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 2                                                                                                   

Monday 12th June - King's Birthday Public Holiday

Monday 19th June - Friday 23rd June Smile Squad Dental Visit

Tuesday 20th June - Lantern Parade

Wednesday 21st June - Thursday 22nd June Parent Teacher Interviews (Booking information to still to come)

Friday 23rd June - Last Day of Term 2

Monday 10th July - First day of Term 3


FOS DATES

Tuesday 6th June FOS Meeting at the School 

Tuesday 20th June - Supper & Lantern Parade 

Principal's Report

Tuesday 6th June 2023

Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone was able to enjoy some of the beautiful weather on the weekend! I feel like it could be the last few flashes of warmer weather before we settle into winter proper.

I will be out of the school today attending the funeral of Tony Jordan, father of Loretta, our OSHC Coordinator. We were all saddened to hear of his passing and send our condolences to Loretta and her family during this difficult time. MMPS is a tightknit staff and a loss like this is felt by all of us.

Last Friday I was lucky enough to travel with our netball teams to Boardman Stadium in Sunbury for the District Netball competition. We sent two teams to play against other local schools. It is so lovely to see all senior students being given the chance to represent Mount Macedon in these competitions. The enthusiasm shown and keenness to compete together was impressive. Fingers crossed it has inspired some students to look to start playing this fast, high energy sport.

Parent-Teacher interviews will be held in the final week of term. They will run over two nights, Wednesday the 21st and Thursday the 22nd, and face-to-face and WebEx meetings will be offered.  A note will go home this coming Friday with more information about times, duration of meetings and how to book in a time with your child’s teacher.

Information has now gone out regarding the upcoming visit to MMPS from Smile Squad. Smile Squad is a Victorian Government free school dental program that will visit MMPS in the final week of this term. It is a completely free program that offers a dental check up during school hours with the possibility of further follow up treatments if necessary. All consent will need to be provided prior to Smile Squad’s visit through the QR code sent home via Audiri. If you have any further questions regarding Smile Squad please do not hesitate to contact the school.

As we rush towards the end of term and the cooler weather I would like to ask everyone to continue to focus on our own health and wellbeing. With winter here, it is so important that we remain vigilant in trying to stay well and free from colds, flus and other sicknesses. We do have a few cases of Covid, as well as colds and flus, in the school and will remind students about the importance of strong hygiene practices and ask for this to be reiterated at home.

Have a lovely week,

Joe.

From the Office

Hello everyone, 

 A few quick reminders from the office;

  • School Photos have been delivered. If you did not receive your photos, please call MSP Photography on 5333 5577. If you missed placing an order before photo day, you are still able to order photos by calling the above number.
  • We have had some much appreciated feedback on the consenting process on Qkr!. This has been updated and no longer requires parents to fill in as much information.
  • Just a reminder that Smile Squad will be attending the school in the week commencing Monday 19th June. Information and links to the consent forms were sent out last week via Audiri, as well as with the students. If you would like your children to participate, please fill in the consent forms as soon as possible.


SEEKING PARENT VOLUNTEERS

Do you know someone that has a little time they could spare to help students learn to be come a Chess wiz? 

We are hoping to book in a group of students to attend the Castelmaine Chess Championship in September.  In order to make this a wonderful and exciting opportunity for students it would be great to have a helping hand to teach the ‘tricks of the trade’.  

An hour once a week is all wee need and you will be helping along side a staff member.

Have a great week.

Thank you.

Parent Helpers Required - Japanese Cooking

In Japanese this term, students are learning about Japanese food culture and language. As part of this theme, I will be conducting two Japanese food cooking classes for grades 3/4 and 5/6 in place of the regular language classes. I would appreciate having three helpers from each grade level to work with the students, and share in the eating. This will take place on Tuesday 13th of June as part of the regular timetable (Grade 3/4 – 10-11am & Grade 5/6 – 9-10am) . Please let the office staff know if you are able to help out with your child’s grades session or with other grades sessions. Please note, you will need to have a current Working With Children Check to volunteer an have completed our Volunteer Induction which you can collect from the school office.

Thank you 

Sharyn Morrice.

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


Wellbeing and Inclusion : Our role in building kids' resilience

Pop Culture Parenting Podcast : Ep025 and Ep026: Good Will Hunting & our role in kids’ resilience

Dr Billy (a developmental paediatrician) and Nick (a developing parent) are a couple of dads having honest discussions about parenting day to day We'll be using iconic TV and cinema scenes from the 80's & 90's to give context to Billy's parenting advice. A really engaging listen!

https://pop-culture-parenting.simplecast.com/episodes/ep025-good-will-hunting-our-role-in-kids-resilience

https://pop-culture-parenting.simplecast.com/episodes/ep026-part-2-good-will-hunting-our-role-in-kids-resilience


Building Resilience: Nurturing Strong and Confident Students

At Mount Macedon Primary, we believe that fostering resilience in our primary-aged students is vital for their overall growth and success. Resilience empowers children to navigate challenges, bounce back from setbacks, and thrive in an ever-changing world. This term, we are focusing on building resilience, with the support of both the Kimochis and Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships learning materials.

