Mount Macedon P.S. Newsletter

December

Wednesday 18th - Picnic at Hanging Rock

Thursday 19th - Final Assembly, Christmas Concert and Parent Helper Morning Tea. 9:00AM Start.

Friday 20th - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - 1.30 FINISH

Hello everyone,

It’s that time of year again: Last newsletter of the year!

In so many ways MMPS has shone this year because of the efforts of its parent community. I have been blown away by the hard work and commitment you have all shown to making MMPS a wonderful place to be. A huge thanks goes to our FOS group and in particular the Fete Organising Committee who helped put on a fabulous Fete in November, which, despite the rain was an amazing demonstration of our school spirit on full show. Be it gardening, working on the grounds or reading with students, you have all done an amazing job.

To our wonderful staff here at MMPS, it is such a please to see how much time, effort and love you put into working with our students here each year. Thank you!

It has been such a huge year for our students, and I cannot express how hard they have worked all year. As always, they have should all enjoy their well-earned break and take the time to rest up and make the most of the holiday period.

Grade 6 Graduation: Last night saw our Grade 6 students celebrate their graduation from primary school. The ceremony was a beautiful celebration of their time here at MMPS and included very strong messages about how important friendship, creativity and laughter has been in their learning journey here at MMPS. I wish all the graduating students all the very best for the future, we can’t wait to hear all about your marvellous adventures!

Picnic at Hanging Rock: After the heat of yesterday it is an enormous relief that we will be seeing much cooler temperatures for our annual Picnic at Hanging Rock excursion tomorrow. Students will be arriving at school as normal and then travelling by bus to Hanging Rock, arriving at around 10:00am. Parents and siblings are more than welcome to attend as well as it is a gorgeous day. Permission and payment must be provided via QKR.

Final Assembly: We will be holding our final assembly of the year this Thursday morning at 9:00am in our school hall. This will include our Christmas concert and will be followed by a parent helper morning tea in our library.

Final Day: School finishes this Friday at 1:30pm.

Again, I cannot express how thankful I have been for all of your help and support in making 2024 a hugely successful year. It has been and continues to be a transitional period for Mount Macedon Primary School and the continued support has helped make it a smooth and positive one.

Many thanks, Joe.

In this week's instalment of "When I Was Your Age" lessons, we took a nostalgic dive into the gaming past to explore some of the classic 'point-and-click' adventure games I used to love as a kid. Do The Secret of Monkey Island, Day of the Tentacle, or King's Quest ring a bell for anyone? These games were a masterclass in storytelling, creativity, and problem-solving—and they still hold a special place in gaming history (and my Mum's 386 PC that was meant to be "only used for school work Daniel!"

But unlike the painstaking coding required to create such adventures back in the day, technology today has made game design so much more accessible. Enter Downpour: a fantastic, free iPad app that lets budding game designers unleash their creativity and create interactive experiences with ease.

Our students eagerly took to Downpour, which uses a simple 'hyperlinking' structure. Essentially, you can select an element in an image and assign an action or a destination for that element when tapped. This opens the door to crafting intricate stories and engaging gameplay without requiring advanced technical knowledge.

Some of the imaginative games that emerged in our classroom included:

• Santa Gift Delivery Game: Navigate Santa’s sleigh to deliver presents across the globe.
• Drive Your Own Adventure: A choose-your-own-path driving journey full of unexpected turns.
• The Lost Elf: Help an elf find their way home through snowy forests and puzzling mazes.

The best part? These games can be easily published to the web, allowing students to share their creations with friends, family, and even the wider world. It’s an incredible way to combine storytelling, problem-solving, and technology into one engaging activity.

If you’re curious to try Downpour at home, I highly recommend it. Not only is it a lot of fun, but it’s also a fantastic way for kids to develop critical thinking and storytelling skills while embracing their inner game designer.

So why not give it a go and see what exciting worlds you and your child can create together? The possibilities are endless—and who knows, you might just discover the next great adventure game:

You can download the Downpour app from the App or Google Play stores

Mr Garcia