Melrose Park Public School Newsletter

I would like to thank MPPS staff, students and parents for warmly welcoming me to the school community. I was delighted to be able to welcome our new Kindergarten students on their first day of school last Thursday.  The students have settled in well, are learning routines and enjoying all aspects of school life. A big thank you to our SASS staff and our School Wellbeing Officer, Mrs Nerida Gallagher, for organising Tea and Tissues in the school hall. It was lovely to meet parents and feel the sense of excitement as the primary school journey begins.

Nicole Doig, Relieving Principal

I would like to welcome the following new staff members to MPPS:

Mrs Jenny Small – English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) teacher (Tuesday)

Mrs Talitha De Jager – Relief from Face to Face (RFF) teacher (Wednesday)

Mrs Ishrat Khan – School Learning Support Officer (SLSO) in class support (Thursday and Friday)

Mr Ben Seo, our School Counsellor, is returning to MPPS and will be onsite each Wednesday.

The department has introduced a new Assistant Principal, Curriculum and Instruction position in all primary public schools. Mrs Belinda O’Neill has taken on this role, working Mondays to Thursdays as per the department allocation for Melrose Park Public School. 

This new leadership role is designed to work alongside Assistant Principals in providing high support to teachers in literacy and numeracy. Mrs O’Neill will work collaboratively with the leadership team in the implementation of the new English and mathematics Syllabus. 

The Assistant Principal, Curriculum and Instruction will provide guidance and professional learning to staff. Mrs O’Neill will work alongside teachers in classrooms to enhance high quality teaching practices. This might look like demonstration lessons, team teaching or working with small groups of students in focussed literacy and numeracy tasks.  The role is dedicated to ensuring our students have strong literacy and numeracy knowledge.

Parents and caregivers are invited to attend an information session on Wednesday 1 March 2023 to learn about the implementation of the New K-2 English and Mathematics Syllabuses at Melrose Park PS. All parents are welcome to attend, regardless of which class your child is in. Sessions, dependent on numbers attending, will be held in the school library at either 8.45am-9.15am; 2:20-2:50pm or 6:30-7pm.

Registration is essential to ensure the session goes ahead. Please complete the Google form (https://forms.gle/Q6dfSxmz5M2LvqsCA) or email melrosepk-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au to RSVP by 11am Thursday 23 February 2023, including which session you will be attending, parent name and contact details as well as student name and class. Confirmation of the session will be emailed to you by Friday 24 February 2023.

I look forward to seeing parents and caregivers there.

Belinda O’Neill

Assistant Principal, Curriculum and Instruction

Open communication is essential to maintaining a trusting and inclusive school community. We believe that the best educational outcomes will be achieved for students when teachers and parents work in partnership. We aim to keep our school community informed and follow up on feedback.

We are currently exploring the many communication tools available in SENTRAL and will slowly work towards using SENTRAL as our main communication platform. However, this will happen over time, and parents will be provided with training during the transition period.

The school currently has in place the following structures for the dissemination of information:

School Newsletter - will be distributed every second week on the odd weeks of term. Parents can access the fortnightly newsletter on the SkoolBag app and on our website.

SkoolBag App – push notifications give parents fast information and reminders about activities at MPPS. Please ensure you have downloaded the app "SkoolBag: School Communication" from your App Store.

Facebook – showcases student performances and promotes school activities.

Emails - please ensure that we have your correct email address. The administration office will email information which requires your attention.

Seesaw App – a communication tool between classroom teachers and parents to share work and activities happening in classrooms.

Term Newsletter – class teachers communicate the learning intentions of the class at the beginning of each term.

Meet the Teacher Evening – provides parents with an opportunity to meet their child’s teacher and outline class structures and organisation.

Student/parent/teacher interviews - scheduled in Terms 1 and 3. Interviews may also occur throughout the year upon request.

Student Reports – written reports on student progress are issued twice a year. Mid-year reports at the end of Semester 1 and yearly reports at the end of Semester 2.

P&C Meetings – monthly meetings provide ongoing opportunities for parents/carers to be involved in school operations and fundraising.

Who do I contact if I have a concern or would like to ask a question about my child?

First Contact:

The classroom teacher should be the first person you contact when you require information about your child. You can do this by emailing the school or calling to arrange an appointment. Our teachers are very happy to talk to parents at a mutually convenient time. Please remember that teachers have teaching and supervision responsibilities throughout the day as well as meetings and professional learning before and after school. They will respond to your request within 48 hours.

Next step if required:

If you feel that you have been unable to resolve an issue after talking to the classroom teacher, then you may ask to speak with their supervisors. The following Assistant Principals supervise the following classes:

Mrs Cheltzie Hall – K-2 classes

Miss Alice Mee – Years 3-6 classes

Then:

The Principal is available by interview to discuss issues following consultation with the relevant staff members.   

Our 'Meet the Teacher Evening' has been organised for Wednesday 15 February. This evening will provide you with the opportunity to meet your child’s teacher and listen to an outline of school programs and general classroom organisation and routines. Both sessions will contain the same information, therefore you only need to attend one session at the time which is most suitable.

During the Principal’s Address, I will provide insight to the whole school vision and 2023 school initiatives. The leadership team from Marsden High School will also be in attendance and will provide an overview of Marsden High School and the programs offered. These information sessions form an important part of the school’s partnership and communication with its parents and carers, and we look forward to your attendance.

Each fortnight, one student from each class is chosen by their teacher to share an impressive piece of work with me. These students receive a Principal sticker and are presented with a Principal’s Awards at Thursdays assembly. Congratulations to the following students for their fabulous work during the first week of school.