Macquarie Memo Issue 21

News from our Deputy Principal

Dear families,

Welcome to 2025! We are looking forward to seeing the majority of you in and around the school in week 4 as we hold ‘Getting to Know You’ interviews. These are 15 minutes meetings for you to meet your child’s class teacher and pass on any information relating to your child that they may not be aware of. Please remember that these are not parent/teacher interviews. If you would like to have a more in-depth discussion about your child, please make arrangements with your child’s class teacher for a mutually convenient day and time.

Thank you to the P&C for organising the Welcome BBQ. This was a great opportunity for us to connect as a whole school, in an informal way. Thank you as well to those parents and carers who stayed for the P&C AGM. We appreciate the efforts of the P&C and the benefits their active engagement has on our school environment, resources and sense of connection as a school.

In the week prior to children starting school for 2025, all staff engaged in professional learning to unpack a new system reform in ACT public schools – Strong Foundations. This reform is based on the findings and recommendations form the ACT Government’s inquiry into literacy and numeracy. Strong Foundations will deliver a shared approach across the ACT including:

• How we implement the Australian Curriculum
• The teaching approaches used
• The way we use assessment to inform learning
• Implementation of a Multi-Tiered System of Supports in every school
• A system approach to professional learning

 Implementation will be in phases over a number of years.

As a school, we are excited about this system reform. This is another way in which we can reflect and refine our thinking and processes to ensure that we are continually making an impact on student learning and wellbeing.

As the weather becomes colder in the mornings, please label all clothing with your child’s name. Many children come to school with jumpers or jackets on as the mornings are brisk, only to remove them very quickly as the day warms up. It is heartbreaking when you find an item of clothing in the playground without a name, as we do not know who to return it to.

Warm regards,

Karen

PARENT PORTAL

We use Parent Portal to communicate with parents and carers. Through Parent Portal, you can:

• get push notifications when your child's teachers post to the newsfeed
• let us know if your child is sick or explain an absence
• book parent-teacher interviews
• receive academic reports and the school newsletter
• make payments
• access our school’s calendar and your child’s student timetable.

You can access Parent Portal on a web browser of through the Sentral for Parents app, available wherever you download your apps.

For our new families, you should have received an access code and registration link recently. You need an ACT Digital Account to register. Information on how to register is on the Education Directorate’s website.

If you have any questions or would like us to resend you your access code and registration link, please contact the front office.

2025 Stationery and Book Packs

Student Name:_________________________                 2025   Year Level:_______________________

Payment Options - cashless payments are preferred

Option1:  Electronic Funds transfer

EFT Details

Account Name:                  Macquarie Primary School Management Account

BSB Number:                      032 777                     

Account Number:             001586

Use reference:                  Child’s Name 2023 STATIONERY

Option 2:  Quickweb

Quickweb Details:

Go to our school website and follow the prompts on the payment page

Use reference:                  Child’s Name 2023 STATIONERY

Option 3:  Cash or cheque paid directly to the Front Office in a sealed envelope labelled with your child’s name and year group.

Yuma community,

Yerrabi Yurwang will be starting all group programs from next week, including some new additions! Please see below

• Mondays 3:30-5:00pm Boys Group for Aboriginal boys aged 10-18, Monday 10^thFebruary - Monday 31st March. The term will start at the Yarramundi Cultural Centre, 245 Lady Denman Drive Acton, followed by some excursions for the Rugby Program with Reclink. Afternoon tea provided. Contact mdaley@yerrabi.org.au for flyers, sign ups and more details!

• Tuesdays 10:30-12:00 Deadly Brains Playgroup for Aboriginal children aged 0-5 and their parents and carers, Tuesday 11^thFebruary - Tuesday 1st April. Most sessions will be at the Yarramundi Cultural Centre, 245 Lady Denman Drive Acton, except for a few exciting excursions! We will provide play experiences, child development activities, nursery rhymes in Aboriginal languages and morning tea. Contact cwinter@yerrabi.org.au for flyers, signups and more details! If you or your client requires transport to be able to attend these playgroups, please let Caitlin know via email.

• Wednesdays 10:30-12:00 Women's Circle for Aboriginal women who are parents, sisters, aunties, grandmothers, carers for Aboriginal children. Wednesday 12^thFebruary - Wednesday 2nd April. Participate in yarns, arts, crafts, excursions and opportunities to connect with community, culture and support services to take care of your wellbeing. Morning tea provided. Contact cwinter@yerrabi.org.au for flyers, sign ups and more details! If you or your client requires transport to be able to attend these playgroups, please let Caitlin know via email.

• Wednesdays 3:30-5:00 Strong Men's Group for Aboriginal Men. Wednesdays 12^thFebruary - 2^nd Connect with community and culture through a variety of activities guided by strong Aboriginal men to support you and your family. Afternoon tea provided. Contact igoolagong@yerrabi.org.au for flyers, sign ups and more details.

