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.

It has been a fantastic start to Term 3! Our Breakfast Club is back in full swing, and we love seeing students and families joining us on Tuesday morning from 8:30 am. Thank you to Stacey (mum of Nia and Jonah), Mrs Guthrie and Sarah for volunteering their time to make Breakfast Club such a welcoming and successful start to the day. 

We have another exciting and busy term ahead, with many special events to look forward to, including 100 Days of Prep, Book Week, Whole School Maths Events and Grandparents/Special Friends Morning!

Each class will continue to participate in an incursion or excursion this term, with our teachers planning a range of engaging learning experiences. Please keep an eye on Compass and our Term 3 School Calendar for upcoming events and important dates. 

We hope everyone attending our PFA Bingo Night this Saturday has a fantastic evening in their dressing gowns and slippers! 

A huge thank you to our amazing PFA for all the time, effort and hard work they've put into organising this fun community event. Events like these not only bring our school community together but also help make exciting projects possible.

Our Student Representative Council (SRC) has been advocating for a new senior playground for some time, and we're excited to begin working towards making their vision a reality. Every raffle, every event and every dollar raised brings us one step closer.

So come along for a fun night of bingo, laughter and a few lucky wins, knowing that all funds raised will go towards creating a fantastic new playground for our students.

Thank you for supporting this exciting student-led initiative. Have a wonderful time!

Outstanding NAPLAN Results – Two Years in a Row! 
We are delighted to share our 2026 NAPLAN results, and once again our students have achieved outstanding success. For the second consecutive year, our students have outperformed both our local network schools and similar schools. We are also proud to see our students demonstrating learning growth well above expectations from Year 3 to Year 5. 

These results reflect the dedication of our students, staff and families working together to support learning. For a more detailed analysis of our NAPLAN results, please read the Assistant Principal Nathan Hutchins' report in this newsletter. 

School Improvements 
Our car park upgrade was successfully completed during the school holidays, providing a safer and more accessible space for our school community. 

Renovation works have also commenced in classrooms within the main building. We look forward to sharing these improvements with our community as the project progresses. 

Our Buildings and Grounds team met this Friday morning and looking forward to our Working Bee on Saturday 15 August. We would love to see as many families as possible attend, even if you can only spare a short amount of time, every helping hand makes a difference. 

2027 Prep Enrolment Reminder 
A reminder that Prep enrolments close on Friday 31 July. If you have a child starting school next year, or know of families planning to enrol, please ensure applications are submitted before the closing date. Please contact the office if you need any assistance with enrolment. 

Leisa

Dear Parents, Guardians and Caregivers, 

I hope you and your families are all well and that Term 2 has begun smoothly for everybody! 

2026 NAPLAN Results 
As many of you may have already seen through Ms Higgins' Compass post earlier this week or via our Instagram and Facebook pages, our 2026 NAPLAN results are outstanding! 

Even more pleasing is that this is the second consecutive year that our school has achieved exceptional overall results. This sustained success reflects the combination of hardworking, conscientious students, dedicated staff and the high-quality teaching and learning program that continues to thrive at MPPS. 

Our Year 3 students outperformed similar schools in all five assessment areas: Reading, Writing, Numeracy, Spelling, and Grammar & Punctuation. Some of the standout results included Numeracy (+16%), Spelling (+12%), and Reading (+10%), highlighting the strong foundations our students are developing across the curriculum. 

Our Year 5 students also performed exceptionally well, matching or outperforming similar schools in four of the five assessment areas. A particular highlight was their relative growth data, which measures the progress students have made since completing NAPLAN in Year 3. Relative growth is classified as low, medium or high, based on the improvement students demonstrate over the two-year period. Impressively, our Year 5 students exceeded the average relative growth of similar schools in all five assessment areas: Reading (+11%), Writing (+15%), Spelling (+12%), Numeracy (+12%), and Grammar & Punctuation (+9%). These results are a wonderful reflection of the learning growth achieved by this cohort over the past two years, and we look forward to seeing what they accomplish when they complete NAPLAN again in Year 7 after two more years of engaging with the rigorous and dynamic MPPS curriculum. 

While these results are certainly worth celebrating, they also provide valuable information to guide our future work. Our staff are currently analysing the NAPLAN data alongside the wellbeing data collected through the Attitudes to School Survey and Student Resilience Survey. This allows us to celebrate our strengths while identifying opportunities for further improvement, ensuring we continue to provide a safe, inclusive and engaging learning environment where every student can achieve high levels of growth and success. 

