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.

Book Week- what a week!  

Book Week was a huge success! We started the week with our Book Parade, accompanied by the talented student band from Parkdale Secondary College, as well as our students keenly checking out the Book Fair! And, students also enjoyed a visit from author Kym Larder, who had them in fits of laughter! 

We also visited our local kindergartens, Acacia Avenue Preschool, Mentone Park Pre School and Bayside Kindergarten during Book Week with some of our Grade 3 and 4 students proudly shared their love of reading by reading stories to the kindergarten children. It was such a special experience to see our older students engaging with and inspiring our youngest learners. The kindergarten children were delighted to listen to the stories, and our Grade 3 and 4 students did an amazing job as role models and confident readers. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the joy of reading and strengthen our connections with our local kindergarten community. 

Our Prep to Grade 6 students also participated in the Little Scribe Author Masterclass Series, with students connecting online with some of Australia’s leading authors and storytellers. These masterclasses launched during Book Week to inspire students and build excitement around reading, writing and storytelling. 

A huge congratulations to our colouring and drawing competition winners, Isla, Olivia, Asha W and Pippa.  Their amazing entries were transformed into special Book Week bookmarks, and they look fantastic! 

Thank you to Cheryl C, Stacey Ky and Meg B for helping set up, and Nicola A, Emma A, Eva G, Sally C, Jess G, Bec Q, Kathryn J, Shea W, Nikki Z, Jaci L, Gemma M, and again Cheryl C and Stacey K for helping run the Book Fair throughout the week. 

Working Bee 

Thank you to all our families who attended the working bee on Saturday. A huge thank you to parents, grandparents and lots of our little student helpers, who generously gave up their time to help care for and improve our school grounds. 

Your willingness to pitch in and contribute to our school community is greatly appreciated. Thank you to the Smith Family, Nick Toovey, the Woodman family, Matt R and Eliza R, Stuart and Sam B, Jaci L & Peggy, Monica VW & Asha and Arlo, Barry J, Rick VDW, Jason Z, Jo H and Mayla, Rebecca Q, Kay P, the Foley family, Brett and Marley B, Rod and Madeline H, Tanya P, Claire O’B, Sarah and Kate W, the Clay Family, Carlson F, and our staff Jen and Sarah.  

Professional Learning Day 

Our Professional Learning Day on Wednesday 12 August provided staff with valuable opportunities to further develop our teaching practice across the school. 

The day focused on maintaining consistent whiteboard routines across the school, strengthening our Instructional Model, led by Mrs Free and Mrs Drummond. Staff also explored wellbeing data and strategies to support the implementation of effective wellbeing check-ins, led by Mr Hutchins and Mrs Guthrie. 

Grade 3 and 4 Camp 

We wish our Grade 3 and 4 students and staff heading off to camp next week a wonderful time! 

The camp will provide students with opportunities to dive into a world of adventure and environmental activities, designed to spark curiosity and foster a love of nature. Set in the beautiful Mornington Peninsula, we are sure it will be a memorable and exciting experience for all. 

We hope everyone has a fantastic camp filled with adventure, learning and plenty of lifelong memories! 

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support. 

Kind regards, 

Leisa 

Dear Parents, Guardians and Caregivers, 

I hope you and your families are all well and that our 3/4s are getting excited about camp next week! 

Behaviour Response Flowchart and Acknowledgement & Praise guide 

As part of our continued focus on creating calm, consistent and supportive learning environments, we have introduced two new student-friendly resources: our Behaviour Response Flowchart and Acknowledgement & Praise guide. These were explicitly taught to students earlier this week and builds upon our recent embedded work on classroom expectations, procedures and routines. 

These resources provide students with greater clarity about how both appropriate and inappropriate behaviour will be addressed and acknowledged, with greater consistency across the different teachers and learning spaces they experience. 

