Principals’ Blog

Oct 13, 2023 | Principals' Blog

PARENT INPUT FOR NEW BUILDINGS AND SPACES – HAVE YOUR SAY!

We are pleased to announce that over the holidays we have appointed architects for our new buildings – which is a very exciting time. It is very important to us to involve the whole community in the design and function of the new spaces so that they meet and improve all of our needs for many years to come!

The architects have designed the following survey to gather as much initial feedback from you as they can. This should only take a few minutes to complete. Please remember this is just one of the ways to have your say towards the new building project there will be more ways in the future to contribute.

Parent Survey (English): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/parentsmckinnon

Parent Survey (Mandarin): https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/parentsmckinnonmandarin

TRIVIA NIGHT – TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE TO BE PURCHASED ON THE DOOR

We are very excited about the upcoming McKinnon PS 80s Themed Trivia Night on Saturday 14th October. Ticket sales are now closed on Qkr, however you are still able to purchase tickets on the door.

In the past years this has been a very well attended event for parents at McKinnon Primary School and is a wonderful social opportunity and fundraising night.

We are really committed to reviving that community spirit by having as many parents attend as possible. If you know any newer parents to the school, why not make them feel welcome by inviting them along?

You do not need to purchase a whole table of tickets to sit with people you know- you can just purchase your own tickets and if you wish to be placed on a table with someone you know, nominate their names in the comment section when asked. Or even better meet some new faces as you bond over trivia or 80s music, fashion and movies.

We will be looking forward to seeing some familiar faces and hopefully new faces there too!

Thank you so much as always for your ongoing support.

PJ AND TEDDY DAY- MONDAY 16th OCTOBER

Next Monday the 16th of October the Student Representative Council invite students to a ‘PJ and Teddy Day’ to celebrate Year Sixes final year at McKinnon Primary and support their graduation program.

Students in all year levels are invited to bring a gold coin donation, wear their pyjamas and also bring their favourite (or second favourite) soft toy or teddy bear. The SRC will also be organising a raffle, with the opportunity to win fabulous prizes. Look out for more information next week.

GO FOR GOLD 2023 – CAR FREE DAY!

While October is Active Schools month and many students are walking to school (when the weather allows), our big celebration will be on Wednesday 1st of November. Families, students and teachers are encouraged to ditch the car and start their day with some exercise by walking to school together. Not only is this a healthy way to get to school, it helps reduce traffic congestion as well as helps the environment. Look out for more information on Compass as the date approaches.

MCKINNON KIDS ARE SUN SMART KIDS

With the recent deluge of rain and wet conditions, it can be hard to remember that we need to remain Sun Smart. We have been observing our students during yard duty and have been impressed by the high level of compliance by our students in remembering their Sun Smart hats in the yard. We need to be especially careful during high UV times as it does not take long in the sun for burning and skin damage to take place. Much better to take protective measures such as covering up, wearing sunscreen and wearing hats so that our students can enjoy the outdoors. A reminder to our community that students without hats in the yard will be sent to a designated sun-protected area.

Another important reminder is for students to ensure they neatly store their hats in a secure area, such as their bag or on their lockers during class time and make sure it is clearly labelled with their name so that it is returned to them if misplaced. Our SunSmart policy clearly states from 1st September to 1st May our hats are on!

KEEPING OUR SCHOOL CLEAN

We have noticed an increase in the amount of rubbish in our school grounds as we start the final term of the year. We ask families to be mindful of the types of food packaging they are sending with their child/ren to school and minimise the amount of disposable packages being sent as much as possible.

There are many ways to minimise the amount of disposable packaging being brought to school by students. An example of a fantastic strategy we have seen being used by many families is to have food items such as chips opened at home and have the chips brought to school in plastic reusable containers instead.

Keeping our yard clean is something we are very passionate about and as always appreciate any support we can get from home.

2024 PLANNING

We have commenced planning for 2024. This includes our staffing, programming and home group allocations. The composition of our year level structure is also being developed. Preparing home groups is an exhaustive process that our whole staff commit many hours to getting right. There are many considerations in developing classes including the social, emotional, behavioural and academic needs of each class. Additionally, we always consult with our students on who they would like to be with in their class next year. Students provide a list of requested peers, we ensure that they have at least one of these requested peers in their next year’s class.

When planning for next year it is imperative that we have received notifications of any new enrolments (Foundation siblings) and that you have notified the school if you are leaving the school. We try to manage the influx of new enrolments to sustain positive class sizes and forward planning is most helpful for this. Thank you for your support and timely communication on this matter.

SRC CHALK STATION

The amazing SRC has organised a special “chalk station” which is set up outside the library on the asphalt. A thank you to all parents who supported by donating chalk. 

SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES

Many in our school community are affected by the devastating events in the Middle East.
This time is particularly distressing for staff, students, families and carers who have family and friends in affected areas. It is possible that extremely distressing scenes from the conflict may be posted online in coming days. Please ensure your children are aware of where they can find support in the event they come across such images. At our school, this includes your child’s classroom teacher, trusted adults and members of the leadership team.

You may find some aspects of this resource helpful:

Helping my children after trauma: A guide for parents.

  • Parentline VIC 13 22 89
  • Parentline is free confidential telephone counselling service open from 8am to midnight, available to parents and carers of children 0 to 18 yrs old. Parentline can support families as they navigate how to talk with their children and manage their child’s complex emotions at a turbulent time.

Other numbers:

 Hope you all have a great weekend,

Suzanne, David and Andrew

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