MPPS NEWSLETTER 27/10/2016
PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Gastro Bug!
Just a reminder that the Victorian Government – Health Department, recommends that children in child care centres, kindergartens or primary schools must not attend until there has not been a loose bowel motion/vomiting for 24 hours.
The Health Department advises that after taking in a gastro virus it usually takes 10–72 hours before someone becomes ill, depending on the type of virus. Infected people can continue to have the virus in their faeces and pass the infection on to others for several days after their symptoms have stopped. People can also briefly carry the viruses which cause viral gastro without ever having had any symptoms. These people can still pass the disease on to others.
Rest assured our school has been focused on doing everything we can to assist in lessening the spread of this virus. Management systems have included hand sanitiser in all classrooms and staffroom, staff assisting and reminding students in healthy hygiene habits including washing hands regularly before and after play and toileting, and very importantly before eating. Our cleaner was informed immediately in recognition of the virus within our school and has focused in on cleaning practise to assist us in maintaining hygienic classroom environments; we are using hand sanitiser wipes to regularly wipe down our sign in and out i-Pad at the front office.
I certainly advocate for and know that our parents are making the best choices for their children and also knowing when it is right for their children to return to school after being unwell. Whilst we still have a couple of students away unwell, generally our ‘unwell’ numbers at this stage appear to be quite less than earlier in the week which is a terrific sign that it is generally ‘clearing’.
We certainly look forward to everyone being well and returning to school! If you have any questions or queries at all please do not hesitate to contact me.
Morning Tea with the Principal
Over the last week I have enjoyed the pleasure of the company of:
Oliver PS; Dion PB; Bonnie PS; Emily PB; Charlotte 1O; Kate 3G; Angus 4W; Sam 4B;
We also enjoyed the company at morning tea of Miss Arentz!
Parent Feedback
I would like to thank all of our parents who completed the Production Parent Feedback survey. We really appreciate your time, feedback and ideas! The feedback survey will close this week. Once closed we will collate all parent and staff feedback and use ideas to begin some forward planning for our 2018 school production.
We have a new Parent Feedback Box in our front office. The Parent Feedback box has been created to allow all of our parent community another forum to express ideas and feedback that we may use in working together to continue building and developing our wonderful school in consultation with our community.
Our Closed Member Facebook page has certainly had many active conversations since it was recently created. It has been terrific to follow these conversations, and for the school to also use this parent forum as a way to collect parent ideas such as for our 2017 Fete (even about principals being dunked and kissing pigs!), and also as a way to see concerns and questions our parent community may be asking. I thank everyone for using this forum positively.
Olymp-A-Thon
Our ‘A-Thon’ for this year, Wednesday 16th November 9am – 11am, is getting closer. Don’t forget to dress up in the colours of your favourite country or dress up in your favourite sports gear (please wear runners). I hope everyone has been able to seek some sponsors for their laps on the day.
All money raised will go towards the payment of our new basketball poles, rings and backboards. Replacing these was necessary for compliance with OHS safety standards – the cost replacing these has been approximately $5 000. I would like to thank our wonderful PFA who will be contributing fundraising money to make up any cost difference after funds raised through our Olymp-A-Thon – this generous commitment has allowed us to replace the basketball rings straight away. Thank you!
2017 Booklist and Fee Structure
Last newsletter I discussed briefly our 2017 booklist and fee structure. I have been asked a couple of questions about the Parent Financial Voluntary Contribution section and thought I would include this section again this week for any parents that may have missed the previous newsletter.
Our 2017 Parent Financial Voluntary Contribution section is a section on the booklist that schools are able to invite parents to make a financial contribution to the school. For our school we have two areas:
Meeting the needs of the future for our children
As computer technology becomes increasingly embedded across many aspects of life, business and industry, digital proficiency is seen as a vital "foundational skill" upon which the jobs of the future will depend. By utilising ICT as teaching and learning tools in schools from an early age, it is widely believed that children will acquire the skills necessary to create, design and adapt technology to meet future requirements as well as unlock talent to address the "skills gap" that already exists between the growing number of technology jobs available and the people qualified to fill them.
At Mentone Park PS we are keenly aware and focused on our need as a school to build and develop our whole school ICT infrastructure, ICT devices, and use of ICT as learning tools enabling our students to be learners of and for the future. We are excited with our work in the later part of this year and early next year, in developing and starting to action a forward thinking plan for developing this area within our school. It is for this reason that within our 2017 fee structure you will see an option for parents to make a Voluntary Financial Contribution towards our ICT budget to assist us in building a school that equips our children with ICT experiences that support their futures.
Safe, engaging, fun and creative school grounds
Mentone Park PS is also keen to maintain and further develop our school grounds to ensure a safe, engaging, fun and creative school ground for all of our students. It is for this reason that parents will also see that our 2017 fee structure also enables parents to make a Voluntary Financial Contribution towards our Grounds and Maintenance school budget.
Building Works Update
Last week our builder informed us that as far as the actual ‘building construction’ goes they are almost 80% finished. This is really exciting news! Of course we still have all of the follow up work still to be completed, including plastering, painting, carpeting, trim etc. This work will of course still take time to complete – but the good news is we are still on-track for all of the works to be completed by the end of the year!
