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.

As we move through another rewarding term at Mentone Park Primary School, it has been wonderful to see our school community coming together to celebrate learning, connection and student achievement. 

Open Morning 
Our recent Open Morning was a great success, with many prospective and current families visiting our school to see our students and teachers in action. We are proud to showcase the engaging learning opportunities, supportive classrooms and strong sense of community that makes Mentone Park Primary School such a special place to learn and grow. Thank you to our staff, students and families who helped make the morning so welcoming and successful. 

Division Cross Country 
We are incredibly proud of Billy in Grade 4, who represented our school at the Division Cross Country event and achieved an impressive 35th place. This is a wonderful accomplishment and a reflection of Billy’s dedication and perseverance. Well done, Billy!

Student Voice and Leadership 
Our student leadership opportunities continue to grow across the school. Our House Leaders have been working hard on the planning of running House games and activities at lunchtime, creating opportunities for students across all year levels to connect, participate and build a strong sense of House pride. These activities are helping strengthen connectedness across the school while also providing valuable leadership opportunities for our student House Leaders as they organise and lead activities for their peers. 

It has also been fantastic to see our Student Representative Council meeting regularly and discussing the issues and ideas that matter most to them. At Mentone Park Primary School, we strongly value student voice and agency, and it is encouraging to see our students actively contributing to the continued growth and improvement of our school community. 

National Reconciliation Week 
This week, we are also recognising National Reconciliation Week. Across the school, students have been engaging in important learning experiences and classroom discussions that help deepen their understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and perspectives. We are looking forward to welcoming an Elder from the Bunurong Land Council who will perform a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony for our school community next Tuesday. This will be a meaningful opportunity for our students and staff to continue building respect, understanding and connection. 

Prep/Foundation Enrolments for 2027 are now open.  
Current families with a child commencing Prep in 2027 are encouraged to complete the enrolment form via the link on our website or visit the office for assistance. We look forward to welcoming our future Prep students and families to our school community. 

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support. 

Kind regards, 

Leisa 

Dear Parents, Guardians and Caregivers, 

I hope you and your families are well as we move beyond the halfway point of Term 2! 

Albany Rise Primary School Visit 
On Monday 25th of May, we had the pleasure of welcoming a group of teachers from Albany Rise Primary School to MPPS. Their visit focused on learning more about a resource that forms part of their current school improvement journey and that we have successfully implemented at MPPS. 

The visit included a brief overview of our school’s improvement priorities, followed by classroom observations in Year 3/4 and 5/6 Mathematics lessons. It was wonderful to showcase the engaging, interactive and high-quality teaching and learning taking place across our classrooms. Our visitors were particularly impressed by the consistency of teaching practices and the excellent focus and engagement demonstrated by students. Opportunities such as these allow us to celebrate the great work happening at MPPS while continuing to strengthen collaborative partnerships with other schools. 

2026 Student Resilience Survey 
This week, our Year 3-6 students completed the 2026 Student Resilience Survey (SRS). Similar to the Attitudes to School Survey, this survey provides valuable insight into students’ wellbeing, resilience and school experiences, while also giving our Year 3 students the opportunity to share their perspectives. 

Staff will now begin analysing the anonymous survey data and comparing it with the Attitudes to School Survey data. This information helps guide our ongoing work in supporting student wellbeing and fostering a positive and resilient school culture at MPPS. 

Semester One Reports 
Teachers are currently completing final assessments and gathering evidence of student learning to prepare Semester One Reports. Reports will be made available to parents/carers via Compass on Friday 19th of June, ahead of our Parent/Teacher Conferences on Tuesday 23rd of June from 2-6:30pm. 

These reports provide valuable information about student achievement and growth and will support meaningful discussions during conferences. Families will receive further communication via Compass when conference bookings open and reports become available. 

Please note that Semester One Reports will be modified in line with current Industrial Action arrangements. Further information regarding these changes will be communicated to families in the coming weeks. 

Yours sincerely, 

Nathan Hutchins 

Assistant Principal 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview

What a wonderful fortnight it has been in Foundation! We have been incredibly busy across all areas of learning.  

