Helpers Needed 
We would love some parent help to sort our take home books and contact some decodable readers. Please see Mrs Drummond in 1/2D if you are able to assist with this. Any help would be greatly appreciated.  

Jewellery 
Some students have returned to school wearing necklaces and bracelets. These often become a distraction to their learning. We kindly ask for these special jewels to remain at home to avoid distractions and to also avoid students losing them.  

TwistED Science Excursion  

Writing:      
We have been learning to understand a fragment as opposed to a sentence. We have also been learning to identify nouns and verbs. 

InitiaLit:        

• Year 1s: We have been revising our sounds and letters we learned last year. We have been looking at words with the follow patterns – CCVC, CVCC, CCVCC. Our tricky words have included said, are, her, was, you and very. Our class storybook has been Fang Fang’s Chinese New Year by Sally Rippin, which includes the WOW words groan, sprinkle, and ferocious. 
• Year 2s: We been learning the digraphs ‘ai’ as in rain, ‘ay’ as in play, ‘ee’ as in tree and ‘ea’ as in leaf. We have also learnt ‘oa’ as in boat and ‘ow’ as in snow. Our tricky words have included until, was, here, February, were and friend. Our class storybook has been Willie the Wimp by Anthony Browne, which includes the WOW words scrawny, respect and bulging.  

Numeracy:        
We are learning to collect, sort, and display data using charts and graphs, then compare results to answer questions and explain what the data shows. 

Inquiry (Humanities):        
We are learning to identify how people shared knowledge and stories in the past, including through Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander storytelling. 

Wellbeing: 
We are learning to understand why teamwork is important and how we can use it every day at school. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Hazel C - Excellence - For having great transition into Year 2 and being such a helpful class member this week!
Keep up the super effort, Hazel!

Lacey M - Excellence - For an amazing start to Year 2! You have been focussed, helpful and wonderful!

Cara K - Excellence - For a wonderful start to Grade 2. You have settled into the classroom routines with confidence and consistently show a positive attitude towards your learning. Great effort.

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

Welcome back to MPPS! 

We warmly welcome all our students and families back to school for 2026! We hope everyone enjoyed a safe, happy, and relaxing break and is feeling refreshed for the year ahead. 

A special welcome to our new students and families joining our school community, we’re so glad you’re here. We’re looking forward to a year filled with learning, growth, friendships and plenty of exciting opportunities. 

Thank you to our families for your continued support. We’re excited to work together to make 2026 a positive and successful year for all at MPPS, The Best School Ever! 

We can’t wait to see what this year brings! 

Heads Up!

A reminder that students need to wear hats in Term 1 and Term 4. If your child is in need of a fresh, school-ready MPPS Sun hat, they are available for purchase at the school office. Please feel free to pop in and grab one for $20.45. 

Please also make sure your child applies sunscreen before coming to school. Sunscreen is available for “top ups” in the Year 3–6 building. 

Literacy: We are learning to understand and apply new vocabulary from our class novel ‘The Wild Robot’ and we are learning to write complex sentences. 

In SpellEx, Year 3 are learning what a vowel, consonant and phoneme is, and Year 4 are learning to read and spell words using different graphemes for /e/ and /u/. 

Numeracy: We are learning to read, write, represent, compare and order numbers up to at least six digits. 

Wellbeing: We are learning to develop a growth mindset. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Ben - Excellence – For setting into 3/4B so quickly and showing a positive attitude towards your learning. Welcome to "The Best School Ever!"

Caspian C – Excellence – For making a fantastic start at MPPS and bringing his positive spirit to "The Best School Ever". It is lovely to have you in 3/4G!

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview:

It has been a wonderful start to the year in our Year 5/6 learning community. We have loved getting to know the students and settling into routines together. For our Year 5s, this term marks an exciting transition into Senior School, which they have embraced with enthusiasm. Our Year 6 students have also begun stepping confidently into their leadership roles, setting positive examples and supporting younger students across the school. There are many fantastic experiences to look forward to, including the start of interschool sport next week, swimming in the final week of term, and camp in the first week of Term 2! 

Heads Up!

Interschool Sport 
Our first interschool sport games will begin next Friday, the 13th, and will be held every Friday, with the exception of a two-week break in the middle of the term. Students will participate in cricket, volleyball, and tennis throughout the season.  

Senior School Water Safety 
Please keep an eye out for upcoming communication regarding the Senior School Water Safety program, which will take place in the final week of this term. We will be seeking important information about your child’s current swimming ability, along with consent and payment details. 

Literacy: We are learning to understand and use vocabulary from our class novel, War Horse, and to demonstrate our understanding of appositives in our writing. 

Numeracy: We are learning to create and interpret dot plots, identify the type of variable in a given data set and calculate the mode of a data set to determine the highest frequency. 

Inquiry: We are learning to define environments and explain their importance to people and communities. 

Wellbeing: We are learning to notice the feeling of joy in our lives. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Leo K – Excellence - Leo has begun the year on a high displaying respectful behaviour in the classroom and showing excellence with the high quality work and participation in class! 