Our Behaviour Response Flowchart provides a clear, graduated process of Remind, Reset, Relocate, Remove, and Restore & Reflect, with reflection and restorative conversations built into the process. Please note that, thankfully, at MPPS it is very rare that any student is removed from class, however, as occasionally it is necessary it is included in the flowchart, along with the appropriate interventions and supports in place. Just as importantly, our Acknowledgement & Praise guide highlights the many ways positive behaviour and effort can be recognised – from verbal praise and showcasing work through to house points, Student of the Week certificates and opportunities to present at assembly! 

Underpinning both resources is a simple principle: behaviour can be taught, just like reading, writing or mathematics. What is appropriate can depend on the environment – calling loudly to a classmate may be inappropriate during a literacy lesson but entirely appropriate when calling for the ball in PE. By explicitly teaching expectations, providing opportunities to practise them, and giving clear feedback, we help students understand their behaviour, reflect on their choices and develop the skills to make positive choices in the future. 

Assistant Principal’s Maths Fluency Challenge 

It has been fantastic to see so many students getting involved in the Assistant Principal’s Maths Fluency Challenge! 

At this Friday’s assembly, we were excited to recognise our first students to earn their Bronze Certificate. Congratulations to all of our Bronze recipients! It has been wonderful seeing students enthusiastically completing their booklets and practising through NumBots and Times Tables Rock Stars. 

For those still working towards Bronze – keep going! And if you haven’t started yet, it’s certainly not too late to get involved. Simply collect a Maths Fluency Challenge Booklet from your classroom teacher and get started. 

Just 10–20 minutes of regular practice at home can make a real difference to mathematical fluency and confidence. We look forward to celebrating many more certificates in the weeks ahead! 

Yours sincerely, 

Nathan Hutchins 

Assistant Principal 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview

It’s been another fortnight of fun and joyous learning in Prep, beginning with a wonderful excursion to Scienceworks and concluding in a whole week/whole school celebration! Thank you to our parent volunteers who assisted with the excursion on the day. Your help is greatly appreciated and makes these learning adventures run a lot smoother! 

It was our very first Book Week and oh what a magical Book Week we had!  

Our Prep students dove into the joy of reading with so much excitement. Here is a look at what our little learners got up to throughout the week:  

The Big Parade: We kicked off Monday morning with lots of smiles! The children looked absolutely beautiful dressed up as their favourite book characters. The music from Parkdale Secondary was a perfect backdrop for the theme, “Symphony of Stories!” 

Author Masterclasses: Throughout the week, the children took part in special Little Scribe online workshops with famous Australian author Josh Pyke. Our Preps practiced using their big imaginations to think up their very own characters and story settings. 

Special Incursion: We loved welcoming storyteller Kym Lardner to the school hall! He put on a funny, high-energy show that brought stories to life and had our youngest students completely captivated. 

Our Book Fair: The Book Fair was a huge success! It was wonderful to see our Prep families browsing and discovering new stories to read at home together. 

A very special thank you to all the wonderful parents and volunteers who gave up their time to help run the Book Fair. Your support makes these milestone events so wonderful for our new school families.  

Reminders

Toys at School  
We have noticed a growing number of toys coming into the classroom this term. While we understand these items are much loved, they are proving a significant distraction to the whole class, pulling children’s focus away from their learning and, at times, causing upset when items are lost, broken or need to be put away. A reminder that toys are to be kept at home so children can stay focused during learning time. We appreciate your support with this.  

 Assistant Principal’s Maths Fluency Challenge! 
A reminder that our Maths Fluency Challenge is underway! Students are encouraged to practise their maths fluency for 10–20 minutes each day using their challenge booklet and/or NumBots. 

Please remember to record and sign completed challenges or NumBots sessions in your child’s Fluency Log. Students can work towards Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates as they progress. 

Participation is optional, but we encourage students to have a go and build their confidence with maths facts! 

Writing:  

• We are learning to identify and create noun groups by combining a noun with an adjective. 

• We are learning about Australian author and musician Josh Pyke. 

• We are learning to draft and publish our own Book Week inspired books. 

InitiaLit:  

• We are learning the /w/ sound and the 'ck' spelling pattern. 

