ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF COUNTRY

Milgate Primary School would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land of the Wurundjeri People and we would like to pay our respects to the elders, both past and present. Staff, students and the school community understand that we thrive, learn and live on Wurundjeri Country and we stand with all cultures united as one.

OUR VISION:

To provide a dynamic, inclusive learning environment that challenges students to become inquirers, thinkers and caring young people who are able to interact in the global society with respect and intercultural understanding

OUR MISSION:

To empower students to ensure they will succeed as responsible global citizens and independent self-learners within today’s rapidly changing world.

REMINDER: CURRICULUM DAY AND PUBLIC HOLIDAY

A quick reminder to all families that Monday will be a Curriculum Day, so students are not required to attend school. This will be followed by a public holiday on Tuesday. We hope everyone enjoys the extra time together, and we look forward to welcoming students back to school on Wednesday!

ROAD SAFETY AT DROP OFF AND PICK UP TIME

Please prioritise safety around our school and remember to:

Drive carefully, especially during drop-off and pick-up times.
Avoid U-turns in school zones.
Use the designated crossings when walking across the road.
Ensure children enter and exit your car from the curb side and avoid having them walk on the road.

Thank you for helping keep our community safe and connected.

FIRST FOUNDATION 2025 TRANSITION SESSION

We were thrilled to welcome our 2025 Foundation students for their first transition session this week! It was wonderful to see their excited faces as they explored their new learning environment, met some of their future classmates, and participated in engaging activities designed to make them feel right at home. It was equally fantastic to meet with all the parents and begin introducing them to the Milgate community. We’re excited to partner with our new families and look forward to supporting a smooth transition in the months ahead!

RECONCILATION ACTION PLAN WORKING GROUP

On Tuesday 29th of October the Milgate Primary School Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Working Group met for the first time. We familiarised ourselves with the process of creating a RAP, its purpose and our roles. In addition to this, we reflected on Milgate’s reconciliation journey so far while enjoying some treats from First Nations owned businesses. This is a new journey for us and we are excited to embark on this with the Milgate Primary School community. If you are interested in joining the Working Group, please contact kirsten.krumples@education.vic.gov.au

PLANNING WEEK FOR ALL YEAR LEVELS

This week, teachers from all year levels dedicated time to collaborative planning sessions, focusing on developing engaging and meaningful units for the remainder of the year. Each team worked together to design learning experiences that align with our curriculum goals and support student growth across all subjects. It was a valuable opportunity for teachers to share insights, reflect on progress, and plan exciting activities that will keep our students engaged and challenged as we head into the final term.

YEAR 6 EXHIBITION

As a part of our Exhibition inquiry unit in Year 6 this year, we aim to take action by sharing this poem about food inflation with you all. Please read each word carefully to think about how inflation affects our lives and what we can do to make a difference.

Thank you for your time,

Roy and Justin in Year 6

This artwork shows an ecosystem where one half is thriving and supports many life forms and the other half has been affected and fragmented by human activity. The darker side represents the damage we have caused to the ecosystem and plants of our world, and the lighter, unblemished side is what our planet was like before. I created this piece to raise awareness of the endangered plants that are at risk of becoming extinct forever due to human activity.

Rina L, 6JH

IB PYP & THE MATHEMATICS VICTORIAN CURRICULUM

As an authorised International Baccalaureate World School, Milgate Primary School combines the Primary Years Programme with the Victorian Curriculum to create an inquiry-based, student-centred and transdisciplinary curriculum. Our programs promote students as agentic learners who have a voice in the construction of their learning.

Key and related concepts are used as a lens in which we explore mathematics in order to construct a deeper understanding of the content of the Victorian Curriculum and make connections between disciplines. In our units, we explore the content descriptors through different conceptual lenses in order to increase complexity and depth of understanding. For example:

VC Content Descriptor: Count collections to 100 by partitioning numbers using place value (VCMNA088)

Key Concept: Form	Key Concept: Function	Key Concept: Connection
The base 10 place value system is used to represent numbers and number relationships.	Numbers can be partitioned in a variety of ways to enable efficient counting.	The operations of addition and multiplication are related to each other and are used to process information to solve problems.

Teacher questions are formed conceptually to ensure our units are driven through this lens. Questions for the above understandings may be: How can we partition numbers in different ways? (Form) What is the role of the place value system? (Function) What are the similarities and differences between addition, multiplication and place value? (Connection)

Our units were formed by connecting the PYP Learning Continuum (PYP) with the Victorian Curriculum (VC) by phrasing the PYP Learning Continuum as conceptual understandings that are needed in order to act on the skills in the Victorian Curriculum with understanding and fluency. For example:

In order for my students to partition numbers using place value (VC), they need to understand that numbers can be constructed in multiple ways (PYP).

In order for my students to construct displays appropriate for data type (VC), they need to understand that different graph forms highlight different aspects of data more efficiently (PYP).

At Milgate Primary School, Mathematics units have been constructed for three different purposes:

Big Idea	Conceptual	Transdisciplinary Theme
Through the lens of a big idea such as trusting the count, place value or multiplicative thinking.	Through a conceptual lens where students are using the skills of the mathematics curriculum as case studies to build a greater understanding of the concepts being explored.	Where students are applying the skills of mathematics to build a greater understanding of the Central Idea and Lines of Inquiry.

Ensuring that each year level has transdisciplinary units enables students to build the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions needed to apply mathematics in real world and varied situations. By providing opportunities for students to use mathematics beyond the Mathematics classroom, we allow students to develop their numeracy capabilities and see mathematics as relevant and connected to their world.

ACHIEVER Awards

Term 4 | Week 4