Finally, I would like to congratulate our Year 3 and Year 5 students on the calm, positive and resilient way they approached this year's NAPLAN assessments. They represented themselves and our school with maturity and confidence. I would also like to sincerely thank our teachers and Education Support staff for their dedication in preparing, encouraging and supporting our students throughout the process. These outstanding results are a true team effort, and one our entire school community can be incredibly proud of. 

Assistant Principal’s Maths Fluency Challenge 
Building on the success of the Principal’s Reading Challenge, we are excited to launch our new Assistant Principal's Maths Fluency Challenge! The APMFC will officially begin on Monday 3rd of August and we invite all students and families to get involved! 

This optional home learning initiative has been designed to help students build confidence, accuracy and speed with essential maths skills through short, enjoyable practice sessions (challenges). Research consistently shows that just 10–20 minutes of regular practice is far more effective than occasional longer sessions, helping students develop strong number knowledge that supports success across all areas of mathematics. 

Students can choose to complete challenges from their Maths Fluency Challenge Booklet or practise online using NumBots (Prep–Year 2) or Times Tables Rock Stars (Years 3–6). Each booklet includes a Fluency Log along with carefully sequenced challenges at, below and above each year level, allowing every student to work at a level that is appropriate for them. Parents and carers simply read the questions aloud while students respond orally, making the challenges easy and engaging activities to complete together at home. 

As students work towards their Bronze, Silver and Gold milestones, they will receive certificates at assembly to celebrate their commitment and achievements. 

A special thank you to our Numeracy Leader, Mrs Kate Drummond, whose expertise, dedication and countless hours of work have gone into developing these outstanding fluency booklets for our students. Her commitment to strengthening mathematics learning across our school has made this exciting initiative possible. 

We look forward to seeing our students embrace the challenge, celebrate their progress and continue developing the strong mathematical foundations that will support them throughout their learning journey. 

Yours sincerely, 
Nathan Hutchins 
Assistant Principal 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview

It has been a lovely start to Term 3 in Foundation! Our students have come back to school full of energy and have settled straight back into our classroom routines. 

A highlight of Week 1 was our House Athletics Day. It was wonderful to see our Foundation students out on the track, giving everything a go and cheering loudly for their houses. Thank you to the many parent volunteers who gave up their time to help on the day - events like this simply couldn't happen without you. 

Since then, we have been busy getting stuck into writing, learning new sounds and letters, and exploring addition and subtraction through hands-on maths games and materials. The children should be very proud of how they have applied themselves over these first two weeks. 

We are looking forward to a busy and rewarding term ahead! 

Reminders

Toys at School 
Just a reminder that toys (including fidget toys - unless part of an agreed support plan) and other personal items are best left at home. They can be distracting during learning time, and we would hate for anything special to be lost or damaged at school. 

Take Home Animal Program 
Our Take Home Animal program has begun! Two students will take home the animal each Wednesday and return it the following Monday, presenting their journal entry on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. Please note that no additional show and share items should be brought to school unless pre-approved, as our weeks are already very full! 

Toilets After School 
If your child needs the toilet after 3:30pm, please direct them to the outdoor toilets rather than back into the Junior Building. Once students have been dismissed for the day, we ask that they don't re-enter the school buildings. This helps us keep track of where students are and allows staff to run after-school programs, meetings and classroom set-up smoothly. Thank you for your understanding. 

Home Reading and Tricky Words 
Reading together at home for 10-15 minutes each day makes a real difference to your child's confidence, fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. Please pop a note in the reading diary each night to let us know how it went - we really appreciate your support with this. Please continue to practise the tricky words each night alongside your child’s reading. These important words really make a huge difference to your child’s reading and writing!

Writing: In Week 1, we began a new fairytales unit, exploring the story Little Red Riding Hood. The children built a story map together, identifying the characters, setting, problem and solution. We also described the wolf and the huntsman as either a hero or a villain, and gave reasons for our choices.  

We revised capital letters, practising how to identify and write them correctly at the start of names, and explored using question marks, learning to identify when a sentence is asking rather than telling. 

Finally, we wrote decodable sentences linked to our new sounds, including sentences about a kite and some very silly underpants! 

InitiaLit: Students were introduced to the new sound /k/ (Kelly Kitten) and practised linking it to the letter ‘k’. They enjoyed the storybook Gorilla and worked on their tricky words were and has as part of our daily text reading and writing lessons. 