• We are learning the tricky words: have, of, here & with. 

• We are learning about double consonants: ‘ll’, ‘ss’, ‘ff’. 

Mathematics:  

• We are learning to predict which object will be heavier and check using hefting or balance scales. 

• We are learning to identify the attribute of capacity. 

• We are learning to compare capacity by pouring the same amount into different containers. 

Science - Any Day Outdoors  

• We are learning that temperature describes how hot or cold the air feels. 

Humanities:  

• We are learning about how people find out about the past. 

Wellbeing – The Resilience Project:  

• We are learning to build an awareness of feeling in and out-of-balance. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Josh - for writing a fantastic story called 'Bob and the Big Wave' including a main character, setting, problem and solution. Well done, Josh! 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview

Book Week Celebrations! 

We kicked off Book Week on Monday morning with a wonderful parade! The children looked fantastic dressed as their favourite book characters, while our teachers joined in the fun by dressing up as the farm animals from Charlotte’s Web. It was a delightful way to begin our Book Week celebrations!

Throughout the week, the children participated in Little Scribe Author Masterclasses featuring the wonderful Australian authors and storytellers Jackie French, Josh Pyke and Kris Darrell. The children explored the art of storytelling and were inspired to create and write their very own stories, developing characters, settings and imaginative ideas along the way.  

We were also very excited to welcome Kym Lardner for a special incursion in the hall. The children enjoyed an entertaining and engaging session that brought stories and performance to life, adding another wonderful dimension to our Book Week celebrations. 

Our Book Fair has also been open throughout the week, giving our students and families the opportunity to discover and enjoy a wonderful selection of books. A very special thank you to all of our wonderful parents and volunteers who generously gave their time to help with the organisation and running of the Book Fair. Your support and involvement have helped make Book Week such a special experience for our whole school community. 

It has been a fantastic week filled with books, creativity, imagination and plenty of opportunities for our students to celebrate the joy of reading and storytelling. A huge thank you to everyone who helped make our Book Week celebrations so memorable!  

Reminders

Assistant Principal’s Maths Fluency Challenge! 

A reminder that our Maths Fluency Challenge is underway! Students are encouraged to practise their maths fluency for 10–20 minutes each day using their challenge booklet and/or NumBots. 

Please remember to record and sign completed challenges or NumBots sessions in your child’s Fluency Log. Students can work towards Bronze, Silver and Gold certificates as they progress. 

Participation is optional, but we encourage students to have a go and build their confidence with maths facts! 

Library 

It is wonderful to see students so eager to borrow books from our school library! A friendly reminder that 1/2D and 1/2F attend the library on Tuesdays during even weeks, while 1/2W attends on Fridays during even weeks. 

Please ensure your child returns their library books in their library bag on their library day, ready to return their books and choose new ones to enjoy. Happy reading!  

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. 

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. We also ask that reading diaries are brought to school every day so they can be checked and updated. Thank you for your ongoing support. 

 Writing 

• We have been learning to plan, draft and create our own narrative stories with a clear beginning, middle and end.  

• We have been learning to develop characters, settings and events in our stories and turn our ideas into a book.  

• We have been learning about Australian authors and how they develop ideas for their writing.  

Initialit 

Year 1: 

• We have been learning to read and spell words with split digraphs (bossy ‘e’).  

• We have been learning to use our knowledge of sounds to read and write words and sentences.  

• We have been learning to review and practise sounds and tricky words we already know.  

Year 2: 

• We have been learning to spell words with the trigraphs ‘ear’, ‘eer’, ‘air’, ‘are’ and ‘ear’.  

• We have been learning to use comprehension strategies to make inferences when reading.  

• We have been learning to use clues from a text to work out information that is not directly stated.  

• We have been learning to review and practise new sounds and spelling patterns.  

Numeracy 

• We have been learning to make groups and arrays to represent multiplication.  

• We have been learning to skip count in 2s, 5s and 10s to find totals.  

• We have been learning to use repeated addition to represent multiplication.  

