It’s hard to believe we’re already in our final term of our very first year at our school!
What an incredible and jam-packed year it’s been — and there’s still so much wonderful learning and exciting events ahead.

This year has been full of firsts as we’ve built new traditions and experiences together.
On a personal note, I also celebrated a special first of my own — becoming a grandmother for the very first time! My daughter Jesse welcomed a beautiful baby boy named Bobby. It’s been such a memorable year for me — becoming both the first principal of a new school and a first-time grandmother.

When I returned after two weeks of leave, I was amazed by how much our staff and students had achieved in that short time and how much our beautiful native plants and trees had grown. Looking back, it’s hard to believe our school only opened in January this year — it already feels so well established!

That’s thanks to the dedication and teamwork of our amazing staff, students, and families. Together, we’ve created a school we can all be proud of. Thank you for making our school such a wonderful place to learn and grow.

Looking Ahead – Term 4 Highlights

We have so many exciting firsts and events still to come this term, including:
Our very first Cross Country
Footsteps sessions and our Celebration Performance in Week 10
Year 3–6 Camp
Prep Transition sessions and Information Night
Orientation Day for all students
Prep excursion to Myuna Farm
Our first Grade 6 Graduation
Big Day Out for Grade 6

There are only 44 school days left in our first amazing year — let’s make each one full of learning, fun, and community spirit.

Thank you for your continued support and for helping make our school such a special place to be.

Kind regards,
Nicky Walker
Principal

In Term 3, our students created amazing narratives written for a special person within our school community. This term, they invited those people to their classrooms to read and share their writing!

It’s been wonderful to see our talented writers proudly sharing their published work and discussing their use of sentence structures, similes, and descriptive language.

We really enjoyed celebrating their creativity and growth together!

This term, our Youth Workers will begin running 1:1 sessions with selected students during class time.

These short, 15–20 minute sessions will:

• Build rapport and trust
• Support emotional regulation
• Help students connect with safe adults
• Develop personal strategies for managing behaviour and emotions

Sessions will take place weekly, either in class or nearby.
Our goal is to enhance student engagement, confidence, and wellbeing through proactive, positive support.

We’re excited to announce our participation in the Refugee Education Support Program (RESP) — a partnership between the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY), Foundation House, and the Department of Education.

This fully funded program helps schools strengthen achievement, engagement, and wellbeing outcomes for students and families from refugee backgrounds.

RESP supports schools through professional learning and mentoring, focusing on five key areas:

• Building a positive school climate
• Improving transition processes
• Strengthening teaching and learning practices
• Building partnerships with families
• Connecting with community agencies

This program aligns with FISO 2.0 and will support all learners, including our EAL (English as an Additional Language) and CALD 9 Culturally and Linguistically Diverse)students. We’re proud to be part of this initiative and look forward to the positive impact it will bring.

From 2027, the Victorian Government is introducing new rules about the use of digital devices for students from Prep to Grade 6.

From 2027, the Victorian Government is introducing new rules about the use of digital devices for students from Prep to Grade 6.

Key points:

• Schools will no longer invite families to purchase or bring their own devices for use at school.
• New recommended screen-time limits will apply:
• Minimal use for Prep – Grade 2
• Maximum of 90 minutes per day for Grades 3 – 6

These changes are designed to:

• Reduce cost-of-living pressures for families
• Support student wellbeing by reducing screen time and the risks of eye strain, sedentary behaviour, and reduced social interaction

They complement Victoria’s mobile phone restrictions and help create a balanced approach to digital learning.

What this means for our school:

• There will be no change to how we operate, as we already provide school-owned devices for learning.
• Students with disability who use a device as a reasonable adjustment are exempt from the new guidelines.

You can read more here: Department of Education – Digital Learning: Policy


Parents-To-Save-Money-On-Students’-Digital-Devices

Student Voice in Sustainability Event

We’re thrilled to share that some of our student leaders have been invited to represent our school at the CERES Student Voice in Sustainability Event at CERES Environment Park on Friday 31st October, 2025

Our students will:

• Present one of our 2025 sustainability projects
• Watch a special screening of Damon Gameau’s Future Council
• Participate in the University of Melbourne’s Environmental Superpowers workshop

We’re so proud of our student leaders for their passion, confidence, and commitment to sustainability!

This year, Mirniyan has focused on helping every student feel happy, safe, and healthy at school. We’ve been fortunate to partner with Inclusion Outreach Coach, Sara Stapar, through a Department of Education initiative that supports schools in building inclusive practices. An implementation team, including Sara, Jessie Twite (Mental Health & Wellbeing Leader), and our Year 1/2 teachers - Bradley Clinch, Nicol Biuk, Katie Blythman, and Hannah Jaffe - has been using data to set goals and guide teaching and learning, with a strong focus on knowing our students and how they learn.

At a whole school level, we have been strengthening Positive Classroom Management Strategies- simple, proactive ways to create calm and supportive learning spaces for all students.

The following 3 strategies have been our primary focus of the course of the year:

• Classroom Procedures and Routines: Teachers establish clear and consistent routines for daily tasks like transitions, lining up, and getting ready to learn. When students know what to expect, classrooms run smoothly, and everyone can focus on learning.
• Active Supervision: Staff are always moving around, scanning, and checking in with students to keep everyone engaged and on track. This helps us notice positive behaviour, provide support early, and maintain a calm, productive environment.
• Encouraging Expected Behaviours: We celebrate and reinforce positive choices by giving specific praise and encouragement when students meet expectations. Recognising and rewarding positive behaviour helps build confidence and a strong sense of community in our classrooms.

These strategies have helped create predictable, positive classrooms where students can learn and thrive every day!