In Week 5, we had a very special creative writing experience with our Cold Write: The Mysterious Door. Students were invited to write and draw their own narrative, imagining a mysterious door, and deciding what lay beyond it. We had vampires, unicorns, magical spots and even Ms Higgins! It was wonderful to see students pouring their ideas onto the page through drawings and some simple sentences.  

Week 6 brought Reconciliation Week, and we embraced it wholeheartedly across the classroom. Throughout the week, students listened to a beautiful collection of picture books by First Nations authors and illustrators, including Somebody’s Land by Adam Goodes, Ellie Laing and David Hardy, Welcome to Country by Aunty Joy Murphy and Lisa Kennedy, Cooee Mittigar by Jasmine Seymour, and Sorry Day by Coral Vass and Dub Leffler. To close the week, students decorated their handprints and wrote words of respect and care.  

We also participated in the National Simultaneous Storytime, reading Luna Roo the Kangaroo Baller. Students designed their own FC Outback jersey for Luna Roo and used adjectives to label their colourful creations, a brilliant blend of literacy and creativity! 

Reminders

Decodable Readers 
We swap these on a Monday. There are many students not bringing their books in each day. As we start morning reading in the Atrium, it is important the readers are brought to school inside the black reading pocket each day. 

Writing 
Over the fortnight, our writing program has continued to grow in depth and complexity. Students worked on expanding simple sentences — first adding ‘where’ to their writing, then progressing to include ‘who’, ‘when’, and ‘where’ all in one sentence. It has been exciting to see the sentences getting richer and more descriptive! 

We also had a big focus on adjectives, the describing words that bring writing to life. Students learned to identify adjectives, match them to nouns, and use them in their own writing. From describing a soft toy in class, to labelling Luna Roo’s jersey, to writing about their dinosaur artwork, the students have had plenty of hands-on, meaningful practice. 

We continue to practise sounding out words and have begun using the tricky words ‘is’ and ‘my’ in our sentences. 

InitiaLit 
In Week 5, we focused on the /c/ sound (Cody Camel), learning to link the sound to the letter ‘c’ and practising reading and spelling words with this sound. Tricky words ‘a’ and ‘is’ were also introduced and practised in connected texts.  

Week 6 introduced the /d/ sound (Danny Dingo), with students linking it to the letter ‘d’ and practising reading and spelling. We also introduced tricky words ‘was’ and ‘you’ 

Our storybook for Week 6 was Two Mates. Throughout the week, we also incorporated Reconciliation Week stories into our InitiaLit sessions. 

Mathematics 
In Mathematics, our focus over the fortnight has been on partitioning, a key early number concept. Students have been exploring how numbers can be split into two or three parts, using hands-on materials such as counters, dominoes, ten-frames, and dice to build a concrete understanding. 

Students have been working towards partitioning numbers up to 5 and then up to 10 into two and three parts, using ten-frames and five-frames to visualise and record parts and wholes. Students have been recording their work using numerals and diagrams, building both their conceptual understanding and their mathematical language. 

Humanities 

Our Humanities unit Let’s Explore the World has continued, with students journeying to new continents over the past fortnight. 

In Week 6, we turned our attention to South America. Students discovered the Amazon Rainforest, the Andes Mountains, and some of the continent’s most exotic animals, jaguars, howler monkeys, macaws, and more! They practised the sentence frame “Some exotic South American animals include ______." and added drawings and labels to their Scrapbooks. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Week 5:  

Hugo K – For following instructions during InitiaLit, and completing the tasks in the set time. Well done, Hugo! 

Week 6:  

Miles – For his increasing confidence when sharing ideas and answers with the class. We are so proud of you, Miles! 

Aisha – For impressing us with her maths brain by accurately portioning numbers up to 10 in different ways. Well done, Aisha! 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview

National Reconciliation Week 
This week, our students have been learning about National Reconciliation Week and exploring ways we can care for Country and help everyone feel included. We read the story Somebody’s Land, and discussed the importance of sharing, respecting, and caring for the world around us. Students reflected on simple ways they can care for Country, such as protecting animals, looking after gardens, putting rubbish in the bin, and showing kindness to others in shared spaces. As part of our learning, students created a collaborative “Ways We Care for Country” classroom quilt, where each child contributed a drawing and sentence about how they can help care for our world. It has been wonderful to see the thoughtful conversations and creativity shared throughout the week. 

