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.

Principal’s Reading Challenge 

It has been fantastic to see so many students staying motivated and committed to the Principal’s Reading Challenge. We have been incredibly impressed by the persistence students are showing as they work towards their reading goals. 

It has been wonderful not only to hear about the number of books being read, but also to listen to students enthusiastically talking about their books and sharing recommendations with others. Creating a love of reading is such an important part of learning and it has been wonderful to see this enthusiasm across the school. 

Remember, if you haven’t started yet, or you are only a few books into the challenge, it is definitely not too late! We still have six weeks left of term, which means there is plenty of time to get involved and work towards your reading goal. 

Keep up the excellent reading habits everyone. We are very proud of the effort and determination being shown by our students. 

Congratulations to our students for reaching their reading goals, it was wonderful to present so many certificates to students at our whole school assembly. A special mention goes to Cara in Grade 1 for achieving Bronze, Silver, and Gold awards in such a short amount of time- what incredible reading stamina! 

Mother’s Day Celebration 

Last Friday we enjoyed a wonderful morning celebrating Mother’s Day with our school community. It was fantastic to see such a strong turnout of mothers, grandmothers, and special family members, highlighting the strong sense of connection within our school community. Thank you to our PPA parents and volunteers who organised and supported both the Mother’s Day stall and breakfast. Your time and effort are greatly appreciated and helped make the event such a success. 

Prep Information Evening and Open Day 

Last Thursday we held our Prep Information Evening, providing families with an insight into our carefully planned Prep program, teaching approaches and school routines that help create a positive and successful start to school life at MPPS. 

It was wonderful to meet new families joining our school community next year, as well as current families who have children commencing Prep in 2027. 

Enrolments for Foundation students for 2027 are now open. We will also be holding an Open Morning for prospective families on Thursday 21 May from 9:30am–10:15am. 

Current families with a child commencing Prep in 2027 are reminded to please complete the online enrolment form via the link on our school website.

Prep-Grade 4 Swimming Program 

Today marked the final day of our two week swimming program for students in Prep to Grade 4. It was wonderful to see students build confidence throughout the program, not only in the water, but also in their organisation skills, travel routines, and participation in lessons. 

Experiences such as swimming are an important part of developing independence, resilience, and confidence. A huge thank you to our parent and carer volunteers who assisted throughout the program. Your support helped make the process much smoother and more efficient for our staff and students. 

Walk Safely to School Day- Friday 22nd May 

We are looking forward to welcoming students for Walk Safely to School Day next Friday. Staff will be out and about welcoming students as they arrive. This special day promotes healthy, active lifestyles and encourages students to enjoy the benefits of walking safely to school. 

Have a lovely weekend, 

Leisa 

Dear Parents, Guardians and Caregivers, 

It has been another busy and exciting couple of weeks at MPPS, with our Prep to Year 4 students participating in our annual Swimming Program. We hope that, if your child was involved, they thoroughly enjoyed the experience while developing important water safety skills. 

2026 Kingston Junior Mayor 

Last Thursday 7th of May, I had the pleasure of attending the 2026 Kingston Junior Mayor Elections alongside our School Captains - Matilda Henderson, Aubrey Dearling, Flynn Wengier and Oscar Smith - as well as their parents and carers. 

The event brought together 28 primary schools from across Kingston, with each school represented by a team of four Year 6 students. Each team was challenged to prepare and present a two-minute speech responding to the question: “What are three ways Council could help young people become more involved in activities, programs and decisions within the community?” 

Schools were encouraged to include creative visual aids such as posters, costumes or props, although digital presentations and audio/video files were not permitted. While all team members contributed to the preparation of the presentation and went up on stage, only one student from each school was able to deliver the speech. MPPS was proudly represented by Matilda Henderson, who did a fantastic job leading our team’s presentation. 

Following all 28 presentations, students voted to elect the 2026–27 Junior Mayor and Junior Councillors for each Kingston ward. The event was attended by Kingston Mayor Cr Georgina Oxley, Deputy Mayor Cr Sarah O’Donnell, and the current Junior Mayor and Deputy Junior Mayor. 