Orlando S – Excellence – For the rich descriptive detail in his character and setting, helping to shape the plan and direction of his narrative. 

Happy New Year and Welcome back! 

As we begin a new school year, we are excited to welcome students and families back into our learning community. The start of the year is a powerful time to reset, reconnect and refocus on what matters most — the wellbeing of our students. 

This year, we continue our partnership with The Resilience Project, which supports students to build positive mental health through simple, evidence-based strategies. Through the principles of Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM), students are learning practical tools to help them manage emotions, build resilience and develop healthy relationships. 

You may hear your child talk about activities such as reflecting on what went well, practising calm breathing, or recognising how their actions affect others. These small, consistent practices help students build lifelong skills — supporting them not only academically, but socially and emotionally as well. 

We encourage families to engage in these conversations at home, as wellbeing is strongest when school and home work together. By modelling gratitude, empathy and mindfulness in everyday moments, we can reinforce the messages students are learning at school. 

As we step into the year ahead, we look forward to working in partnership with our community to create a positive, inclusive environment where every student feels connected, confident and ready to learn. 

Here’s to a year of growth, resilience and wellbeing for all. 

Zoe Guthrie 

Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader 

Allergies

Mentone Park Park School places a high priority on supporting the health, safety and wellbeing of students with life-threatening allergies. To help ensure a safe learning environment, the school has implemented a number of allergy-aware practices.

Mentone Park Park School has an increasing number of students with severe nut allergies. Due to the risk of cross-contamination, families are kindly asked to avoid sending foods to school that contain nuts. This includes, but is not limited to, peanut butter, Nutella, loose nuts and snack bars or products that contain nuts.

We appreciate your cooperation and support in helping us keep all students safe.

Join Our PFA 

Dear Parents and Carers,

We would love to invite you to join our Parents & Friends Association (PFA) and be part of our wonderful school community. Whether you have a little or a lot of time to give, every bit of help makes a huge difference!

From assisting with events, working bees, website design, fundraising, or general support, your contribution—big or small—will directly benefit our children and school.

Our first meeting will be held on:

Date: Tuesday, 19th February at 9AM

Location: Please come to the office to sign in

Parents with younger children are more than welcome to bring them along. 

We hope to see you there! If you have any questions or would like to express your interest but can't make the meeting, please feel free to reach out.

Let’s work together to make Mentone Park Primary the best it can be!

Warm regards,

Bree Owens (PFA President) & Mentone Park Primary School

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Working with Allied Health

Mentone Park Park School values working in partnership with families and allied health professionals to support student learning and wellbeing. We are pleased to offer allied health visits onsite during school hours.

To support this process, all allied health assessments, questionnaires and onsite visit requests are coordinated through our Mental Health & Wellbeing Leader, Zoe Guthrie. Families and professionals are asked to contact Zoe directly to help minimise disruption to teaching and learning.

Please allow up to 14 days for teachers to complete any required assessments or questionnaires.
Zoe can be contacted at zoe.guthrie@education.vic.gov.au.

Thank you for your continued support.

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Breakfast Club is back!

Starting in Week 3, all students are invited to join us for Breakfast Club — a great way to start the day with a tasty breakfast, good company, and a relaxed morning atmosphere.

• When: Tuesday
• Time: From 8:30am - 8.45am
• Where: P.E. Room (entrance located near the picnic tables, under the shade sail, opposite the staff car park)

Everyone is welcome. We can’t wait to see you there!

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School Zone & Pedestrian Safety Reminder

We remind all families to take extra care around the school during drop-off and pick-up times. Please note that the pedestrian crossing near the school is not currently in use, despite existing markings and signage. School Council is working with Kingston Council and updates will be shared when available.

All drivers are asked to slow down, remain alert for children and families, and drive patiently in school zones. Even a small moment of care can make a big difference to everyone’s safety.

Thank you for helping keep our school community safe.

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Updated Health Care Plans & Medications

As we prepare for the new school year, families are reminded to ensure Health Care Plans for students with Asthma, Anaphylaxis or Allergies are up to date. The Department of Education requires a new plan each year, signed by your GP.

Please ensure current plans, medications and emergency contact details are provided to the school office/first aid. Having up-to-date information and medication helps us support students safely and confidently at school.

Thank you for your continued support as we look forward to welcoming everyone back.

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Dogs on Leads Reminder

We kindly remind all families that dogs must be kept on leads at all times on school grounds and around school entrances during drop-off and pick-up times.

This helps ensure the safety and comfort of all students, families and staff. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school community safe.

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Second-Hand Uniform Sale

The second-hand uniform sale will be held after assembly next Friday, located in the PE room. This is a great opportunity to upgrade uniforms in time for winter.

EFTPOS will be available.

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Do You Have a Skill That Could Help Our School?

As a small school, we are fortunate to have a wonderfully supportive community. From time to time, we rely on the skills and generosity of our families to help with projects around the school — whether big or small.

We are currently seeking a carpenter or builder who may be able to assist with hanging an external door. If you have this skill, or know someone who does, we would love to hear from you.

Please see Louise or Jen in the office to express your interest.
Thank you so much for your continued support of our school.