In Week 2, students learned the vowel sound /u/ (Umbrella Up) and the new sound /b/ (Bessie Bilby), linking each one to its letter. Our tricky words this week were look, one and love.  

Mathematics: In Week 1, students explored addition number stories within 10, using pictures, materials and ten-frames to represent ‘how many altogether’. They also practised subitising – instantly recognising small quantities without counting. 

In Week 2, our focus shifted to subtraction. Students learned to ‘take away’ by crossing out objects in a picture and counting what was left, before progressing to using ten-frames and counters to represent subtraction stories. We finished the fortnight comparing two collections and working out the difference between them. 

Science (Earth & Space Science - 'Any Day Outdoors'): We began our new ‘Any Day Outdoors’ unit, learning that weather can be described using our senses. We went outside as a class, using hand frames to look in four directions, and talked about what we could see, feel and hear. Students recorded their observations in their scrapbooks.  

In Week 2, students learned that symbols can be used to represent different types of weather, just like the ones used by weather forecasters. As a class, we agreed on six weather symbols – sunny, partly cloudy, cloudy, rainy, windy and stormy – and began recording the daily weather each day as part of our morning routine. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Eden P: For demonstrating Integrity by taking initiative in the classroom, making responsible choices and showing ownership of his learning. Great job, Eden! 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview

We have had a wonderful first two weeks back at school. It has been fantastic to see our students return with enthusiasm and settle back into their learning routines so quickly. 

We finished our first week with our annual House Athletics Day, which was a fun-filled and successful event enjoyed by students and staff alike. A heartfelt thank you to all our parent volunteers who generously gave their time to help on the day. Events like this would not be possible without your support. 

Congratulations to all our students for their enthusiasm, participation, and outstanding achievements. We are incredibly proud of the way everyone represented their houses and displayed great sportsmanship throughout the day. 

We look forward to another exciting and productive term ahead! 

Reminders

Toys and Personal Items 
A reminder that toys, Pokémon cards, fidget toys (unless approved as part of a support plan), and other non-essential personal items should remain at home. These items can be distracting during learning time and may be lost or damaged at school. 

Toilet Access After School 
Students who need to use the toilet after 3:30pm are asked to use the outdoor toilets rather than entering the Junior Building. 

To assist with student supervision after school, we ask that students do not re-enter the school buildings once they have been dismissed for the day. Using the outdoor toilets helps us know where students are and supports the smooth running of after-school programs, meetings and classroom preparation. 

Thank you for your support and cooperation. 

Home Reading 
We encourage all students to read at home for 10–15 minutes each day. Daily reading is a great way to build reading confidence and develop fluency, vocabulary and comprehension. If possible, please record your child's reading in their reading diary each night. Thank you for your ongoing support. 

Please Label Belongings 
A reminder to clearly label all jumpers, jackets, lunch boxes, and plastic containers to help us return lost items to their owners. 

Writing: We have been using the picture story book ‘Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge’ by Mem Fox to explore rich vocabulary, editing and correcting sentences and proper nouns.  

InitiaLit:        

• We have been learning about how the bossy-e (split digraph) makes the vowel sound long. We have been exploring its effect on each of the vowels. 

• Our tricky words have included children, work and baby.  

• We have enjoyed our storybook ‘The Lighthouse Keeper’s Lunch’ by Ronda and David Armitage, which has included the wow words devoured, scrumptious and ingenious. 

• We have been learning about adverbs, controlled vowels ‘ir’ (bird), ‘ur (burn) and er (fern), and the digraphs ‘ou’ (cloud) and ‘ow’ (cow). 

• Our comprehension strategy has been ‘inferring’. 

• Our tricky words have included lose, father and lose.   

• We have enjoyed our storybook "Turtle’s Song" by Alan Brown, which has included the wow words pound, shatter and feast. 

Numeracy: In our current unit on shape, we have been identifying the features of 2D shapes. We have been exploring regular and irregular polygons, parallel lines and combining shapes to solve tangram puzzles. 

Humanities (Ancient Egypt)       

• We have been learning about where Egypt is located. 

• We have been learning about why the Nile River, and the fact it flooded each year, was so important to the Egyptians. 

Science (Earth & Space Science – ‘Any Day Outdoors’) 

We have been learning to:

• create symbols that represent weather. 

• explore symbols used in newspaper and television weather information reports. 