The experience provided our School Captains with a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the democratic process, hear the innovative ideas of students from other schools, and further develop their public speaking and leadership skills. Our captains also shared their presentation at last Friday’s assembly, allowing our students to hear their ideas and aspire to similar opportunities in the future. 

We are incredibly proud of Matilda, Aubrey, Flynn and Oscar for the way they represented MPPS and we already look forward to participating again in 2027! 

Student Surveys 

During Week 4, our Year 4-6 students completed the annual Attitudes to School Survey (AtoSS). This voluntary survey, conducted annually by the Department of Education, provides schools with valuable insight into students’ experiences at school. 

Students were asked to share their thoughts and feelings about a range of areas including learning, relationships, resilience, health and wellbeing, and overall school experience. 

One of the greatest benefits of the survey is that it gives students an authentic voice in shaping their school environment. The survey has been running for almost 20 years and assists schools in planning programs and initiatives that strengthen student engagement, wellbeing and learning outcomes. The data also helps the Department of Education better understand how to support student learning across Victorian schools. We thank our Year 4–6 students for their thoughtful participation and feedback. 

Next week, our Year 3-6 students will complete the 2026 Student Resilience Survey (SRS). Similar to the AtoSS, this survey provides valuable complementary data, while also giving our Year 3 students an opportunity to share their perspectives. The information gathered will continue to support us in fostering the best culture of wellbeing and resilience that we can here at MPPS! 

Next term, our parents, carers, guardians and staff will also be invited to complete similar surveys, ensuring we continue to seek and respond to feedback from all key stakeholders within the MPPS community. 

Carpark Reminder - Supporting Our Neighbours 

We have received a reminder from Bayside Early Learning Centre and Kindergarten Mentone East, located on Blackwood Avenue opposite MPPS, asking that our families please refrain from using their private carpark during school drop-off and pick-up times. 

It is important that these spaces remain available for their families and that driveways and delivery access points are kept clear at all times. We value maintaining positive relationships with our neighbours and greatly appreciate your support in ensuring the area remains safe and accessible for everyone. Thank you! 

Yours sincerely, 

Nathan Hutchins 

Assistant Principal 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview

Over the past fortnight, Prep students have enjoyed participating in their swimming sessions at Mentone Aquatics at Mentone Grammar. Alongside developing important water safety skills and building confidence in the water, students have also shown wonderful growth in their organisation and independence skills. From day one to now, we have seen a big improvement in students managing their belongings, getting changed efficiently, and following the swimming routine with increasing confidence. It has been fantastic to see students supporting one another and taking pride in their progress both in and out of the pool. 

It has been fantastic to see so many Prep students enthusiastically engaging with the Principal’s Reading Challenge and making such a positive start to their reading journey. We are already celebrating a number of students who have reached the Bronze level, which is a wonderful reflection of their growing love of books and commitment to reading at home. 

A special congratulations goes to Eloise Main, who has already achieved the Silver level of the challenge — an outstanding effort! We are so proud of her enthusiasm and dedication to reading, and we look forward to celebrating many more reading milestones throughout the term. 

Reminders

Decodable Readers 
We swap these on a Monday. They may sometimes bring home the same book twice. If your child forgets their books on Monday, they can swap on another day – we don’t want anyone going without!  

Communication / Reading Diaries 
Please ensure that you write the title of the reader in the diary each day AND ensure the diary is brought to school. Thank you to those who are doing this already. 

Writing 
In Writing, students have been continuing to practise their handwriting skills, with a focus on correct letter formation and ensuring letters sit neatly on the baseline. We have been working hard to build good habits and take pride in neat and careful presentation. 

As a class, we also co-constructed a recount about our swimming program. Students learnt about the structure of a recount, including writing an orientation and sequencing events in the correct order. It was wonderful to see students sharing their ideas and using language connected to their swimming experiences. 

InitiaLit 
In InitiaLit, we have been learning about the o and c sounds. Students were excited to meet our new friend, Ollie Otter, and enjoyed some crunchy carrots as we explored the c sound together. 

