MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Everyone has the right to be SAFE
Everyone has the right to be RESPECTED
Everyone has the right to LEARN
LIGHTNING PREMIERSHIP: Congratulations to the students selected in the Lightning Premiership teams this week. We have entered teams in cricket, hotshot tennis, and volleyball. I know they will do their very best representing Melton South Primary School.
NAPLAN: Students in Grades 3 and 5 will be sitting NAPLAN testing over the next two weeks. I saw this letter on the internet and wanted to share it with you:
Dear students,
Soon you will sit the NAPLAN test. Before you take this test there is something important for you to know. The test does not assess all of what makes each of you exceptional and unique.
The people who score these tests don’t know that some of you love to sing, are good at drawing or can teach others how to use a computer program.
They have not seen that some of you can dance with grace or speak confidently to a large group. They do not know your friends count on you to be there for them to play with your little brother, sister or cousins. They do not know that you are caring, thoughtful and that every day you do your best. Because these attributes cannot be tested.
The scores you get from this test will tell you how you did on the day, but they will not tell you everything. They can’t tell you that you brighten up your teacher’s day. They can’t tell how amazingly special you are.
So, come to school ready to do your best for the NAPLAN test and remember there is no way to “test” all the wonderful things that make you, YOU!
CENTENARY BRICK PAVERS: Melton South Primary School is excited to be celebrating its centenary this year and we invite you to be part of a special centenary garden project. Simply purchase a brick paver to be engraved with a name or combined names of your choice (up to 3 lines) for a cost of $25 per paver. More than one paver may be purchased. This is a wonderful way for families to commemorate their connection to the school for generations to come. All pavers will be installed at the front of the school forming a centenary path in recognition of the school’s 100 years.
BUILDINGS and GROUNDS: Last week we had line marking done in the quadrangle which will be followed up with new games being painted as well. We have had a new public address system installed in the quadrangle area which will be great when we have parades etc. We have also purchased a new electronic sign for the front of the school. We were just waiting on a permit from the Council so we can install it.
FATHERING PROJECT: Keep an eye out for the upcoming father and children evening. Plans are underway and details will be sent out soon. Last year’s sessions were very well attended and enjoyed by all.
CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS UPDATE Welcome back to 2023! It is officially our 100th year and we are planning a year full of jam-packed events! Our celebrations will begin with a Launch Picnic at the end of Term 1. More details will be sent out in the upcoming weeks. We have an email dedicated to all Centenary enquiries at: 100Years@meltonsthps.vic.edu.au We look forward to celebrating our schools’ incredible milestone with you this year!
Melton South Primary School acknowledges the Wurundjeri People as the Traditional Owners of the land on which we learn and play. We value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture. We recognise the First People’s connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respects to Elders, both past, present and emerging.
STUDENT OF THE WEEK AWARDS
| GRP-2 | NAME | REASON FOR AWARD | GR3-6 | NAME | REASON FOR AWARD |
| PB | Elizabeth | For bringing a positive attitude to the classroom and including all her classmates! | 3B | Tua | For giving 100% effort in his class work and following instructions. |
| PE | Sissy | For working hard towards forming all her numbers and letters correctly! | 3C | Sophie | Working extremely hard with support in mathematics and working well with her buddy in reading. |
| PF | Chloe | For using her problem-solving skills to make patterns. | 3D | Sina | Following our school value of ‘Respect’ by listening carefully and following instructions. |
| 1A | Logan | For making it to 20 nights of reading! | 3F | Isaac Ngun | For thinking critically when sorting peripheral devices during ICT! For displaying excellent work habits in relation to behaviour, effort and punctuality. |
| 1C | Hania | For being a caring member of the class and for always showing initiative in the classroom. | 3G | Mark | For being an active listener during learning time. |