• We have been learning to use bar models to represent groups of numbers.  

• We have been learning to solve multiplication and division problems using mathematical models and strategies.  

• We have been learning to use strategies such as CUBES to solve worded problems.  

 Humanities – Ancient Egypt 

• We have been learning to explain what a mummy is and describe the inside of an Ancient Egyptian tomb.  

• We have been learning to understand what Ancient Egyptians believed about their gods and goddesses.  

 Science – Earth and Space Science 

• We have been learning to identify and describe weather and seasonal patterns.  

• We have been learning to identify wind strength as an important characteristic of weather.  

• We have been learning to observe how wind affects different materials.  

• We have been learning to investigate the weather and wind around our school.  

Wellbeing – The Resilience Project 

• We have been learning to recognise when we are feeling in or out of balance.  

• We have been learning to understand that we are not stuck in our emotions.  

• We have been learning to identify strategies we can use to express, change and reset our emotions. 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview

Book Week 2026 – A Symphony of Reading and Writing! 

What a fantastic Book Week we had at Mentone Park Primary School! Our school was buzzing with excitement as students and staff celebrated their love of books, reading and storytelling throughout the week. 

Our Book Week Parade was a highlight, with a sea of colourful, creative and imaginative costumes filling the COLA. From Prep to Year 6, students proudly dressed as their favourite book characters, with even some of our Kinder friends joining in the fun! Our teachers also got into the spirit of the day, dressing as characters from Charlotte’s Web. It was wonderful to see so much enthusiasm and creativity across the school. 

Thank you to our families for coming along to support the parade and for the generous gold coin donations, which will be donated to the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. 

Our Book Fair has also been a great success. A huge thank you to the wonderful parent volunteers who generously gave their time to help run the fair throughout the week. Your support helped make the Book Fair such a positive experience for our students. 

Throughout the week, students enjoyed a fantastic range of literacy experiences, including an exciting incursion with Kym Lardner, our Little Scribe Author’s Masterclass with authors Dub Leffler, Taylor Hampton and Mick Elliott, and special whole-school story time, with teachers sharing stories with students during lunchtime. 

It was wonderful to see our school community come together to celebrate the joy of reading and the incredible world of books. A huge thank you to everyone who helped make Book Week 2026 such a memorable and successful celebration! 

 
Year 3/4 Camp  

Our Year 3/4 camp at The Briars is getting closer! We are really looking forward to spending a few exciting days with the students, exploring the outdoors, trying new activities, and making some great memories together. 

Camp is a wonderful opportunity for students to build their confidence, independence, teamwork and communication skills, while enjoying some time away from their usual school and home environment. We’re sure it will be a fantastic experience for everyone! 

Camp Dates: Wednesday 26 – Friday 28 August 

Attending teachers: Mrs Bastin, Mrs Gibson, Mr Griffin, Mrs Wheatley, Jen Aylen, Emma Leighton (Preservice Teacher) 

If you need another copy of the camp packing list, please contact Mel or Simone. 

We can’t wait! 

Reminders

Assistant Principal’s Maths Fluency Challenge 
Students are encouraged to practise their maths fluency for 10-20 minutes each day, working towards Bronze, Silver and Gold milestones!  

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 continued to read Storm Boy and have learned some new note-taking skills and “switched the adverbials”. We have practised using the “GST” method to write paragraphs. This week we have enjoyed our online workshops with the authors Dub Leffler, Boori Monty Pryor and Mick Elliott, and our incursion with Kym Lardner! 

In SpellEx, Year 3 students have been learning about a special group of words called ‘rabbit’ words. Year 4 students have been learning about the apostrophe ‘s’ to show belonging to someone or something. 

Numeracy: We have been practising 7 times tables and looking at elapsed time, including calculating start and finish times to five minutes. 

Wellbeing – The Resilience Project: In our “Resilience Project” lessons we explored the strong emotion of anger and how we can respond in a safe and healthy way. Students also delved into the concept of the ‘anger iceberg’, to understand that anger can sometimes serve as a shield, masking deeper and more vulnerable feelings. 