We have continued developing our early reading skills by using our sounds to read words, focusing on saying one sound at a time and then making the sounds “touch” to blend them together. It has been wonderful to see students growing in confidence as they practise using their letter-sound knowledge to read simple words independently. 

Mathematics 
In Mathematics, we have been learning about 2D shapes and exploring the properties of circles, triangles, rectangles, and squares. Students have been developing their mathematical vocabulary by describing shapes using terms such as sides, corners, curved, and straight. 

We have also been identifying and discussing shapes in our everyday environment, noticing where we can find different shapes both in the classroom and around the school. Students enjoyed going on shape hunts and making connections between mathematical concepts and the world around them. Through hands-on activities, drawing, sorting, and discussion, students have been building their confidence in recognising and describing shapes accurately. 

Humanities 
This fortnight, we have continued to explore our planet Earth and the idea that we all belong to places. 

This fortnight we looked at Africa, and were lucky enough to have Thom’s mum Kira come in and do a wonderful presentation on South Africa – thank you also to Jack (Year 4) for making the PowerPoint. Kira also brought along a South African dessert, Milk Tart, for us to try – it was VERY popular! 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Week 3:

Eden  

Week 4:  

Indianna  

Josh 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview

Swimming Program at Mentone Aquatics 
Over the past fortnight, students have enjoyed taking part in their swimming sessions at Mentone Aquatics at Mentone Grammar, where they have had the opportunity to develop important water safety skills and strengthen their swimming abilities. From practising different techniques to building confidence in the pool, it has been wonderful to see everyone giving things a go and celebrating their progress along the way. 

Principal’s Reading Challenge  
It has been fantastic to see so many students enthusiastically embracing the Principal’s Reading Challenge and making such a strong start to their reading journey this term. We are already celebrating students who have reached important milestones and earned their reading awards, a wonderful reflection of their dedication and love of reading. 

A special congratulations goes to Cara Keane, who has become the very first student in Year 1/2 to complete all three levels of the challenge, an incredible achievement! We are so proud of her commitment and effort, and we look forward to celebrating many more reading successes as the term continues. 

Reminders

Nessy and Maths Seeds 
A reminder that all students have full access to Nessy and Maths Seeds at home. These are fantastic online programs that support reading, spelling and mathematics development, and we encourage regular use to reinforce classroom learning. 

Library 
It is so lovely to see students eager to borrow books from our school library. Please remember that library books need to be returned in your child’s library bag on Fridays of even weeks, ready for their library session with Helen, where they can return and choose new books to enjoy.

Writing: We have been learning to understand the structure of a narrative before we plan and write our own. We are also learning to develop questions given a picture - who, what, where, when, how. 

InitiaLit:        

• We have been learning about the trigraph ‘igh’ (light) and the letter ‘_y’ as in cry, and ‘ue’ (glue) and ‘ew’ (grew). We have also been learning about adjectives. 

• Our tricky words have included brother, mother and sister.  

• We have been learning to add the suffix ‘-ing’ to verbs and words with the split digraph (bossy ‘e’). 

• Our comprehension strategy has been ‘visualising’. 

• Our tricky words have included really, animal and because.   

Numeracy: In our current unit on measurement (length), we have been measuring objects using informal and formal units, comparing and ordering objects using direct and indirect comparison of length, amongst many other things. 

Inquiry (Geography: ‘Continents, Countries & Maps’) We have been learning to locate Australia, its states and features on a map. We have also been naming Australian animals and locating where they live on our maps.  

Wellbeing (The Resilience Project): We are learning to define what an emotion is, name and identify different emotions and understand why this is important. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Emily B - For delicately colouring and accurately labelling a map of Australia during our Geography unit on “Continents, Countries & Maps”. 

Kit M - For consistently trying his hardest to learn new words and sounds in InitiaLit. You are doing so well! 