• discuss why people want to know about the weather. 

• participate in ongoing observation, recording and discussion of daily weather conditions. 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview

Athletics Day Success! 
What a fantastic day we had at our whole-school Athletics Carnival! We were incredibly fortunate to enjoy beautiful weather, which made for perfect conditions as students enthusiastically participated in a range of track and field events. 

It was wonderful to see students giving their best effort, displaying excellent sportsmanship, and enthusiastically cheering on their house teammates throughout the day. The encouragement and support shown between students was a highlight, creating a positive and energetic atmosphere. 

Many of our Year 3–6 students also took the opportunity to trial for the District Athletics Carnival. Congratulations to those who qualified—we wish them all the very best as they represent our school at the District Athletics competition on 3 September.  

A big thank you to our staff, volunteers and families who helped make the day such a successful and enjoyable event for everyone. 

Camp 
Thanks to all the parents who have already consented via Compass. We will be having weekly meetings to talk about Camp and answer any questions students may have and will send a packing list home this week. 

Please note, we have brought the due date forward for consent in Compass to Monday 10th August so we can get the dietary and medical information to the camp well before we get there. 

Timetable 
We have attached the latest Year 3/4 Term 3 weekly planner (below). Please note that this is indicative only and is subject to change due to special events, curriculum days, teacher absences, etc.  

Reminders

Curriculum Day: Wednesday 12th August is a Curriculum Day (student free)

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 are starting our Novel Study about Storm Boy. We have talked about when it was written, and investigated some of the settings featured in the novel. 

In SpellEx, Year 3 students have been learning about the “schwa” (lazy vowels), and the phonemes for the sounds /ar/ and /or/. 

Year 4 students have been learning about standard and non-standard plurals and contractions. 

Numeracy: We are revising and learning mental and written problem-solving strategies for the four operations (addition, subtraction division, and multiplication). 

Wellbeing – Social Stencils lessons 
In our Social Stencils lessons with Mrs Guthrie classes really enjoyed the role playing and learning about The Drama Triangle!  We learnt that a Lion can be aggressive, yell or argue back, a Mouse might cry, withdraw themselves or speak quietly, and a Magpie will swoop in and try to fix the problem but often make it worse! This week we are going to put some strategies in place on how to get out of The Drama Triangle and deal with conflict in a more assertive way! 

Science: Our topic this term is Earth’s Changing Surface. Students are investigating how and why natural processes and human actions change the Earth’s surface over time. They will identify evidence of change through exploring rocks and fossils and investigate how erosion is caused by natural processes and human activity. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Congratulations to our most recent TIER Role Models! 

Savannah B (Week 8) 
For confidently identifying and explaining key messages in our Novel Study lesson, using evidence from the text to support her ideas. Well done! 

Mitchell Q (Week 8) 
For his enthusiastic participation and valuable contributions during our History and Social Studies lessons. Mitch shares thoughtful and insightful ideas, enriching our class discussions. Keep up the excellent work, Mitch! 

Eve C (Week 9) 
For her thorough research and excellent note-taking on the life of Captain Arthur Phillips and his role in the First Fleet. 

Tyler B (Week 9) 
For approaching every learning opportunity with enthusiasm, and consistently putting in his best effort during our Brindabella Novel Study Keep up the fantastic work! 

Billy P (Week 10)  
For his impressive and informative biography presentation on John Hudson, the youngest known convict on the First Fleet. 

Mason C (Week 10) 
For demonstrating a positive attitude towards learning and putting great thought and effort into all Maths and Literacy tasks, resulting in excellent outcomes. 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview

Our Grade 5/6 students have had a fantastic start to the term! In Economics, they have begun creating their own businesses, developing innovative ideas and preparing a persuasive 'Shark Tank' style pitch to present to the class. In Mathematics, students have been building their understanding of adding and subtracting fractions using a range of strategies. In Literacy, students have begun exploring persuasive writing, learning how to develop strong arguments, support their opinions with evidence, and use persuasive language techniques to influence their audience.

Reminders

Year 6 Acceptance Forms 
A friendly reminder for all year 6 students to bring in their completed high school acceptance forms as soon as possible. 

Homework 
Please continue to support your child in completing their necessary homework each week. 

Literacy: We are learning to understand the purpose of persuasion and identify the language features and persuasive devices that are commonly used to persuade a reader. 

Numeracy: We are learning to add and subtract fractions with the same denominator and add fractions with related denominators. 