Science: Our topic this term is Earth’s Changing Surface. We learned that Earth scientists, such as geologists and palaeontologists, study the Earth’s surface by exploring and investigating their natural surroundings. We explored the characteristics of rocks and fossils and analysed clues they might tell us about changes to the Earth’s surface. We also explored a collection of various rocks. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Congratulations to our most recent TIER Role Models! 

Ravya K (Week 3) 
For consistently completing thoughtful and well-presented work. Her contributions to our Storm Boy novel study discussions demonstrate the care, effort and thinking she applies to all her learning. 

Casey A (Week 3) 
For demonstrating kindness by supporting and including others, especially during Wellbeing when creating your 'Gratitude' board game. 

Charlie M (Week 4) 
For his enthusiasm and groing confdence in Maths, particularly when learning multiplication and division with regrouping. 

Annabelle H (Week 4) 
For contributing insightful ideas during our Storm Boy class discussions. Her positive attitude sets a great example to other students. 

Important Dates

In the Spotlight / Overview

It has been a busy and exciting few weeks in Grade 5/6! Students had a fantastic time at Healesville Sanctuary last week and represented our school beautifully. They also did a wonderful job presenting their ‘Shark Tank’ business pitches, confidently sharing their creative ideas. In Maths, we have wrapped up our unit on angles and are now developing our skills in rounding and estimating when adding and subtracting decimals. We are also nearly finished our The Last Bear unit, with students writing persuasive letters calling for urgent action to protect polar bears.

Reminders

District Basketball Gala Day – This will be held on Monday 24th August for students who are attending.

Literacy: We are learning to plan and write the conclusion of a persuasive letter including language features and persuasive devices to persuade. 

Numeracy:  We are learning to identify unknown angles to a point. 

Science: We are introducing students to the basics of biodiversity.  

Wellbeing: We are learning to understand having a grateful mindset. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Austin S – TEAMWORK: Austin showed great teamwork and respect for his peers when participating in his explore Fridays group. He showed great patience and support. 

Dhaanya P – TEAMWORK: For supporting and reassuring a classmate during a complex maths lesson. She offered advice and positive encouragement. 
  
Abby P – For consistently showing respect, supporting others and being a kind and positive member of our classroom. 

Jett P – For consistently working hard, demonstrating excellent integrity and always striving to do their best. 

In the Spotlight / Overview

In Auslan, students across the school are building their fluency with fingerspelling by practising games such as memory, bingo and mystery word/number. Students in F-2 have been learning some signs to describe everyday routines at school including subject and classroom object signs. Students in F-2 are also building their confidence with signing numbers to 20, 30 and 50. 

Students in 3/4 are building their confidence, fluency and receptive skills by watching, understanding and practising simple Deaf conversations about topics we have already learnt. This week the 5/6s watched 2 ladies sign about their favourite hobbies, before we practiced asking our peers and answering questions about our favourite sports, foods, colours and age. Students in 3/4 are also building their fluency with signing numbers above 50. 

Prep: We are learning school routines and numbers to 30. 

1/2: We are learning school routines and numbers to 50. 

3/4: We are to have conversations in Auslan and numbers above 50. 

5/6: We are learning to have conversations in Auslan. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Week 5: 
Oliver L: Excellence, Teamwork. For his enthusiasm and active participation in all activities during Auslan this week. You showed great teamwork during our routines game, well done! 

Week 6: 
Aubrey D: Integrity, Excellence. For having a consistently positive attitude towards her Auslan learning. You are always so focussed and you encourage and support others to also do their best during partner and team activities.   

Let’s practice numbers to 30! There are also some number signs for 100, 1000, 1 million and 1 billion for a challenge.

In the Spotlight / Overview

P-2 

In Performing students in P-2 have been continuing to join in with musical games and activities.  