Josh Q – Congratulations for writing a fantastic narrative! Your story was exciting, creative, and full of amazing describing words. Keep up the wonderful writing! 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview

Swimming Program at Mentone Aquatics 
Over the past two weeks, our Year 3 and 4 students have thoroughly enjoyed participating in swimming lessons at Mentone Aquatics at Mentone Grammar. Students have demonstrated enthusiasm and excellent behaviour throughout each session. It was wonderful to see their confidence grow each day as they practised different swim strokes and challenged themselves in the water. 

We were incredibly proud of the way students represented our school by showing our TIER values during the program. Well done to all Year 3 and 4 students for making the swimming program such an enjoyable and successful experience! 

Principal’s Reading Challenge 
We have already presented quite a few Bronze and Silver “Principal’s Reading Challenge” certificates at assembly which is amazing! The excitement around the challenge continues to grow, with many students eagerly working towards their next milestone. It has been especially pleasing to see students sharing book recommendations with their classmates and developing such positive reading habits. We look forward to celebrating even more achievements over the coming weeks as students continue their reading journeys. Well done to everyone who has already earned a certificate. Keep up the great reading efforts! 

Social Stencil with Mrs Guthrie 
Year 3/4 students have enjoyed developing their teamwork skills and developing an understanding of each other’s differences.  Next week, we are looking at Emotions - looking at facial expressions and understanding context. 

Reminders

Homework 
A friendly reminder that homework is due each Friday morning.  

Reading: 20-30 minutes at least 3 x per week, with book title and pages/chapters read and recorded in student diaries. 

Maths: Set Mathletics tasks completed (approximately 20 minutes per week). 

Literacy:  We have begun our new novel study ‘Brindabella’ by Ursula Dubosarsky, focusing on the use of descriptive language. 

In SpellEx, Year 3 students are learning about the drop ‘e’ suffix rule. Year 4 students are learning about two sounds the letter ‘g’ can make – /g/ as in ‘goat’ and /j/ as in ‘giraffe’. 

Numeracy: We are learning to count and convert fractions, and to identify equivalent fractions. 

Wellbeing: We are learning teamwork skills and understanding each other's differences. 

Inquiry: We are learning about the establishment of the first British colony in Australia in 1788. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Congratulations to our most recent TIER Role Models! 

Olivia 
For writing an engaging, well-structured rhyming fourteener poem on ‘Mulga Bill’s Lesson’, with clear, consistent rhythm and accurate rhyming. Well done! 

Anthony 
For the amazing attitude and growth mindset he has shown this week! His concentration and neat work in Spellex is just one example of this. Well done! 

Riley 
For demonstrating a positive attitude and improved concentration during SpellEx tasks, leading to noticeable growth and success. 

Narith 
For consistently demonstrating integrity and excellence in all that he does. Narith is a conscientious and hardworking student who approaches every task with dedication and determination. 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview

Our 5/6 students have been engaged in a range of valuable learning experiences across the curriculum. In Literacy, we began our novel study of Tom Appleby, Convict Boy, linking closely to our History unit on Australia in the 1800s. In Mathematics, students have focused on fractions, including comparing, ordering and converting mixed numerals and improper fractions. Students have also participated in two Social Stencil sessions so far with Zoe Guthrie, developing important conflict resolution and problem-solving skills alongside our weekly Resilience Project lessons and classroom wellbeing activities. 

Reminders

Interschool Sport – A reminder for students who are playing footy this term to ensure they have a mouthguard, and for students playing soccer to have shin guards. 

Homework – Students are expected to record their reading in their reading diaries at least three times each week, along with completing their assigned Mathletics tasks. We appreciate your support in encouraging your child to stay on top of this work so they can avoid needing to catch up at school on Fridays. 

Literacy: We are learning to take notes by recording the most important ideas from a text using keywords and symbols to help us remember and understand what we read. 

We are learning to plan a body paragraph for an information report that includes a topic sentence, supporting detail and a concluding sentence. 

We are learning and applying newly taught vocabulary. 

We are learning how to read with fluency. 

Numeracy: We are learning to compare and order fractions with related denominators. 

We are learning to convert mixed numerals to improper fractions, by multiplying. 