Economics: We are learning to understand how business meet the needs and wants of consumers by providing goods and services. 

Wellbeing: We are learning to understand the different chemical responses triggered by emotions in our bodies. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Declan R - Excellence

In the Spotlight / Overview

What a tremendous start back for PE with our annual House Athletics Day being held on Friday of Week 1! We were incredibly lucky with the weather and the turnout from students and parents was wonderful. After walking to Dolamore Oval, students participated in a variety of events, either within their class groups or age levels. Events varied from track and field to novelty, with appropriate rotations for classes/age levels: 

• P-2 (mini hurdles, long jump, vortex throw & novelty) and 100m sprint 

• Yr 3-6 (high jump, shot put, discus, long/triple jump) and 100m, 800m and hurdles 

The participation and enthusiasm from students was truly AMAZING and they should be INCREDIBLY PROUD of their efforts! All students in P-2 were presented with a participation ribbon on the day and as we wait for all the results to be collated and averaged across age levels, ribbons for 1st, 2nd and 3rd will be presented and acknowledged at assembly. The day wouldn’t have been possible without the help of parent volunteers who either walked students to the venue, ran events or both. For all your help, THANK YOU! 

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 perform foundational running, jumping and throwing skills in preparation for House Athletics Day. 

Yr 3-6: To safely demonstrate proper body positioning, weight distribution, and throwing technique for throwing events at House Athletics Day. 

In the Spotlight / Overview

Beginning Term 3, our students in P-4 acknowledged NAIDOC week which recognises the importance of history and culture for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. Using beautiful chenille wool containing the 3 colours of the Aboriginal flag, students experimented with threading and weaving. Our Prep students used the wool to thread the outline of Australian animals, before decorating them. Years 1-4 were inspired by another indigenous culture to create Ojo de Dios (God’s Eyes) using the wool and popsicle sticks in either star or cross formations to weave the wool around. They formed some beautiful patterns, all representative of the Aboriginal Flag. 

The Aboriginal Flag was designed by Harold Thomas, a Luritja man from Central Australia. According to Thomas, the meaning of the flag is represented through: 

Black: The Aboriginal peoples 

Yellow: The Sun – the giver of life and protector 

Red: The red earth – red ochre and a spiritual relationship to the land 

In the photos below is a snapshot of the wool and some student examples. There is also a sneak peak into what some classes began this week and others will do in the coming weeks. 

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-2: We are learning to identify the colours and meanings of the Aboriginal flag. 

Yr 3/4: We are learning to identify the colours and meanings of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags. 

Yr 5/6: We are learning to promote school pride through the making of ‘House’ badges.

In the Spotlight / Overview

In Auslan, students across the school are building their confidence with understanding what is being signed in stories (F-2) and in simple conversations (3-6). In the first week back we have reflected on our holiday break, by signing, describing and sharing some activities we completed during our break. 

As we continue to build our school routines, this week students in F-2 are going to learn some signs to describe some at home morning routines. Students in 3/4 are learning weather signs and have worked on creating weather forecasts. Students in 5/6 are learning to tell the time in Auslan with o’clock, half past, quarter past and quarter to times. 

F: We are sharing about our holiday break. We are learning morning routine signs. 

1/2: We are learning to describe our holidays. We are learning morning routine signs. 

3/4: We are learning to describe our holidays and have conversations. We are learning weather signs. 

5/6: We are learning to describe our holidays and have conversations. We are learning to tell the time in Auslan. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Week 1:
Melora B – Teamwork, Excellence. For showing great focus and persistence during partner practise and using signs to describe your holiday activities this week. It’s great to see your confidence growing! 

Week 2: 
Mitchell Q – Excellence. For his determination and great use of expression when practising his weather signs during Auslan this week. It’s great to see your confidence growing! 

Activities and hobby signs: Can you sign and describe an activity you did over your holiday break? Camping, Visit family, Watch a theatre show, Play video games, Play with friends. 

Hello parents and carers, 

My name is Annie Wheatley. I have been a primary school teacher for 20 years and a Performing Arts specialist teacher for the past 4 years. I am teaching Performing Arts across the school this semester on Wednesdays and Thursdays. The Performing Arts curriculum includes Music, Drama and Dance.  
 

Junior School  

In the Junior School the Music, Drama and Dance curricula will be integrated in games and activities throughout Semester 2. So far this term, the students have played musical games involving singing and movement, while developing their sense of pitch and beat.  

