Berry Street Education Model

On our recent Curriculum Day, our whole staff completed the third professional learning day in the Berry Street Education Model. This session focuses on Stamina, building students’ capacity to sustain attention, regulate emotions, and engage positively in their learning. Many of the strategies explored are already embedded in our practice; however, this professional learning allows us to refine and strengthen our consistent approach across the school.

School Council

In the coming weeks, information will be shared via Compass regarding upcoming vacancies on our School Council. We encourage interested parents and carers to consider nominating.

In Victoria, School Council plays an important role in the governance of government schools. Councillors work collaboratively with the Principal to help set the strategic direction of the school, approve policies, oversee the school budget, and support decisions that enhance student learning outcomes. Being part of School Council is a meaningful way to contribute to the future direction and ongoing success of our school.

School Opening and Closing Times

A reminder regarding supervision and school gate times:

Gates open: 8:30am

Gates close: 3:30pm

These times are in place to ensure appropriate supervision, including for students attending Before and After School Care. Students should not enter the school grounds via the office outside of these times. If students arrive early, they will be required to wait at the gate until supervision begins.

Attendance

Attendance continues to be a key focus for our school. We see this as a team effort, home and school working together to ensure students are not only attending every day but arriving on time at 8:50am.

To celebrate outstanding attendance, students who achieve 100% attendance for the term will receive a Macarthur Street wristband. These students will also be invited to a special end-of-term lunch (fish and chips or pizza). Students who earn four wristbands across the year will receive a special gold “100% Club” custom pin to wear on their school uniform. We are looking forward to seeing many wristbands and gold pins proudly worn throughout the year!

SWPBS

You may have heard your child talking about SWPBS points. At Mac Street, we use School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) to foster a positive, safe, and inclusive learning environment. This framework focuses on explicitly teaching behavioural expectations and recognising students who demonstrate them consistently.

Students earn tokens for displaying positive behaviours both inside and outside the classroom. Once a fortnight, students can redeem their SWPBS points at the office for rewards such as a milkshake, a mystery prize, or even the opportunity to use the teacher’s chair for the day. We are incredibly proud of our students, and SWPBS provides a wonderful way to celebrate their efforts and contributions to our school community.

Parent/Carer/Teacher Interviews

Last week, we held our first Parent/Carer/Teacher Interviews for the year. It was fantastic to see so many families engaging in meaningful conversations about learning goals and aspirations for 2026. Thank you for your continued partnership.

We will continue with the same structure in 2026 as in 2025, with Term 3 remaining an optional interview period.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN is fast approaching. We view NAPLAN as a celebration of learning rather than a high-pressure test. It is a nationwide assessment for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 that measures progress in Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar and Numeracy.

NAPLAN is just one part of how we understand and support each child’s learning journey. Our focus remains on growth, effort and progress, rather than simply results. We encourage students to approach the assessment calmly and confidently, doing their best.

If you have any questions or concerns about how your child may manage NAPLAN, please don’t hesitate to contact me for a conversation.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.