The Kimochis program supports social and emotional learning, helping children understand and manage their feelings effectively. Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships learning materials promotes positive, respectful interactions among students, fostering a safe and supportive school environment.

Resilience is a key attribute that enables students to adapt, cope, and recover from difficult experiences. It is a quality that can be nurtured and strengthened over time through a combination of guidance from both school and home. As parents, you play an integral role in instilling resilience in your children. Here are some practical examples you can engage in at home to support this journey:

1. Embrace a Growth Mindset: Teach your child that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort and practice. Encourage them to view challenges as opportunities for growth. Praise their effort and perseverance rather than solely focusing on outcomes or grades.

2. Encourage Problem-Solving Skills: Help your child develop critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities. Encourage them to find solutions to their own problems and make decisions independently. Provide guidance and support when needed.

3. Promote Emotional Regulation: Assist your child in understanding and expressing their emotions in healthy ways. Create a safe space for them to share their feelings and provide tools for managing stress and anxiety, such as deep breathing exercises or journaling.

4. Cultivate Perseverance: Engage your child in activities that require sustained effort and practice. Encourage them to stick with tasks even when faced with challenges or temporary setbacks. This could involve learning a musical instrument, participating in a sport, or tackling a complex puzzle.

By working together—school and home—we can empower our students to face adversity with confidence, maintain a positive outlook, and persevere through life's challenges. Let's equip them with the tools they need to thrive both academically and emotionally. 

Thank you for your ongoing support. We look forward to a year filled with growth, learning, and building resilience.

Warm regards, 

Olivia Desormeaux


Date night?

How about going to a screening of Steve Biddulph’s talk on navigating and supporting the development of boys?

While highly regarded psychologist and author Steve Biddulph no longer does live talks, he continues his mission to raise happier, kinder boys and men. Come along for a screening of his fantastic talk for information and inspiration on navigating and supporting the development of boys.

Steve Biddulph book pack to be won.

Gisborne Library at 6:30pm on Tuesday 13th June. 

BOOKINGS REQUIRED

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/steve-biddulph-raising-boys-tickets-640260475317

Wear it Yellow Day - National Reconciliation Week

As part of National Reconciliation Week this year, on Wednesday 31st May, the students and teachers all took part in a yellow-themed casual dress day to raise funds for a First Nations organisation, Children’s Ground.

And what a great result - Thank you! We raised $550 for First Nations led education at Children's Ground! We hope our students have walked away from Reconciliation week with a further enriched understanding of First Nations history and culture.

If you still wish to donate you can via the below link.

https://wearityellow.org.au/mount-macedon-primary-school

This year's theme was "be a voice for generations" and encouraged all Australians to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in their every day lives - where we live, work and play. It was so great to see all of the students and teachers getting into the spirit and helping to raise awareness and funds for such an important cause to reflect, learn about shared histories and strengthen relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and non - Indigenous peoples. See below for some great photos of our students taking part in this significant event.

Sports Update by School Reporter Harriet

Hello everyone, what an active week we had last week!

On Friday some students went to district Netball. I hear they had some minor injuries but they did enjoy playing the game. Even though they did not win all the games, they still had lots of fun on the court. They said it was good competition, and had a great day. Below are some photos of the students in action!

Have a good week everyone,

Harriet

Foundation / Grade 1 Update

This week in Foundation / Grade 1, the students are learning all about graphs and how graphs are a common method to visually illustrate patterns, trends and relationships in data. Yesterday, the students were busy collecting their data on the different colours of cars driving up Mount Macedon Road. The students noted the colour of each car that went past the school for a period of time, then started on their graphs to help organise the data they obtained.  Their graphs showed how many cars went past and what colour they were. Have a look below at some very interesting patterns and trends on the colours of cars on Mount Macedon Road. From what we can see, there's one particular colour that is most prominent. 

Grade 2/3 Update

Over the last few weeks, the Grade 2/3 students have been learning all about different body systems as part of their inquiry. They were all asked to choose one body system, research and learn about how this body system relates to and integrates with other body systems, as well as the rest of the body as a whole. Some of the systems they investigated were the circulatory system, the respiratory system, digestive system and the nervous system. In art, they had created models of their body systems to help them visualize and understand how they work.  Last week, their parents were invited to a presentation where the students got to showcase their work and talk about what they learnt. The students were all very proud and excited to be presenting to parents, and it was a great opportunity for them to practise their presentation skills. From all accounts it was a great success and the students had a lot of fun. Have a look at their great work below.