Senior School 

In the Senior School Music, Drama and Dance are taught separately. Year 3 to 6 students were invited to share their preferences which resulted in Music and Drama being selected for Semester 2. So far this term, the students have participated in music and drama activities with a focus on rhythm and beat, and building their sense of safety in the space so they can feel more comfortable and confident performing in front of their peers.  

Please come and say hello if you see me in the grounds! I am enjoying getting to know the school community.  

Welcome back to term 3 
We hope you had an enjoyable break practicing the GEM principals from The Resilience Project.  

As we continue to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment, we would like to share some updates about the use of fidget tools, the valuable role of allied health professionals within our school and our wellbeing programs this term. 

Fidget Tools vs toys
Many students benefit from using fidget tools to help maintain focus, regulate emotions, and manage sensory needs. When used appropriately, these tools can support learning by providing subtle sensory input without distracting the student or others. 

To ensure they remain effective, we encourage students and families to remember that fidget tools are learning supports, not toys. Appropriate fidget tools should: 

• Be quiet and non-distracting. 

• Be used in a way that helps students stay engaged in learning. 

• Remain in the student's hands or at their workspace, and be the size of their pal, 

• Be put away when they are no longer supporting learning or when requested by staff. 

If your child requires a fidget tool, this must be discussed with the wellbeing team. 

Items that are noisy, visually distracting, thrown, shared during lessons, or used for play may be removed by staff and returned at an appropriate time. Our goal is to ensure that all students can learn in a calm, focused classroom environment. 

Toys and personal items should remain at home unless specifically requested for a learning activity. 

Allied Health 
Our school is fortunate to work collaboratively with a range of allied health professionals who support students' learning, participation, and wellbeing. These may include speech pathologists, occupational therapists, psychologists, physiotherapists, and behaviour support specialists. 

If your child is accessing Allied Health Support within school time, please ensure all communication is sent via wellbeing to ensure we have space available in our timetable. 

We value this collaborative approach and appreciate the partnership between families, teachers, and allied health professionals in supporting every child's success. 

Continuing Our Wellbeing Programs 

Social Stencil 
Throughout this term, Grade 3-6 students will continue participating in the Social Stencil program, which explicitly teaches the social and emotional skills needed to build positive relationships and confidently manage everyday situations. 

The program supports students to develop: 

• Emotional awareness and regulation 

• Positive communication skills 

• Empathy and perspective-taking 

• Problem-solving and conflict resolution 

• Friendship and teamwork skills 

• Respectful interactions with others 

These lessons provide students with practical strategies they can apply both at school and at home, helping to create a positive and inclusive school community. 

The Resilience Project 
We are also excited to continue implementing The Resilience Project across the school this term. The program focuses on building positive mental health and emotional wellbeing by teaching evidence-based strategies centred on three key principles: 

• Gratitude – appreciating the positive aspects of life and expressing thanks. 

• Empathy – understanding and caring about the feelings and experiences of others. 

• Mindfulness – paying attention to the present moment with calmness and awareness. 

Students participate in age-appropriate lessons, discussions, and classroom activities that encourage resilience, kindness, emotional literacy, and positive coping strategies. These skills help children build confidence, strengthen relationships, and develop healthy habits that support lifelong wellbeing. 

We encourage families to ask their children about the activities they have participated in and continue these conversations at home. 

For any questions please don’t hesitate to contact via email zoe.guthrie@education.vic.gov.au  

Kind regards, 

Zoe Guthrie 

Mental Health & Wellbeing Leader 

PREP 2027 – Enrolments Closing Soon!

A friendly reminder that Prep 2027 enrolments close on Thursday 31 July.

If you have a child starting Prep in 2027, or know a family who is planning to join our school community, please ensure enrolment forms are submitted before the closing date.

If you have any questions or need an enrolment pack, please contact the school office—we're happy to help!

IMPORTANT DATES

Saturday 25th July - PFA Bingo Night

Friday 7th August – Grandparents/Special Friends Day - 9-10am

Saturday 15h August – Working Bee

Friday 4th September – Father's Day/Special Friends Breakfast

SECONDHAND UNIFORM SHOP

Need to stock up on school uniforms? Our Secondhand Uniform Shop is open every second Friday from 3.30pm – 3.40pm and is located in the P.E. Room.

Next opening: Friday 7 August

A great opportunity to pick up quality pre-loved uniform items at affordable prices. We look forward to seeing you there!