Walk Safely to School Day 
Thank you to all our students and families who participated in National Walk Safely to School Day. It was wonderful to see so many students walking, riding and scooting to school while promoting healthy habits, road safety awareness, and care for the environment. We greatly appreciate the support and enthusiasm shown by our school community, which helped make the morning such a fun and successful event. 

Open Morning 
Thank you to all our families who attended our MPPS Open Morning. It was wonderful to see so many members of our school community visiting classrooms, exploring our learning spaces, and engaging with staff and students. The morning was a great success and provided a valuable opportunity to showcase the high-quality teaching, learning, and opportunities available at MPPS. We truly appreciate the support and enthusiasm shown by our families and community. 

Reminders

Principal’s Reading Challenge 
A reminder that the Principal’s Reading Challenge is continuing until the end of term! This exciting initiative encourages students to build positive reading habits, increase their reading volume, and develop confidence, fluency, and a love of reading. Students who are participating should continue recording their reading in their reading logs. If your child reaches a Bronze, Silver, or Gold reading goal, please remind them to show their teacher so they can be signed off and celebrated for their achievement. We are so proud of the enthusiasm and commitment our students are showing towards reading! 

Writing: We have been learning to finish sentences when starting with subordinating conjunctions (before, after, if, when, although, even though). We have also written engaging narratives based on the schoolwide prompt, ‘The Mysterious Door’. 

InitiaLit:        

• We have been learning about adding the suffix ‘s’ to words to make plurals, the digraph ‘ar’ (star) and making choices for the ‘oo’ sound e.g. ‘oo’ (moon), ‘ue’ (glue) and ‘ew’ (grew). 

• Our tricky words have included two, three and four.  

• We have enjoyed our storybook The Pencil by Allan Ahlberg, which has included the wow words shivered, hesitated and ridiculous. 

• We have been learning about the controlled vowel – ‘ar’ as in star, the sound ‘y’ (puppy) and ‘ey’ (key) and doubling the final consonant. 

• Our comprehension strategy has been ‘visualising’. 

• Our tricky words have included alright, always and said.   

• We have enjoyed our storybook Collecting Colour by Kylie Dunstan, which has included the wow words pesky, occasionally and scan. 

Numeracy: In our current unit on addition and subtraction, we have been learning to use a range of strategies (partitioning, bridging to 10, using number bonds and number lines) to help add and subtract larger numbers. 

Inquiry (Geography: ‘Continents, Countries & Maps’): We have been learning about some different countries that are found on the continent of Europe and Asia. We have also learnt about the geographical landmarks found there.   

Wellbeing (The Resilience Project): We have been learning to practise empathy by complimenting the character traits and personal strengths of others and understand that acts of kindness benefit both the giver and receiver. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Indigo L: For actively contributing to class discussions and always trying her best in everything she does. Keep shining and doing your best! 

Bailey J: For confidently measuring a range of objects using both formal and informal units and demonstrating a strong understanding of how to compare and record measurements accurately. 

Max L: For concentrating and working hard to write a wonderful narrative about two little dinosaurs and a volcano. Wonderful effort, Max! 

Jack W: For his strong desire to continually challenge himself and learn new strategies during Maths lessons. Amazing! 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview

Open Morning 
It was wonderful to welcome the community into our classrooms for our Open Morning last Thursday, providing an opportunity to showcase the exciting learning taking place each day. Visitors enjoyed exploring the classrooms, viewing student work, and gaining an insight into the engaging learning experiences students have been involved in throughout the term. It was a lovely morning and a great celebration of the learning, growth, and creativity that takes placee across our classrooms. 

National Reconciliation Week 
This week, our class learned about National Reconciliation Week and discussed the importance of reconciliation between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians. Students explored ways we can show respect, understanding, and inclusiveness in our community.  

As part of our learning, students completed a creative project inspired by the “Sea of Hands.” The activity encouraged students to reflect on the meaning of reconciliation and the importance of working together to create a more united future. It was wonderful to see the thoughtful ideas and colourful designs students produced. 