Prep students built on their knowledge of dynamics in a game ‘I have lost my closet key’ in which they give clues to a ‘finder’ by increasing the volume of their singing as the ‘finder’ gets closer to where the key is hidden in the room. They also sang and moved their bodies in the song ‘Looby Loo’. The students are acting out the characters in the song ‘Little Cabin in the Wood’ and learning another verse of the song.  They have been singing and following actions for the song ‘Skidamarink’ as well.  

Year 1 and 2 students have been enjoying playing the musical game ‘Cut the Cake’ with actions to the beat of the song. They played bongo drums and tone/wood blocks to the beat of the rhyme ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’ and. Then they learned a rhyme and body percussion for a B section and students in 12D and 12F played it on the triangles. (Students in 12W missed Performing Arts in Week 5 due to the Curriculum Day). They played untuned percussion instruments including tambours, tambourines, guiros, maracas, rhythm sticks and triangles, for the song ‘The Animal Band’.  

Y3-6 

In Week 5, the students in 34B played a musical passing game from Ghana called ‘Obwisana’ and learned a game called ‘Charlie over the Ocean’, but 34G missed Performing Arts due to the Curriculum Day.  

All students in Year 5 and 6 missed Performing Arts in Week 5 due to the Curriculum Day and the excursion.  

In Week 6 the Year 3 to 6 students began their Drama unit and explored the concept of status. They ranked characters by their level of status such as a beggar and a king or a queen.  

The Year 3 and 4 students discussed when children have low status, high status and when their status can shift. Then they drew a picture of a character with low status and a character with high status.  

The Year 5 and 6 students created freeze frames using their facial expression and body to show the status of characters.   

Prep: We are learning to join in with musical games and songs. 

Y1/2: We are learning to explore music in games and performances. 

Y3/4: We are learning to understand the difference between high and low status. 

Y5/6: We are learning to understand what status is. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Students of the week: 

Week 4: 
Elbin C 12F Integrity and Excellence. For recalling his prior learning in Performing Arts and sharing it with the class, ‘Shining’ throughout the whole lesson, and remembering to still sing while doing body percussion and playing instruments. Great effort! Keep it up! 

Week 5:
Eloise M PH Integrity and Excellence. For singing and acting as the characters while the video was playing the song ‘Little Cabin in the Wood’ and demonstrating integrity by focusing on her learning and trying her best in all the activities in Performing Arts. Well done! Keep it up! 

In the Spotlight / Overview

Our students have officially kicked off their creative journey for this year’s CBCA Book Week theme, "Symphony of Stories"! This week, we completed Session 1 of our special two-part visual arts unit, focusing on how illustrators build mood and atmosphere. 

Here is what our young artists have been up to so far: 

• Prep to Year 2 students placed flat geometric shapes onto their pages and layered beautiful, misty backgrounds using child-safe spray paints. Lifting the shapes revealed striking white silhouettes that will serve as the "stages" for their musical characters. 

• Years 3 to 6 students experimented with layers of visual texture. They used dry watercolour pencils to sketch vibrant landscapes, mastering techniques like cross-hatching and pressure variance. They began to use damp paintbrushes to activate the pigments, magically transforming their pencil lines into smooth, fluid paint washes. 

Right now, our art room drying racks are overflowing with beautiful, drying background masterpieces! In our next session, students will design, cut, and layer their main narrative characters to bring these vibrant characters to life. 

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.  

Week 5 

P-4:  

• We are learning to experiment with line, pattern and texture in subtractive drawings. 

Week 6 

P-2:  

• We are learning to understand how background colours can express different feelings and moods. 

• We are learning to explore stencil masking techniques to create negative space using spray paint. 

• We are learning to apply water-based spray paint safely and evenly across a surface. 

Yr 3-6:  

• We are learning to analyse how lines and textures build layers in picture book illustrations. 

• We are learning to experiment with varied pressure and cross-hatching techniques using watercolour pencils. 

• We are learning to master the structural transition of turning dry pencil work into a paint wash using controlled water application. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Week 5 
Frankie – Demonstrating EXCELLENCE in Art. You showed great skill in etching an intricate design by ‘subtracting’ a layer of India ink to reveal stunning colours and patterns. Beautiful work! 