| 1D | Serenity | For doing an amazing job at practising her sight words at home. | 4A | Sommer | For working hard to achieve her writing goal, letter formation and content. |
| 1E | Adama | Showing persistence and attempting new things. | 4B | Ibrahim | For showing a growth mindset when attempting new strategies in maths. |
| 1F | Declan | For writing a detailed recount with interesting words. | 4E | Charlotte | For her incredible renaming of three-digit numbers! Well done! |
| 2A | Lolakeiti | For showing a growth mindset when attempting new strategies in maths. | 5A | Anha | For showing a fantastic understanding within your narrative text type. Anha you are always working so hard to push yourself to reach your goals! |
| 2B | Tim | For 25 Reading nights! Keep up the awesome reading. | 5B | Amber | For being respectful during class discussion and having the confidence to contribute. |
| 2C | Jebin | For his excellent efforts and class contributions during our place value lessons in mathematics. | 5C | Jennifer | For showing a great understanding of how to create a map that includes grid reference, compass, legend and landmarks. |
| 2D | London | For his excellent efforts in writing all of the sounds that he hears in words. | 5D | Dior | For consistently working hard and trying her best in class. |
| 2E | Kaleb | For trying his best in writing and always being respectful towards others. | 5E | Jasper | His wonderful persuasive text on School Uniforms. |
| 2F | Jye | For great reading during Independent Reading time. | 5F | Kirat | For writing an excellent persuasive text on school uniforms. |
| 6E | Kaylee | Willingly offering her own opinion when answering thought provoking questions during circle time. | 6A | Kaelie | Her determination and hard-working attitude to learning. |
| PArts | Indianna 1C Skylar 4C | Continuous assistance with classmates in Performing Arts. For her beautiful and inspirational 3-part graphic notation! Lovely work! | 6B | Elias Sophia | For excellent partner work on ‘A Train-ING Journey’. |
| STEAM | Willoh 6D | Creating an outstandingly detailed plan for her prosthetic limb which included labelling and measurements. | 6C | Aiden B Honour | For actively participating and sharing ideas during our reading group. Modelling his place value knowledge to the class when working on a maths problem solving task. |
| LOTE | Lucas 5A | For an inspirational Coco Chanel poster and being a good role model. | 6D | Sidus | For demonstrating a committed approach towards learning and all aspects of our team. |
SWPBS BADGE EARNERS
Each day, MSPS students work their way up the learning ladder through following our school values, showing Respect, Kindness, and striving to do their best every day. When they reach the top of the ladder, they are recorded with an Outstanding day on their token acknowledgement chart. When a student reaches a significant milestone of Outstanding days, they earn a badge, here is where we celebrate students who have worked hard to achieve their milestone badges.
| Name, Grade (P,1) William Bodhi Yusuf Nadia Sophia Tekaai Tenzin | Name, Grade (2,3,4) London 2D Savannah 2D Tyren 2D Riley 2D Hunter 2D | Name, Grade (5,6) Samuel 6C Ryan 6C Harvir 6E Ayaan 6E Jaiden 6E |
STEAM NEWS
It has been an exciting start to STEAM this term with students enthusiastically working in teams to discuss, plan, create, improve and present their models while investigating the properties of a variety of materials.
For those new to our school, STEAM is an acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Maths. Students will work in small teams to discuss and solve design problems presented in their briefs. We encourage them to take risks and learn by making mistakes as a way to finding solutions.
Grade Preps have been experimenting with ways to use a crayon suck as the tip, edge, and side then using this knowledge to create textures with texture boards. They have also learned that oil pastels repel water-based inks as they make some interesting dinosaurs.
Currently learning about rockets and planes, Grade 1 is using simple materials like copy paper and straws to create their models and test them to see what makes them go the furthest.
Grade 2 has started planning their ideas on how to make a hut from recycled materials as well as learning about joining methods.
Students from Grade 3 are trying to solve ways of rescuing Rapunzel from her tower while Grade 4 are making Steampunk models. Steampunk is a fantasy genre that focuses on the style of the Victorian industrial era while incorporating futuristic technology.