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 been learning to identify if a story is written from a character’s perspective, and how authors use anthropomorphism through our novel study of ‘Brindabella’. 

In SpellEx, Year 3 students are learning about the change ‘y’ to ‘i’ rule. Year 4 students are learning to identify the ‘schwa’ sound at the beginning, middle and end of words. 

Numeracy: We are learning to calculate the area and perimeter of regular and irregular shapes. 

Wellbeing: We are learning to understand and define what gratitude is, ad notice how we feel after excessive screen time. 

Inquiry: We are learning about the experiences of those who travelled on the First Fleet and their initial interactions with First Nations peoples, as well as understanding their different perspectives. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Congratulations to our most recent TIER Role Models! 

Week 4
Scarlett M – For her valuable contributions to class discussions and the thoughtful responses she has written during our reading and analysis of Brindabella. 

Maddie L – For her growing confidence and commitment to learning, reflected by her active involvement and engagement across all learning tasks. 

Week 5
Nikolas T – For his well thought out written responses during our Brindabella Novel Study, particularly when comparing and contrasting wild and domestic animals. 

Kallan F – For his effort and careful consideration demonstrated during our house design project, accurately meeting the design brief and calculating the total area and perimeter.

Important Dates

Our Year 6 students also enjoyed their fortnightly buddy session with their Prep buddies. Taking advantage of the beautiful weather, students participated in outdoor rotation activities including relay races, tenpin bowling, mindfulness chalk drawing and bean bag throwing into hula hoops. 

Pupil Free Day / Public Holiday – A reminder that students are not required at school on the next two Mondays (1st and 8th June) due to a curriculum day and the King’s Birthday public holiday. 

Interschool Sport – Students have been having a blast participating in netball, soccer and AFL on Fridays. With just two games remaining, we are nearing the end of Interschool Sport for the year. 

History: We are learning to investigate daily life in colonial Australia, explore the impact of colonisation on First Nations peoples, analyse how settlement changed the environment, and evaluate significant events that shaped Australia in the 1800s. 

Wellbeing: We are learning to recognise how positive words can impact the way others feel through our work with The Resilience Project. Through the Social Stencil Program, we are also learning to identify emotions by observing facial expressions, body language and the surrounding environment, as well as exploring strategies to manage anger and frustration in challenging moments. 

Henry B - Excellence - For stepping out of your comfort zone, regularly contributing to class discussions with confidence, and for being a soccer superstar during interschool sport. 

Austin S – Teamwork – For offering sporting encouragement during Interschool practise and games, showing great sportsmanship. 

Supporting Emotional Growth Through the Zones of Regulation 

At our school, students are continuing to build important emotional literacy skills through The Resilience Project, which focuses on developing Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness (GEM). One of the key tools we use to support this learning is the Zones of Regulation. 

The Zones of Regulation is a simple and effective framework that helps children recognise, understand and manage their emotions and energy levels. It groups feelings into four coloured zones: 

• Blue Zone – feeling sad, tired, sick or bored 

• Green Zone – feeling calm, focused, happy and ready to learn 

• Yellow Zone – feeling worried, excited, frustrated or silly 

• Red Zone – feeling angry, overwhelmed or out of control 

Importantly, there are no bad zones. All emotions are normal and expected. The goal is to help children identify how they are feeling and develop strategies to regulate their emotions in different situations. 

Through classroom discussions, role plays and mindfulness activities connected to The Resilience Project, students are learning: 

• to recognise emotions in themselves and others 

• to use respectful language when talking about feelings 

• calming and coping strategies 

• how emotions can affect behaviour and relationships 

Teachers may refer to the Zones throughout the day by asking questions such as: 

• “What zone are you in right now?” 

• “What can help you move back to green?” 

• “What strategy could you use?” 

Here are some strategies we use with some of our students: 

Families can also support this learning at home by using the same language and encouraging children to talk about their feelings openly. Simple strategies such as deep breathing, taking a break, talking to a trusted adult or going for a walk can help children regulate strong emotions. 

By developing emotional awareness and self-regulation skills through The Resilience Project, students are strengthening their resilience, building positive relationships and creating a supportive learning environment for everyone. 

Thank you for partnering with us in supporting the wellbeing of our students. 