• Thursdays 3:30-5:00 Koori Girls group for Aboriginal girls aged 10-18, Thursdays 13^thFebruary - 3^rd Participate in arts, crafts and cultural activities guided by deadly Aboriginal women to help you connect to community and culture. Afternoon tea provided. Contact mkdaley@yerrabi.org.au for flyers, sign ups and more details.

• Keep an eye out for Pop-Up Playgroups monthly on Saturdays, Elders' groups and parenting programs with Yerrabi Yurwang coming soon!

Mitch Daley

Youth Worker

Yawarj Mara, Strong Pathways Program

YERRABI YURWANG 

Child & Family Aboriginal Corporation

P & C News

P&C update

A big thanks to all the families and staff who came along to the welcome BBQ and for attending our Annual General Meeting yesterday. We are pleased to have some new faces as well as continued members on the 2025 P&C committee.

We are pleased to advise that our 2025 P&C committee is:

President: Matt White 

Treasurer & Public Officer: Erin Medway

Secretary: Bec Pitman 

Breakfast Club Coordinator: Gemma Hope

Canteen Coordinator: Lucy Earl-King 

Class Parent Representative: Alethea White 

Communications Officer: Jacinta Townsend

Gardens and Grounds Coordinator: Jhana de Silva

Grants Officer: Hemant Mulmudi

Uniform Shop Coordinator: Ian Rayner

Staff representative: Mike Smith

A huge thanks to the outgoing P&C members who have collectively spent many years filling various roles, and who have made big contributions to MPS!

Parents of MPS - we need your help! 

We still have a number of vacant positions on the P&C committee:

Assistant Treasurer

ACT P&C Council Delegate

Events and Fundraising Coordinator 

Preschool Representative

 These roles come with a handover and great support from our dedicated and easy going P&C committee. We’d love to see a few more new faces for 2025! 

We are proud of all that the P&C can contribute to MPS. But we need more volunteers as Class Parent Representatives and to assist with our rosters for the Uniform Shop, Canteen, Breakfast Club and at other events throughout the year. You can volunteer one-off, once per term, fortnightly, whatever you have time to offer, we would gladly take your help to support the P&C! 

Please be in touch if you are interested in volunteering or would like to find out more about these roles: macquariep&c@gmail.com

Term 1 P&C general meeting: 

Now that we have our 2025 committee, we want to get planning on our priorities for events, fundraising and spending for the year!

Our Term 1 meeting will be held at the Gardenside café at 6-7.30pm on Wednesday 5 March 2025. All parents, staff and community members are welcome, you don’t need to have a committee position so please feel free to come along to listen and contribute any ideas! 

Cookbooks: 

These are selling like hot cakes! Thanks for supporting this unique MPS P&C initiative! 

Don’t miss the opportunity to purchase a copy for families, friends and as keepsakes. MPS families and staff can order the cookbook now through Flexischools. Or you may see them for sale at local stores around the Cook/Macquarie neighbourhood! 

Uniform Shop: 

Uniforms can be ordered at any time through Flexischools or by visiting the Uniform Shop staffed by our wonderful P&C volunteers at these times:

Mondays 8:45am – 9:15am; Wednesdays 3:00-3:30pm; Fridays 8:45 – 9:15am 

New volunteers are needed to help the P&C to maintain these opening hours throughout 2025.

 If you are interested in helping once a fortnight, please contact Ian at: uniform.mps@gmail .com for more information.

Macquarie Primary School (MPS) Parents and Citizens (P&C)

Committee Position Descriptions (February 2025)

President (Office Bearer)

• Facilitates communication between P&C, Principal, Board and school community
• Encourages family and community participation in P&C activities
• Acts as first point of contact and spokesperson for the P&C
• Chairs general and executive committee meetings
• Reports about P&C activities to P&C meetings.

Vice President (Office Bearer) – maximum of two

• Assists the President
• Oversees and supports P&C subcommittees

Treasurer (Office Bearer)

• Manages P&C funds and financial records, including annual budget
• Receives and deposits P&C monies, including subcommittee funds raised and spent
• Actions P&C funding decisions made at P&C meetings.
• Organises P&C insurance and ACT P&C Council Association membership
• Prepares annual P&C accounts (Financial Statement of Income and Expenditure and Balance Sheet) and organises annual review of financial statements
• Reports on P&C finances to P&C meetings.

Assistant Treasurer (Office Bearer)

• Assists the Treasurer with banking and accounting system processes, including overseeing operations of the Uniform Shop and Breakfast Club in consultation with the Treasurer, Uniform Shop Co-ordinator and Breakfast Club Coordinator.