To celebrate our school centenary Grade 5 students have been researching board games from the 1920s to the 1990s which they will construct as a team and display during our centenary celebrations.
Finally, students from Grade 6 are designing, planning, problem-solving, and constructing a prosthetic hand that can pick up an item. We look forward to seeing their finished prototypes.
-The STEAM Team Teachers
FRENCH NEWS
Bonjour tout le monde,
It has been a great start this term. Our Prep students have been interacting with each other and teacher using simple language and gestures for exchanges such as greetings, thanks and farewells, as well as counting small numbers up to 10.
On the other hand, our Grades 3-5 students have been using informal and formal language for greetings in context such as Bonjour Madame Spencer, Monsieur Chau, Comment allez vous? Comment ca va? Ca va bien merci et toi? As well as counting large numbers up to 31.
C’est amusant! As of this term, our French Club will be happening every Friday at lunchtime for students who have been invited by Madame Spencer & Monsieur Chau. These students will be those that have received a student of the week in French and those that have shown outstanding behaviour over the week.
Each week our students will be doing different activities such as drawing, painting, practising a song and dance routine. We are hoping this will be an incentive for our students to uphold our school values and enjoy participating in French culture.
Merci beaucoup et bonne semaine.
Happy Holi
Melton South PS would like to join our Hindu community in acknowledging and celebrating Holi, the festival of colours (March 8th, 2023).
Junior School Council
Congratulations to the following students who were successful on their applications as Junior School Council representatives.
6A – Keisha, Kaelie, Jaylah
6B – Maison, Hanameel, El
6C – Aiden C, Divine
6D – Willoh, Hamdhan
6E – Ariam
Peer Leadership Badge
In order to achieve a peer leader badge, the grade 6 students must complete a minimum of 35 days of home reading and at least 3 of the following requirements.
| 5 weeks’ worth of homework tasks (a total of 10 tasks) | Full school uniform according to the MSPS school policy | Student of the Week award | Consistently following the school values in the classroom | 95% or above attendance | Negotiated with the teacher |
Congratulations to the following grade 6 students who have been working hard and have achieved their Peer Leadership badge this week.
6A – Jaylah, Aiden, Cortez, Kiesha, Nienke, Skyla
6C – Navraj, Samuel, Ja Seng, Agam, Charlena, Isaiah
6D – Willoh
6E – Xiaotai, Nidish, Jaiden, Biak, Ayaan, Dionte
Harmony Week
Melton South Primary School is taking part in Harmony Week 2023 (20th – 24th of March). Harmony Week is celebrated Australia-wide as a time to reflect on the importance of celebrating and respecting each other, and our differences. Through this event students at Melton South Primary School will be learning about different cultures to develop an understanding of inclusiveness and create a sense of belonging. Students will be participating in a range of learning including researching celebrations throughout the world, similarities and differences in lifestyles, traditional food, activities, beliefs, songs, games and education.
In addition, Melton South Primary School will be holding a Harmony Day parade on Friday the 24th of March, to celebrate the wide range of different cultures we have within our school. Students can choose to wear the colour orange (orange is the colour that represents harmony) or wear something that symbolises their culture.
Please join us in celebrating Harmony together by coming to watch our parade
Where: School Quadrangle
When: Friday the 24th of March
Time:
Foundation – Grade 2: 9:15am – 10am
Grade 3- Grade 6: 2:30pm -3:15pm
Thank you for supporting us in celebrating everyone within our school community.
Harmony Day Competition
Make an A3 size poster, poem, short story or artwork about ‘Why we should celebrate Harmony Day’. The winner of each year level will receive a certificate at assembly and their work will be displayed around the school.
Entries close: Friday March 24th, 2023
Book Club
Orders can be made online only through LOOP. Issue 2 Orders are due back Thursday 23rd Mar 2023. No late orders will be accepted.
Dream Big Festival
Dear Families The Dream Big Festival is on again in Melton. There is a lot going on including a performance by some of our students at 1:00pm. Come and join the fun!