Merri-bek Primary School

What a blast at the Kaboom Kid Sports Event! 🟥🟨🟩🟦

Our Annual Sports Event on Wednesday 10 June (2:00–3:30 PM) was a fun-filled afternoon for students and families, full of laughter, friendly competition between our House teams, and great community spirit. Thank you to everyone who came along and made it so special! 👟🏅🤸‍♀️

Having lunch with our principal, Maria! 🍽️😊

What a wonderful chance for students to share their ideas, celebrate their school experiences, and build strong relationships with Maria. She’s excited to listen, encourage student voice, and support our school community. 💬🤝🌟

Walk Safely to School Day🚶‍♀️🚲🛴

What a wonderful morning! Today our students joined schools across Australia for National Walk Safely to School Day by walking, wheeling and scooting to school to build healthy habits, practise road safety and reduce traffic around our gates.

Highlights
- Healthy breakfast: 🍎🍌 fresh fruit was provided for students on arrival.
- Great participation: 👟 many children walked, rode or scooted to school.
- Safety first: 🛑👀 students practised Stop, Look, Listen and Think, younger children were supervised and held hands when crossing. 🤝

How families can keep this going
- Walk with your child where possible. 🚶‍♂️
- Supervise children under 10 and hold their hand when crossing. 🧒🤝
- Make it a routine - regular walking or scooting boosts health, focus and safer school zones. 💪🧠

Thank you to all families and staff who helped make today safe and successful, we loved seeing so many active, smiling students! 😄

Last Friday our Grade 1/2s had a fantastic hands‑on Minibeast Incursion 🐞🦋. Our students explored live minibeasts (butterflies, stick insects, crickets and more), rotated through activity stations to study life cycles and habitats, used microscopes 🔬 to examine specimens, and safely handled and fed critters under the presenters’ guidance 🤝.

This experience links directly to our Inquiry focus on minibeasts and to non‑fiction writing in Literacy ✍️. Our students observed features, adaptations, habitats and food chains 🌱➡️🐛➡️🐦 during the incursion and will use those real examples to write reports, information texts and labelled diagrams back in class 📚.

Huge thanks to the Minibeast Incursions team for an engaging, curriculum‑aligned visit that will inspire our scientists and writers for weeks to come! 🙏👏

🎶 Principals and music leaders champion music education for our students 🎶

Our Principal, Maria Giordano, represented Victorian school leaders at a reception at Admiralty House this week and took part today in a national round table with principals, music educators and representatives from across Australia to promote formal music education in every government primary school.

This work matters for our students because quality music programs:
- Develop confidence, creativity and communication skills 🎤
- Improve concentration, memory and literacy foundations 🧠📚
- Support social-emotional wellbeing and teamwork 🤝❤️
- Provide equitable access to cultural and artistic learning 🎵🌍

We thank the Governor‑General, the Hon. Ms Sam Mostyn AC Patron of Alberts Music Education for hosting the reception and supporting this important initiative. The round table focused on the key supports, barriers and needs to ensure every government school student can benefit from music education. 🎓🎹

💛 ☕️ JOIN US for the Biggest Morning Tea to support people affected by cancer 💛 ☕️

When: Tuesday 9 June, 11:15am–12:00pm
Where: Merri-bek Primary School
Bring: a plate to share

By coming together we help fund the Cancer Council’s research, support services, prevention programs and family assistance.

Can’t attend? Donate online or use the donation box/QR at school. More details: https://www.biggestmorningtea.com.au/s/78217/159268/e

Every contribution helps — thank you for your support.

Australia's Biggest Morning Tea 2026 - Merri-bek Primary 's Biggest Morning Tea Join me at my Biggest Morning Tea or donate online to help me reach my fundraising goal! Together, we can help Cancer Council raise much needed funds.

📣 Big news Merri-bek families! 📣

We're thrilled to announce the State Budget has included $6.179 million to bring the Merri-bek Primary School Concept Master Plan to life. This is a huge milestone and a testament to what our community can achieve together. Our future learning spaces will better reflect our values of inclusion, wellbeing, and high-quality education for every child.

Read more: https://www.anthonycianflonemp.com.au/news-media-releases/news-item/index.php?p=1489

Thanks so much, Salon Sebastian - Lou looks fabulous! 🐾✂️

🏫📣 REAL ACTION on Education: Merri-bek Primary School Concept-Master Plan Parliamentary Petition, SIGN NOW!

Delighted to continue backing the Merri-bek Primary School community's ongoing advocacy efforts to build and progress support for their Concept-Master Plan 🏫📝

As part of this, I'm proud to be sponsoring the school’s Parliament of Victoria petition, calling for funding to deliver the plan’s priorities and ensure students, teachers and families have access to safe, modern and fit-for-purpose facilities that support learning and wellbeing for all 🏗️📚

Developed through more than 18 months of consultation with the entire school community, Merri-bek Primary’s Concept-Master Plan sets out a clear vision for the school’s future 👇🏽

☑️🌱 Stage 1: Replacement of the existing playing surface with a more sustainable, resilient and versatile option

☑️☀️ Stage 2: Construction of a new covered outdoor learning area and canopy for all-weather activities and assemblies

☑️🌳 Stage 3: Creation of new ‘in-between’ and nature-based learning spaces to support wellbeing and inclusivity

☑️🧩 Stage 4: Development of an upper terrace to better support neurodiverse students and inclusive learning environments

To support Merri-bek Primary School’s Concept-Master Plan, SIGN THE PETITION, see 👉🏽 https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/get-involved/petitions/funding-for-merri-bek-primary-schools-concept-master-plan/

To hear my Parliamentary contribution on the school’s visit to Parliament previously to brief and meet with Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll MP, check out 👉🏽 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rT_cjHqq3Zg

To hear me in Parliament champion the Merri-bek Primary School community’s rich history and bright future, see 👉🏽 https://youtu.be/Jghx-cJ5e6Y?si=5UVoMRA6cPB3m-UQ