What's been happening in STEM?

In STEM this week the students explored earthquake proof building designs. After looking at what causes earthquakes and discussing the recent one, we looked at how we can build enormously tall and heavy buildings that are able to withstand earthquakes. We then put some of those concepts into practise with spaghetti and Blu-tac. The students were able to explore what shapes were stronger and troubleshoot solutions to help their buildings stay standing. have a look at their amazing structures below.

Plates, Trays and Containers awaiting collection

Thank you to everyone who came to the Mother's Day Afternoon Tea, and those who brought something delicious along to help make the event special. However, there are quite a few plates, trays and containers left over from the day. Please see the photos below, and if you can recognise any of the items, please come and collect them from the school office.

Many Thanks

Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge

OSHC News

They Say it takes a village to raise a child and we are yours! Mt Macedon Primary School Outside School Hours Care caters for parents who work, study or for those times where you just can’t make school pick up time, for whatever reason. We specialise in providing high quality, affordable and safe options for families who need Before School Care and After School Care.

We are an Accredited school sponsored Program and registered for the Child care Subsidy. 

Our values are simple but important: Empowerment, Learning, Safety, Fun, Play and Respect.

In our care, children make new friends, build on old friendships, get exercise, eat healthy food, embrace their imagination, and have loads of fun in a safe, educational and respectful environment. So Enrol your child now as you never know if you need to use the Program. Permanent and Casual Bookings are available.

Cheers

Loretta Jordan

Sushi Monday's - extra items available

Just a quick note to say that the menu on QKR! has been extended to include noodles and fried rice, perfect timing for winter with some warm lunch offerings!

Guitar Lessons 2023

Aaron Moar has been teaching guitar students at Mount Macedon Primary School for the last 8 years. He is keen to meet some new students who are interested in learning how to play, and continue working with current students for 2023. Aaron is a qualified teacher and has been teaching guitar for over 15 years. He conducts group lessons at the school, and teaches students of all levels and classes. His lessons are fun and interactive, where the students learn to play both modern and traditional tunes to practise their skills and technique. If you would like to enquire about guitar lessons for your child, please contact Aaron on 0438 177 764 or email: aaronmoar@infinitesound.com.au or see flyer below.

Ranges Music Network

The Ranges Music Network is excited to kick off a busy Term 2 with some great project goals and performances on the horizon! 

New in Term 2: Discovery Club for Foundation to Year 2.  Get a start on Keyboards, Guitars, Drums and more while learning to play together and make great music!

Sign up any time for our programs in Keyboards, Ukulele, Voice / Singing, Woodwinds, Brass, Violin,  Drums + our Mini-Bands!  Start any time at https://rangesmusic.net/mmps/.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Woodend Winter Arts Festival

The Woodend Winter Arts Festival is taking place over the June long weekend. 

The Festival includes various family friendly events, including a performance of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, free family fireworks at Buffalo Stadium and a new event, the High Street Festa - which will feature illuminated artworks on Woodend's historic buildings, along with free live music performances.

June-July 2023 School Holiday Program

Good afternoon,

We are an Allied Health Clinic located in Sunbury. We are so pleased to be once again offering a School Holiday Therapy program in the coming school holidays.  This is run by our Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists and/or Music Therapists. The program runs from Monday the 24th of June to Friday the 7th of July.

We offer activities suitable for preschool, primary and secondary aged children. The groups on offer in these holidays are:

  • Playpals for those kids who struggle with structured therapy (Preschool & Prep)
  • New! Trains Themed General School Holiday Program - Preschool & Prep
  • New! Games Group - for Grade 1 and Grade
  • Drama Games (two separate groups - Grade 3 to Grade 6; Teens)
  • Minecraft themed General School Holiday Program (two separate age groups - Grade 1 and Grade 2; Grade 3 to Grade 6)
  • New! Board Games Group - for Teens 
  • Let’s Get Physical

(Grade 1 and Grade 2)

  • Let’s Cook

(two separate age groups - Grade 1 and Grade 2; Grade 3 - Grade 6)

More information is available on each program on our website. To make these programs accessible, we have kept our prices the same for the last 2 years.

We would be really grateful if you could possibly include our flyer in your newsletters, or place it somewhere in your facility where parents may see it. To download the flyer please click here.

If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Warm regards,

Tim Hill Director

Neurodiversity Arts Festival

Futsal Winter Season

Woodend Girl Guides

Macedon Ranges Calisthenics

Young Warblers Woodend

MRSC Kindergarten Registration

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