Week 6 
Melora – Demonstrating RESPECT & EXCELLENCE in Art. By showing respect in the art room, you were able to work wonderfully without distraction and produce the beginnings of a beautiful watercolour piece. Superstar! 

In the Spotlight / Overview

This week, Prep to Year 6 students began developing their basketball skills through age-appropriate drills and team games. Junior students (P-2) are focusing on fundamental movement skills like bouncing, catching, and tracking the ball to build hand-eye coordination. Students in Yr 3-6 are advancing to tactical gameplay, mastering dribbling while moving, precise chest and bounce passes, and shooting techniques. Across all year levels, we are emphasizing teamwork, sportspersonship, and strategic thinking, ensuring every student stays active and builds confidence on the court.  

For our students in Yr 3-6, we have been very lucky to welcome Kayce from McKinnon Basketball Association to help facilitate fun and focussed basketball clinics for 3 consecutive Mondays.  

Reminders

PE Participation 
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.   

District Basketball Gala Day 
For those Yr 5/6 students representing MPPS next week at Parkdale Secondary, please remember to check all information on Compass regarding arrival to school, parent spectators and what to wear/bring. We wish everyone competing the best of luck! 

District Athletics 
Congratulations to those who received a slip indicating the events they have been asked to compete in at District Athletics. A Compass event will be out shortly with further information regarding this day being held at Dolomore Oval on Thursday 3rd of September. 

P-2:  

• We are learning to control a basketball using our hands while standing still and moving around the court. 

• We are learning to move safely through open spaces without bumping into our classmates or losing our ball. 

• We are learning to push and bounce a basketball accurately to a partner or a target.  

• We are learning to catch a basketball safely using two hands. 

Yr 3-6:  

• We are learning to accurately pass and catch the ball with a partner using chest or bounce passes. 

• We are learning to control the basketball with one hand while moving at different speeds. 

Recognising TIER Role Models

Week 5 
Isla I. – Demonstrating TEAMWORK in PE. You did a wonderful job at ensuring everyone was included and cheered for while the class learnt how to play kickball. Your positive energy is a terrific contributor to all PE lessons. Superstar! 

Week 6 
Olive – Demonstrating TEAMWORK & INTEGRITY in PE. Your ability to apply a positive lens to all game play is sensational and it was truly amazing to see you adapt and support a classmate to become active and involved. A very supportive teammate and friend! 

Celebrating Community Through Book Week and Bully No Way Week 

What a wonderful time it has been at our school as we celebrated the joy of reading during Book Week! Our Community Book Week Parade was a fantastic celebration of books, imagination and creativity. Students and staff brought their favourite characters to life with colourful costumes, creative ideas and plenty of enthusiasm. 

The parade was a wonderful opportunity for our school community to come together and celebrate the important role that books and stories play in our lives. There were smiles all around as students proudly shared their costumes with their friends, teachers and families.  

Bully No Way Week 

As we move from celebrating the power of stories, we also turn our attention to an equally important message during Bully No Way Week. 

Bully No Way Week provides an opportunity for our school community to stand together against bullying and promote kindness, respect, inclusion and positive relationships. We encourage every student to understand that their words and actions can make a difference to others. 

Families play an important role in helping children understand bullying and know how to respond to it. 

If your child tells you about things at school, or you observe something in public that involves conflict or bullying, take the opportunity to talk about what bullying is. You can learn more about what defines bullying at bullyingnoway.gov.au. 

Questions you could ask: 

• What do you think bullying is? 

• Have you seen it? How did you feel? 

• Have you ever felt scared at school because of bullying? 

• As well as me, who are the other adults you would talk to when it comes to things like bullying? 

• Have you or your friends left other kids out on purpose? Do you think that was bullying? Why or why not? 

• Have you ever tried to help someone who is being bullied? What happened? What would you do if it happens again? 