Secretary (Office Bearer)

• Prepares and distributes meeting agendas, and records and circulates meeting minutes
• Acts upon decisions as directed by meetings
• Deals with incoming and outgoing correspondence
• Maintains P&C records.

Public Officer

• Acts as point of contact between the P&C and the Office of Regulatory Services (ORS)/Access Canberra
• Lodges Annual Returns and notifies ORS/Access Canberra of P&C committee and other changes
• This position must be held by a resident of the ACT who is over the age of 18 years.

ACT P&C Council Delegate

• Attends meetings of the ACT Council of P&C Associations, represents P&C views to the Council, and reports back to the MPS P&C on ACT P&C Council items of interest.

Breakfast Club Coordinator

• Coordinates Friday Breakfast Club including food purchases and volunteer roster
• Reports on Breakfast Club activities and priorities to P&C meetings.

Canteen Coordinator

• Coordinates canteen orders with Healthy Kids Association and the school, and manages volunteer rosters
• Reports on canteen activities and priorities to P&C meetings

Class Parent Representative Coordinator

• Coordinates class parent representatives including seeking reps for each class via the newsletter and other school communication channels, and advising on protocols and privacy
• Supports reps with liaison and communication with teachers, school and the P&C
• Shares information throughout the year to class parent representatives to pass on to class parents
• Reports on class parent representatives’ activity to P&C meetings.

Communications Coordinator

• Shares P&C information between the P&C, Principal, Board and school community via the school newsletter, and other communications
• Promotes P&C activities and events via the school newsletter and other communications
• Maintains/updates P&C communications such as the P&C page on the school website
• Reports on communication activities and priorities to P&C meetings.

Events & Fundraising Coordinator/s

• Coordinates P&C events and fundraising activities including planning and management, event calendars, risk management, food and drink purchasing, promotion and community awareness and volunteer rosters.
• Liaises with the school/Principal to minimise event and activity overlaps
• Where relevant, count funds and liaise with the Treasurer
• Establishes and maintains partnerships with local businesses to support social and fundraising events and activities.
• Reports on events and fundraising activities and priorities to P&C meetings.

Gardens & Grounds Coordinator

• Coordinates parent engagement in gardens and grounds improvements including coordinating volunteers, working bees, and promotion and community awareness.
• Liaises with the P&C, school/Principal, Board, families and local community regarding gardens and grounds improvements
• Reports on gardens and grounds activities and priorities to P&C meetings.

Grants Coordinator

• Coordinates P&C grant applications, including school liaison, grant sourcing, and developing and submitting applications.
• Reports on grant applications to P&C meetings.

Preschool Representative

• Represents the views of preschool parents, and reports to P&C meetings on preschool priorities and items of interest.

Uniform Shop Coordinator

• Manages the Uniform Shop including ordering and pricing stock, school liaison, opening times, volunteer roster, promotions, stocktakes, counting funds and liaising with the Treasurer.
• Reports on Uniform Shop activities and priorities to P&C meetings.

Notes / Reminders

All notes are available on our school website.

Contact Details

Community Notices

2025 school year Equity Fund now open

To ease the pressure of back-to-school costs, eligible Canberra families can apply now for 2025 Future of Education Equity Fund payments.

The Equity Fund supports eligible low-income families and independent students from preschool through year 12 with a one-off, annual payment to help cover the costs associated with schooling such as uniforms, sport equipment and activities, tuition and music lessons.

The 2025 school year payments for eligible families are $400 (preschool), $500 (primary school), and $750 (high school and college).

Payments of completed applications will begin earlier than previous years, with the first payments to families expected from 6 January 2025.

Families will have until the end of November 2025 to apply for the Fund.

Check your eligibility and find more information about supporting documents on the Equity Fund webpage.

For 20 plus years, Menslink have provided free counselling to young guys throughout Canberra and the surrounding region.

If your young guy is having a hard time and could really use someone to talk to, get in touch with Menslink. Now conveniently located in Holder (with some sessions also available at Kippax & Lanyon), our wait times are currently low so we’re ready to help when he needs it.

We provide a welcoming and supportive environment for young guys to share their concerns and worries with a male counsellor who will hear them out, work alongside them and provide tips and strategies to get them through those tough times.

Our Counselling sessions are completely confidential and are available to any male aged 10-25. There are no fees or charges or limits to the number of sessions. You don’t need a mental health plan and we are available during school terms and school holidays. The only prerequisite is that he is willing to give it a try.

If you think your young guy will benefit from chatting to one of our counsellors, have a chat with them and head to www.menslink.org.au, hit the ‘Get Help’ button, fill in the form and we’ll get back to you, generally the same or next business day.

If you need more info on how to have that chat with them, just email admin@menslink.org.au or call 6287 2226 and we will send you some information.