Renee Kennedy
Acting Principal
Thank you to all our parents and visitors who have been
ensuring they sign in and out at the office when here during the day. Our Gate
Monitors -Amy and Daniel - have been doing a wonderful job of locking the gates
at 9.20am and unlocking them at 3.10pm each day. Please note that if you are
here for a meeting, as a helper or for any other purpose between 9.20am and
3.10pm, you will only be able to enter and exit the school grounds via the
front office gate.
Michael Carr-Gregg presentation information
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
Farewell Mrs Bon
Tomorrow we farwell Mrs Jo Bon, much loved Prep teacher and staff member as she begins her maternity leave. Jo has been at Mentone Park for 10 years. It won't be the same without her smiling face around here but we can't wait to meet 'Baby Bon' very soon! Jo's baby is due before the end of the school year so we look forward to being able to share the exciting news and hopefully some photos before school finishes for the term.
Today, Jo's Prep parents surprised her with a gift and cake to thank her for all her kindness, care, dedication and commitment to their children in their first year of school. As a parent of a child in Jo's class, I can attest to these sentiments. Thank you, Jo, we wish you and Ray all the best for the exciting times ahead as you welcome your own precious child into the world.
Access Gates
Thank you to all our parents and visitors who have been
ensuring they sign in and out at the office when here during the day. Our Gate
Monitors -Amy and Daniel - have been doing a wonderful job of locking the gates
at 9.20am and unlocking them at 3.10pm each day. Please note that if you are
here for a meeting, as a helper or for any other purpose between 9.20am and
3.10pm, you will only be able to enter and exit the school grounds via the
front office gate. 
Anxiety and Resilience Workshop for Parents
On November 21st from 7pm to 8.30pm, Dr Michael Carr-Gregg (Channel 7's Sunrise and 3AW) will again present his popular talk on how to tackle anxiety and build resilience in young people.
This talk is specifically designed for anyone dealing with young people on a regular basis. Therefore it is idea for parents and teachers along with a host of others who work or deal with young people.
If interested in attending please
ensure you secure your spot by emailing Rick (click here for email address) as places are limited and similar sessions have often
filled up quickly!
The cost of the presentation
is $20.
Basketball Backboards, Poles and Rings
As mentioned in Renee's report, we have been fortunate to be able to have our new basketball backboards up quickly in order to replace the ones we had to take down at the start of the term. Here are a few photos of the students enjoying this new equipment! 
ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Congratulations to our achievement award winners for week 3. 
Alison Lough
Assistant Principal
PFA UPDATE
FREE DRESS DAY
Free Dress Days will be held on Friday 4th November & 25th November
to raise money to go towards our 2017 Fete to buy Lucky Dip Prizes.
SCHOOL DISCO 16TH NOVEMBER
The School Disco will be held on Wednesday 16th November
Our DJ will be Mr Hardie
Prep - Grade 2 - 4.30pm - 5.30pm
Grade 3 - 6 - 6.00pm - 7.30pm
We are looking for 1 or 2 parents to co-ordinate the lead up and parent helpers will be required on the night of the Disco. If you are interested in helping out
Please click here to volunteer and specify Disco
TABLOID SPORTS DAY 23RD NOVEMBER 11.30 - 1.00pm
We are looking for a co-ordinator
to work with Jo Struthers to organise the Prep Tabloid Sports Day Lunch. Helpers required for: cooking sausages, serving
sausages in bread, hand out icy poles and clean up to our incoming Preps and
their families for 2017 along with our 2016 preps and Grade 5 students. It would be good to have some prep families
from this year to help, as new families may have questions they would like to
ask this year’s prep families.
Please click here to volunteer and specify Tabloid Sports Day
HOUSE SPORTS DAY
We are looking for parents with a current Working With Children Check to assist at our House Sports Day and in Kids Cafe on Friday 9th December.
Please click here to volunteer
Please specify HOUSE SPORTS DAY and nominate either Kids Café or Event and Time AM / PM.
PRIMARY SCHOOL WEAR
Year 5 & 6 Sports Tops are now available in store Retail Price $44.95
Dear Parents,
Below is the class roster for the rest of the school year. Please click here to volunteer for any of the dates below.
Thanks,
The Kids’ Cafe Team
Term 4
Nov 4th 5/6R
11th 5/6S
18th all Preps & Grade 1
25th all grades 2 & 3
Dec 2nd all Grades 4, 5 & 6
9th cleaning - all welcome
Working With Children Check Reminder
All parents/guardians, visitors & volunteers to the school MUST sign in & out of the school and display their WWCC in a lanyard, which is available at the school office.
The Department of Education requires any person involved in an activity where children may be present to have a current WWCC or have supplied proof that they have applied for a WWCC with the Department of Justice. All schools are required to comply with the Working with Children Act 2005.
Volunteers are expected to carry the WWCC card on their person at all times when working or volunteering at the school or during school related activities.
There is no fee for this check. Apply now by visiting: www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au
COMMUNITY SERVICE & ANNOUNCEMENTS
The Department of Education & Early Childhood Development and Mentone Park Primary School do not endorse the products or services of any private advertiser. They accept no responsibility for accuracy of information contained in advertisements or claims made by them.
The Department of Education & Early Childhood Development and Mentone Park Primary School do not endorse the products or services of any private advertiser. They accept no responsibility for accuracy of information contained in advertisements or claims made by them.
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