Mount Macedon Primary Newsletter

Care - Create - Collaborate

Mount Macedon Primary School aims to develop positive, independent, resilient and inquiring students who are ready for the future.


Important Events

TERM 3

Tuesday 1st August - 31st August - Gisborne Food Bank Drive

Friday 18th August - Meerkat Incursion

Friday 25th August - District Hot Shot Tennis

Wednesday 30th August - District Athletics

MMPS School Production - Monday 11th - Thursday 14th September (Times TBA)

Thursday 14th September - Castlemaine Chess Competition


FOS DATES

Friday 1st September - Father's Day Breakfast BBQ 8.15am.

Principal's Report

Wednesday 9th August

Hi everyone,

Just a quick report from me today, mostly to update you on how Trish is travelling. As you may have noticed Trish has been away for the last week and is currently battling a mystery bug. We all have our fingers crossed that she is on the mend soon and is able to be back here at MMPS soon.

We also have to say our goodbyes to Naomi who finishes up at MMPS on Friday. Naomi’s welcoming presence at the front office will be missed but we wish her the very best in her future endeavours. Being such a small school, the staff here at MMPS are like family and we can’t wait to hear about her upcoming adventures!

If you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to come and see me.

Regards, Joe.

Annual Parent Opinion Survey

WE WANT OUR PARENTS/CAREGIVERS/GUARDIANS TO TELL US WHAT THEY THINK!

 

Our school is conducting a survey to find out what parents/caregivers/guardians think of our school. The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training that is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of families’ perceptions of school climate, student behavior, and student engagement. The survey is optional but we encourage all families to participate. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies.

While the DET suggests a random sample of approximately 80 families or 30 per cent of parents/caregivers/guardians be selected to participate, at Mount Macedon Primary School all families are invited to participate in this survey.

The Parent/Caregiver/Guardian Opinion Survey will be conducted from:

Monday 7th  August to Friday 8th September.

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. Survey results will be collated by DET and sent to the principal who will communicate to parents/caregivers/guardians through annual reporting. The online survey will be available in English, and 10 other languages including Arabic, Greek, Haka Chin, Hindi, Japanese, Punjabi, Simplified Chinese, Somali, Turkish and Vietnamese. Please speak to the school office if you would like more information.

Instructions to complete the survey have been sent to parents via email, so please look out for this in your email in box. If you need the survey link re sent, please contact the school office.

Thank you

From the Office

Hello everyone, 

Just a few notes from the office this week:

Meerkat Incursion

This year's Meerkat Incursion is being held on Friday 18th August. This is an exciting event that the students all look very forward to each year. This year's incursion is called Franks Red Hat, and is a story about never giving up on your talents. We would appreciate if you could please jump on to QKR! to action and complete consent, as we are just over a week away from the incursion. Thank you.

Swimming Program Term 4

Just a reminder that the second half of our annual swimming program is being held from Monday 2nd to Friday 6th October, which is the first week of Term 4. Swimming information and consent is now available to access on QKR! so please jump on when you have some time. If your child will not be participating, could you please let the office know.

Change of Details:

Just a reminder to let the school know if you have had any change of family / contact details recently to please let the school office know. You can email the changes to the school email address at mount.macedon.ps@education.vic.gov.au or come into the office and fill out a change of details form.

Our annual school production will be held in term 3. Audition scripts have been given to our grade 3, 4, 5 & 6 students. The production will be performed in the last week of Term 3, so if you are away on holidays at that time, or a large portion of the term, please let us know so that we can work the students roles around this. We will be sending more information home about production soon, and please watch this space for production news throughout the term.

Thank you

Wellbeing

Our Well-being and Inclusion Coordinator Olivia  is available at MMPS on Monday's and Tuesday's.

Early in the year, our school registered to be part of the Thriving Kids and Parents School Project. We have now been invited to participate in three FREE interconnected online seminars. These will provide you with a toolkit of practical strategies that will help you guide your child’s behaviour, manage everyday worries, and build healthy peer relationships. Attending all three seminars will provide you with the strategies you need to best support your child’s development and help them thrive now and into adolescence.

Seminar topics:

  • Power of Positive Parenting (Triple P Seminar)
  • Helping Your Child to Manage Anxiety (Fear-Less Triple P Seminar)
  • Keeping your Child Safe from Bullying (Resilience Triple P Seminar)

These seminars form part of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program.

Our teachers will also be engaging in professional learning via this program to facilitate shared conversations between teachers and parents on how to best support our students.

For more information, visit the project website: https://able.adelaide.edu.au/education/thriving-kids-and-parents/for-parents#power-of-positive-parenting

Please see your invitation from Professor Matt Sanders

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aC9rpf-ZHg  

Yes, I want to be involved! What’s next?

Register through this link: https://able.adelaide.edu.au/education/thriving-kids-and-parents/for-parents#power-of-positive-parenting

If you have any questions, you can contact the project team at: thrivingkidsandparents@uq.edu.au or our Wellbeing and Inclusion Coordinator, Olivia Desormeaux at: Olivia.desormeaux@education.vic.gov.au


Olivia

Wellbeing and Inclusion Coordinator

Grade 5/6 Strength Poems

Our 5/6 students explored their unique strengths through the use of creative comparisons known as similes. They wrote personal poems celebrating their individual qualities while also developing their writing skills and self-confidence. Please enjoy the wonderful results of their efforts, which beautifully express their personalities and sense of self.

Mountain of Feelings Podcast

Mountains of Feelings: A Mount Macedon well-being podcast for kids by kids

Please click on the links below for access to our most recent podcasts:

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3 coming soon...

