Dear Monty South Community,
What a wonderful week we have had welcoming back our staff and Prep, Year 1 and Year 2 students. A school has no soul without happy faces, children’s laughter, chatter and the buzz that comes from teaching and learning. We have certainly missed all of this in the past few months.
I would like to congratulate every single student for being so enthusiastic about coming back to school, as we know it has been very challenging for many students and the younger students in particular. However, it has been very rewarding to see how they have risen to the challenge and overcome their worries. We are really looking forward to our Year 3-6 students returning on Tuesday 9 June.
The process we put in place based on directives from the Department of Education and Training has been successful. Hence, we intend to keep the same process in place for Years 3-6. The arrangements are as follows:
- The Department has requested that where there is a risk of congregation at entry and exit points, that start and finish times be staggered. We felt, rather than staggering grades, we would stagger by surnames, enabling families to drop off more than one child and leave quickly. Drop off and pick up times for Prep to Year 6 will remain as:
Drop Off Pick Up
8.50am A-I 3.10pm
9.00am J-R 3.20pm
9.10am S-Z 3.30pm
- To reduce the likelihood of congestion, we are asking parents not to come into the classrooms and instead drop off and pick up at designated meeting spots for Prep to Year 2 only.
- Prep – undercroft
- Year 1 – oval
- Year 2 – gym
Our staff will be at these spots to collect and dismiss students at the designated times.
- For students in Year 3 to Year 6, we ask that parents drop off these students and leave without coming into the school, if possible. Students from Years 3-6 will be able to access their usual classrooms from 8.50am onwards.
- Students who are continuing to isolate at home for health reasons will be provided with work and some form of remote connection with their class but the main schooling will be on the school premises.
- For students returning to school, we ask if possible they bring their own pencil cases and equipment. If equipment is assigned at school, it will be wiped down after each use.
- Parents should only enter the school when essential and at all times practice physical distancing. If you need to come into the office, please email or ring beforehand. We thank all our Prep to Year 2 parents who have been so good at not milling around waiting to collect their children.
- There will be no reports sent out at the end of this term. Feedback from teachers to students has been continuous during remote learning. However, our Data Reporting conferences that will take place on Wednesday 29 July. At this conference, written information about Semester 1 will be given to parents.
- There will be another Q and A session for parents of students in Years 3-6
This will take place on Wednesday 3 June at 4pm on WebEx.
https://eduvic.webex.com/meet/sheean.leanne.g
If you have any questions please send these beforehand to montmorency.south.ps@education.vic.gov.au
Again our sincere thanks to all parents for following our guidelines during this time. We really appreciate your support and you are definitely making this process much easier for us.
Student Reporting – Semester 1
It is hard to believe that in a few days the whole MSPS student population will be returning to school for the first time since March 24. As I have said many times, thank you for your ongoing support to your child and the teachers at this school during remote learning. It has been amazing what has been achieved.
You will receive a report for your child outlining their progress during Semester 1 against the Victorian Curriculum. However, it will be as part of the Data Reporting conferences and the report will look different from what you usually receive, as it has not been not possible to implement our standard report writing process.
We have received advice from the Department of Education and Training regarding modifications to the Semester One reporting that takes into account the limitations on the ability of teachers to accurately assess student progress during the remote learning period.
As a result of this advice, teachers at our school will:
- not be providing a five point scale for curriculum areas (ie A to E)
- be available for parents/carers to discuss the school report and the teaching and learning plan for Term 3 on Wednesday 29 July.
The report comment on student achievement will be limited to
- a description of the Victorian Curriculum taught
- a succinct teacher assessment of the literacy and maths areas.
- a comment on how the student has adjusted to the remote and flexible learning environment, with reference to the Personal and Social capability curriculum
- goals for the next steps in your child’s learning.
It is intended to run the meetings via Webex but we will confirm closer to the date.
Bunnings – THANK YOU
A large parcel was delivered to the school this morning courtesy of Bunnings. It was a clear plastic storage container filled with cleaning cloths, disposable gloves, kitchen cleaner, surface sanitizer, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wet wipes and jumbo rolls of toilet paper.
It was such a wonderful community minded thing to do and we are extremely grateful to Eltham Bunnings.
Staff news:
We send our very best wishes to Dale Weston, who is recovering from a minor operation. Dale was in the Austin for a week waiting surgery for a gall bladder removal. He was finally operated on towards the end of last week and is home now recovering. We look forward to seeing him return next week.
We also are thrilled to welcome back Rosie Morton who has just returned from family leave. Rosie will be working in Year 6 on a Thursday and next term will be providing learning support and also taking a Bridges to school group. It is great to have her back.
Prep 2021
We have had a significant number of enquiries regarding Prep for 2021. Unfortunately, school tours cannot be conducted but we have filmed an information session and posted it on our website. We encourage prospective parents to contact us if they have any questions but otherwise visit the webpage and our Facebook page. Please pass this on to families you know. If you already have children at MSPS, please enrol your child by the end of Term 2, particularly if you wish for them to attend Bridges in Term 3.
As soon as school torus are permitted, we will let the school community know.
I would also like to thank the parents in our community who alerted me to vandalism at the school last weekend. I received an email from Hilary Smith (Caleb’s mum) and Sam Parry (Alex and Xavier’s dad) who helped me clean it up. There was broken glass outside the Year 2 area down to the oval and the goal post pads had been ripped off. Thank you for helping out.
Just one final congratulations to all our Prep to Year 2 families and students on their great first week back. We wish you another great weekend and we look forward to welcoming the rest of the school after the long weekend for the final two weeks of school.
Warmest regards,
Leanne
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Darebin Interschool Chess Championship, NOW ONLINE!
While still remaining physically distanced, students can now represent their schools and experience genuine social interaction with like-minded peers by joining in our next Online Interschool Chess Tournament!
It’s safe, fully controlled and supervised.
Darebin Interschool Chess Championship
Wednesday, June 3 – From 12:30pm – 3pm
Cost $12 per player
Primary and Secondary Divisions
Winning school qualifies for State Finals!
How parents enter their children
- Visit the Tournament Link online
- Click ‘Enter event’
- Complete the online entry process and pay $12 registration fee
Students will use the same email address to login and PLAY games that they submit during their tournament entry.