Remind your child that bullying is never okay and discuss how they can respond safely if they experience or witness it. 

Encourage them to seek help from a trusted adult and keep seeking support if needed. 

By promoting open communication, we empower children to stand up against bullying and create a safer environment where everyone can feel that they belong. 

Next week all students will participate in an Anti-bullying session with The Kids Helpline. 

For more information, visit bullyingnoway.gov.au. 

Thank you to our students, staff and families for continuing to work together to make our school a welcoming, caring and inclusive community. 

Many thanks, 

Zoe Guthrie 

Mental Health & Wellbeing Leader 

Book Fair Parade — What a Hit! 

What a wonderful morning we had celebrating Book Week with our Book Fair Parade! 

A huge thank you to the Parkdale Secondary College Band for their outstanding performance — you certainly helped make the morning extra special! 

A very special thank you to our local kinders who made the effort to dress up and join us. We loved seeing all the fantastic costumes and the excitement you brought to our parade! 

And, of course, a huge well done to all our Mentone Park students for the incredible effort you put into your costumes! You looked fantastic and certainly brought your favourite books to life.

What a wonderful week of storytelling, imagination and a love of reading we have ahead of us! 

A massive thank you to everyone who came along and helped at our Working Bee! 

What a difference a few helping hands can make — the school is looking fantastic! From the gardens and grounds to all the little jobs that needed doing, it was wonderful to see our community come together and take such pride in our school.

We truly appreciate everyone who gave up their time, whether you were here for the whole morning or could only spare an hour. Every helping hand made a difference! 

We are so lucky to have such a wonderful and supportive school community.

Thank you for rolling up your sleeves and helping make our school look its very best!

Carols on the Green – We Need Your Help! 

Thursday, 10 December | Carols on the Green

Our annual Carols on the Green is one of the highlights of the school year! Each year, our families come together for a wonderful evening of music, food, raffles, a silent auction and plenty of festive fun. 

This year, we’re once again raising funds towards our NEW PLAYGROUND, and we need the help of our amazing school community to make the night a success.

We Need Your Help!

We’re asking every family to reach out to local businesses, friends, family or community connections to see if they would be willing to donate an item, voucher or experience for our Silent Auction.

It could be anything from a gift voucher, experience or family activity to a product or service. Every donation, big or small, makes a difference.

All money raised from our Carols on the Green fundraising activities will go directly towards our NEW PLAYGROUND. 

Thank you, as always, for getting behind our school and helping us create something amazing for our students.

Let’s make this year’s Carols on the Green our biggest and best yet!

More details and volunteer opportunities coming soon!

 
EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS!

We are absolutely thrilled to share that we have received our first donations towards our NEW PLAYGROUND! 

A huge THANK YOU to the families who have already contributed. Your generosity means so much to us, and we truly can’t thank you enough.

As many of you know, our Student Representative Council (SRC) and students have been advocating for a new playground for our Year 3–6 students. The construction of our Junior Building four years ago significantly reduced the space available for our senior students, and we are now working towards creating a modern, engaging playgroundthat encourages physical activity, social connection and imaginative play.

Our students will have an important role in helping shape the new playground, including having a say in the equipment and features they would love to see.

How Can You Help?

Our school community is dedicating all fundraising from school events towards the NEW PLAYGROUND, but we would also love families who are able to make a personal contribution to help us reach our goal.

Every dollar counts! Whether it is $5, $20, $50 or more, every donation brings us one step closer to making this vision a reality.

If you would like to make a donation, please use the following details:

Account Name: Mentone Park Primary School
BSB: 063 144
Account Number: 10083381
Reference: Playground

If you have already made a donation, THANK YOU! 

We would love to see our whole community get behind this exciting project. Together, we can create an incredible new space that our students will enjoy for many years to come.

Let’s keep the momentum going – our NEW PLAYGROUND starts with us!

Friday 4th September – Father's Day/Special Friends Breakfast & Stall
Friday 18th September – Last Day of Term 2.30pm finish
Saturday 17th October – Bunnings BBQ