We are learning to convert improper fractions to mixed numerals, by dividing. 
History: We are learning to examine the political, economic and social reasons for British colonisation. 

Wellbeing: We are learning to notice when we are experiencing pleasant and unpleasant emotions, when they coexist, and identify strategies to process and manage different emotional experiences. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Aubrey D - Excellence - For working hard to find the missing numerators and denominators in equivalent fractions, and for showing persistence when solving challenging problems. 

Josh W – Excellence – For consistently completing work to a high standard and always handing in his homework early. 

In the Spotlight / Overview

Over the past fortnight, P-2 continued to focus on locomotor activities that involved safely balancing and establishing the difference between personal and general space. While Yrs 3-6 continued working on their offensive and defensive strategies during invasion games. A huge shout out to 5/6D who had their lesson impacted by the weather last week, however took the opportunity to collectively demonstrate TEAMWORK and adapt offensive & defensive strategies to their own peer constructed indoor game!

Due to the weather, our District Cross Country was postponed from a day of rain and hail to a glorious day of sunshine. We are incredibly proud of the efforts of our 37 students who made up our District Team! Everyone tried their best and demonstrated wonderful INTEGRITY as representatives of Mentone Park. A massive congratulations to Billy in Yr 4 for placing 8^th in his race and progressing through to Division Cross Country in Week 6. We wish him the best of luck!

Reminders

Everyone is encouraged to have a go and to try things in some capacity. If for some reason your child is unable to participate in PE (eg. injury), please don’t hesitate to let me know via Compass so that I can ensure they are catered for.  

Prep: We are learning to participate in activities safely and know the difference between personal and general space.

Yr 1/2: We are learning to balance using different parts of the body and create difference balances.

Yr 3/4: We are learning to move into space to receive a ball, call for the ball and maintain possession by selecting the best passing option in modified and small sided games.

Yr 5/6: We are learning to apply offensive strategies such as maintaining possession, moving into open space (when and where to run) and effective passing options (who and when to pass) to move the ball towards the scoring end.

Recognising TIER Role Models

Week 2
Lachy W – For demonstrating TEAMWORK in PE. You applied excellent offensive strategies during invasion games and ensured everyone was included. Amazing!

Week 3
Abby – For demonstrating TEAMWORK & enthusiasm during PE when playing a peer constructed game. You didn’t let the rain spoil our fun. Superstar!

In the Spotlight / Overview

Across the school last week, we recognised that there are lots of special people in our lives worth acknowledging, with a particular focus on Mother’s Day. To celebrate these special people, we created keepsake bookmarks with sentimental statements which were decorated, laminated and had ribbon added.

This week the P-2 students explored colour and emotion after reading ‘The Color Monster’ by Anna Llenas. We’ve begun creating our own emotion monsters after experimenting with colours, patterns and facial features. For Yr 3-6 students, we’ve taken the opportunity to complete artworks that have required a bit more time and prepped them ready for display!

Reminders

Sometimes things get a little messy in the art room and therefore everyone is encouraged to have an art smock. This could be a purchased one (eg. from somewhere like Officeworks) or an old shirt (adult sized are great for kids!). If these could please be labelled with name and grade, it would be greatly appreciated. There is a tub of spares always available in the art room, however please note that these are used by students across the entire school.

Wk 3 P-6: We are learning to develop fine motor skills through cutting, pasting, colouring, and crafting handmade gifts for someone special.

Wk 4 P-2: We are learning to develop fine motor skills through cutting, pasting, colouring and drawing emotion monsters.

Wk 4 3-6: We are learning to complete art pieces for display.

Recognising TIER Role Models

Week 2
Ratu – Demonstrating EXCELLENCE in Art. You worked hard to create a wonderful charcoal and pastel portrait of an Australian soldier. Superstar!

Week 3
Charlotte O – Demonstrating EXCELLENCE in Art by using literature as inspiration for her bookmark illustration. Beautiful!