Gisborne Food Bank Drive

For the whole month of August, our school will be participating in the Gisborne Foodbank Drive. We are asking our students and their families to please give to a much needed cause for our local community, especially in these tough economic times. Our students are always enthusiastic about the Food Bank drive, as it allows them to express their community spirit and participate to help the community they live in. So please jump on board to help donate whatever you are able.

Below is a list of items the Gisborne Foodbank have indicated they need most:


Longlife milk - all varieties & Lactose Free

Canned Goods,  Condensed Milk, Biscuits (Sweet & Savory)

Pasta,  Sauces ie Jar Tomato or Curry, Coconut Milk & Cream

Dried Spices, Stock, Salt 

Rice, Tea, Coffee, Milo

Spreads, Jams, Honey, Vegemite, Peanut Butter

Toiletries, Laundry & Cleaning items - sponges, wipes, Dishwashing Liquid

Instant packet meals, Mayonnaise, Tomato Sauce

Cooking Oil, Biscuits, Sweets, Crackers, Cake Mix, Pancakes, Jelly

Meerkat Incursion - Frank's Red Hat

Synopsis - Frank's Red Hat by Sean Avery

Frank is a penguin with ideas. Mostly terrible ones. That’s why his fellow penguins are nervous when he shows them his strange new creation. Something they’d never seen or expected to see in their cold and colourless Antarctic world - a red hat. A story about never giving up on your talents, because even though what you do may not be appreciated right now, it may be in time. Possibly by someone you’d least expect.

Meerkat Productions will be performing an adaptation of Frank's Red Hat for our students on Friday 18th August, we are sure it will be an amazing show and are looking forward to it.

What's been happening in STEM?

Last week we explored static electricity! We discussed what atoms are made up of and how when we lose electrons through the friction of particular surfaces we have an imbalance of electrons. This results in the enormously exciting world of exploring static electricity! We made our hair stand on end and we created butterflies that could flap their wings! If your child brought home their butterfly all you need is to rub a balloon on your hair and hold the balloon just above the butterfly’s wings to see them flap all by themselves.

Guitar at MMPS

This week in Guitar, the students have been working on playing together in groups to create some fuller sounding melodies. They have also been learning a variety of new songs to diversify their skills, one very important one being Advance Australia Fair, and the others a little more modern and fun such as Bad Romance by Lady Gaga and Dance Monkey. See below for some photos of the students practicing in their lessons.

District Basketball Update

On Wednesday 26th July, MMPS competed in the district basketball. The students had a fantastic day competing against other schools in the area, displaying a great deal of sportsmanship, enthusiasm and respect towards their opponents.

Unfortunately there were no wins on the day, but most importantly the students had a fun day with their classmates and great memories to hold. 

I would like to thank Ms Probert and Vicki for their coaching and support on the day. 

Mrs Stone

Below is a recount from Chloe and Eleanor from Grade 3/4 on how the day went.

"On Wednesday 25th July some of Grade 4, 5 and 6 went to compete at District Basketball. We went on a bus to Sunbury where we played. We all did a great job and it was all really fun. We cheered on our teams when they were on the court and we all tried our best!"

Below is a photo of one of our players Ivy who was practicing her goal shooting before the game. Well done guys!

Save the Date - Father's Day Breakfast

Save the date for Friday 1st September for a Father's Day BBQ Breakfast!

Start time: 8.15am brekky at drop off.

Stay tuned for more details to come.

Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge

Stanley Park feedback

Let’s talk about Stanley Park!

We would love your Feedback to help Shape this community Asset. 

The Draft Stanley Park updated Environmental Management Plan is complete and up for community review.

Council is hoping that a broad section of the community has the opportunity to comment on what they love about Stanley Park, and how they spend their time there.  These comments will help shape any future infrastructure needs.

To have your say on the Stanley Park Environmental Management Plan see here:

https://www.mrsc.vic.gov.au/About-Council/News/Have-Your-Say/Stanley-Park-EMP

Here is the media release associated with the community consultation:

https://www.mrsc.vic.gov.au/About-Council/News/News/Feedback-sought-on-values-of-Mount-Macedon%E2%80%99s-Stanley-Park

 

Thank You 

Adam Mizzi 

Stanley Park CAC Committe

COMMUNITY NEWS

Stanley Park Feedback

Beleza Uniform Shop

The Mount Players

37 Plays in 97 minutes with 3 actors... What could possibly go wrong?


The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) is a delightful, fast-paced romp through the Bard's work as three manic men in tights hurtle through all of Shakespeare's plays, leaving you in stitches.  The Mount Players join FizzWack Theatre to bring you a show that takes those long, sometimes tedious and serious subjects, and condenses them down into a couple of hours of frivolity.​

If you love Shakespeare, you will love this show! If you hate Shakespeare, you will love this show!

 

Running from 18 – 26 August ....it’s going to be a real hoot so don’t miss out!

National Science Week - Woodend Neighborhood House

Woodend Hawks Basketball

Creative Yoga

Woodend Community Food Bank

Young Voices of Macedon

Young Voices of Macedon is currently preparing for their annual concert in September. Our older singers (9+) are also commencing work on Sea dreaming by Elena Kats-Chernin, a substantial work that was first performed by a massed choir of children at the opening of the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. In 2 performances in Bendigo on 25th and 26th November our choir will join with the Bendigo Youth Choir and choirs from Girton College, along with the Bendigo Symphony Orchestra in what promises to be an exciting and memorable experience.

Young Warblers Woodend

2023 Term Dates

Term 1 - Tuesday 31st January to Thursday 6th April

Term 2 - Monday 24th April to Friday 23rd June

Term 3 - Monday 10th July to Friday 15th September

Term 4 - Monday 2nd October to Wednesday 20th December


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