Kind regards, 

Zoe Guthrie 

Mental Health & Wellbeing Leader 

In the Spotlight / Overview

Through a variety of fun games, our P-2 students have been practicing the fundamental skills of rolling, stopping and underarm throwing objects. Using soft cricket balls and beanbags, students have worked together to move objects between one another and aim at targets by demonstrating proper body stance as they step, swing and throw.

For our Yr 3-6 students, focus shifted towards activities centred on striking and fielding. Using elements from sports such as cricket and tee-ball, students explored strategies from the perspectives of both batter and fielder to see what works most effectively in a team situation. Regardless of differing experience and abilities in striking and fielding, we are emphasizing the importance of TEAMWORK and getting everyone equally involved.

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.  

P-2: We are learning to accurately throw underarm over a short distance.

Yr 3/4: We are learning to strike objects into space away from fielders and move into the line of the ball when fielding.

Yr 5/6: We are learning to apply offensive strategies such as: strike the ball into space (adjusting force and direction) to maximise run rate.

Recognising TIER Role Models

Week 4
Caspian – For demonstrating EXCELLENCE through his resilient attitude at District Cross Country. You pushed through to the finish and represented MPPS proudly. Superstar!

Week 5 – NA

In the Spotlight / Overview

In honour of National Reconciliation Week, the entire school took part in creating individual pieces which will be put together as a whole school mural. Through art, it was a wonderful way for students to acknowledge what reconciliation is, why it’s important and show respect for Aboriginal land and culture.

The theme for 2026 is ‘All In’ and features artwork called Gaagal by Gumbaynggirr Bundjalung artist Otis Hope Carey. He described his work being inspired by using ‘the ocean as a metaphor for people from all walks of life swirling together to be ‘all in’ for reconciliation.’ Decorating heart templates and writing commitments about how we can help our school be ‘all in’ for reconciliation will help form our whole school mural. Stay tuned for pictures!

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.

P-6: We are learning to explore the significance of National Reconciliation Week and our role in a shared future by collaborating on a communal mural. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Week 4
Max – Demonstrating INTEGRITY& achieving EXCELLENCE in Art. You worked hard to avoid distractions and created a colourful emotion monster to be proud of. Superstar!

Week 5 Name – NA

In the Spotlight / Overview

In Auslan, students across the school are starting to learn how to tell stories. In F-2 we have been learning and reviewing animal and emotion signs and how to use depicting signs (DS) and constructed action (CA) to show what has been happening. Students in 3-6 are currently working on projects to create or adapt a story about an animal, translating it into Auslan and they will be performed in the class. 

Auslan F: We are learning Australian animal and zoo animal signs.  

Auslan 1/2: We are learning weather signs. 

Auslan 3/4: We are learning how to create and translate texts in Auslan. 

Auslan 5/6: We are learning about inclusion and deaf culture. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Week 4: 
Juniper GD – Integrity. For consistently showing our TIER values, and supporting others when practising previously learnt signs. You showed great enthusiasm, clear and detailed depicting signs during our Guess the animal game this week. 

Week 5: 
Eddie W – Teamwork, Excellence. For showing encouragement and keeping his team mates on track, while planning their translation of The Very Hungry Caterpillar in Auslan. You showed great creativity and I can’t wait to see your team’s performance! 

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. Students in F-2 have finished their growing experiments, with Foundation students taking home their pea seedlings, and students in 1/2 have had their surviving lettuce, planted in our school gardens. In 3-6 our carrot seedlings and pea seedlings are still growing. Here are some photos of our experiments! 

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

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

STEM 3/4: We are learning about the life stages and cycles of living things. 

STEM 5/6: We are exploring the effects of physical changes to an environment, and the impacts of human activity on different ecosystems. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Week 4: 
Billy P – Excellence, Teamwork. For his determination and focus during our mini research project into Living things found at MPPS. You stayed on task and supported your partner. Amazing effort! 

Week 5:
Walter A – Integrity, Excellence. For his persistence and enthusiasm when demonstrating how plants can move to meet their needs and clearly recording his observations with our plant growth experiment. Fantastic effort!

Foundation seedlings



3/4 growing experiment