In the Spotlight / Overview

In STEM we have been exploring living things, what are they, what their needs are and where we can find them in the world. In week 3 students in 1/2 and 3/4 went on observation walks around our school to document evidence of different living things (plants and animals) that call MPPS their home. We have also been setting up or continuing some plant growing experiments, to find out conditions or needs plants have, to give them optimal growth conditions. Here are some photos of our experiments! 

STEM F: We are learning about the features of plants. 

STEM 1/2: We are learning about the features and needs of living things. 

STEM 3/4: We are learning to classify living, non-living and once alive things. 

STEM 5/6: We are learning about habitats and how changes can affect the growth and survival of living thing

Recognising TIER Role Models

Week 2: 
Kobe M - Excellence, Respect. For sharing his understanding of what living things need to survive, and showing respect to our gardens during our leaf observation walk this week. You were an amazing scientist this week! 

Week 3: 
Samia R - Excellence. For being an amazing research scientist this week in STEM. You showed great focus when finding out about biomes and giving examples of how living things adapt to their environment. Superstar! 

Prep Seed growing experiment 

1/2 plant features- stem coloured celery experiment. 


5/6 growing conditions experiment


1/2 and 3/4 growing experiments 

In the Spotlight / Overview

In Auslan, students across the school have shown great progress with reviewing and practising signs learnt in Term 1 with ‘partner practise’ time. In 3-6 this term we have started to use games as well as weekend storytelling during this partner practise time. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking into weather and seasons, as well as animal signs and how to story tell in Auslan.  

Auslan F: We are learning signs and how to use DS and CA for describing hobbies and activities. 

Auslan 1/2: We are learning signs and how to use DS and CA for describing hobbies and activities. 

Auslan 3/4: We are learning time signs in Auslan. 

Auslan 5/6: We are learning time signs in Auslan. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Week 2: 
Hayley B – Excellence, Teamwork. For trying her best during her partner practise and describing hobbies and activities she likes or dislikes. Well done! 

Week 3: 
Kreedance ML – Teamwork, Excellence. For trying his best when practising family and activity signs with a partner, and using depicting signs to describe what he did on the weekend. 

Wellbeing in Term 2 

At our school, student wellbeing continues to be a strong focus across all year levels. Through classroom activities, discussions, and wellbeing programs including The Resilience Project, students are developing important social and emotional skills that support positive relationships, resilience, and respectful communication. 

This term, students have been learning strategies to help them recognise emotions, solve problems calmly, build friendships, and work cooperatively with others. By explicitly teaching these skills, we aim to create a safe, inclusive, and supportive environment where every student feels valued, connected, and ready to learn. 

This term, students in Grades 3–6 have been exploring important social skills through the Social Stencil program, with a focus this week on Connected Listening and being a positive Collaborate Mate. 

Connected Listening means giving others our full attention, showing respect, and trying to understand another person’s thoughts and feelings. Students have been practising skills such as: 

• Making eye contact 

• Taking turns to speak 

• Asking thoughtful questions 

• Using body language to show they are listening 

• Responding kindly and respectfully 

Being a Collaborate Mate means working positively with others, especially during group tasks, games, and classroom learning. Students are learning how to: 

• Share ideas fairly 

• Encourage teammates 

• Solve problems together 

• Include others 

• Stay calm when challenges arise 

With the whole school we have continued discussing strategies to use when things don’t go to plan. Sometimes disagreements happen, games feel unfair, or someone says or does something upsetting. Students are practising safe and respectful ways to respond using the phrase: 

“Stop, I don’t like it.” 

This strategy helps students: 

• Use a calm but clear voice 

• Stand up for themselves respectfully 

• Let others know when behaviour is not okay 

• Seek help if the behaviour continues 

Students are encouraged to: 

1. Say: “Stop, I don’t like it.” 

1. Say it Again! Firmer 

1. Talk a Teacher 

These important social and emotional skills help students build confidence, strengthen friendships, and create a safe and supportive learning environment for everyone. 

We encourage families to continue these conversations at home by discussing ways to listen carefully, work together positively, and handle tricky situations calmly and respectfully. 

Kind regards, 

Zoe Guthrie 

Mental Health & Wellbeing Leader