Primary School

Students in the Primary School have been focusing on giving back to our local community through a variety of initiatives these last few weeks. The research about giving back is strong when it comes to enriching students’ lives, as it familiarises them with their local community and connects them to people and ideas. Helping our local community is an opportunity for students to grow as a person, and to better understand how they fit into the world around them. 

Year 6 Pastoral Care Projects

Since the start of Term 2, students in Year 6 have worked in teams to create projects to increase happiness in both our school and our wider community. Students used their acquired knowledge and applied it to different projects and learned the skills of project management and leadership.

Some of these amazing initiatives are detailed below:

Hampers

‘Our group consisted of 5 students: Keisha, Charlese, Heidi, Charli and Ruby. For our Pastoral Care project, we chose to create gratitude hampers for our local Emergency services. The hampers were very successful, and the different services were very amazed at the fact that we took our time to consider them and to create a magnificent gift. They were all very appreciative. It was amazing to see their faces light up when we gave them the gift’.

Frames

‘For our Pastoral Care Project, we decided that we were going to give dried flowers and frames to two different hospitals. Our projects consisted of having dried and pressed flowers which took 2 weeks to make. The people who were involved in this project were: Olivia, Evie, Savannah and Brodyn. We all took part in this project and delivered all of them to the hospitals. They really appreciated the gifts we gave to them’. 

Primary Disco

‘After 2 long terms of planning our group, consisting of: Harvey, Ted, Sienna and Lexi, finally hosted the Primary School Disco. It took place in the hall with flashy lights and all the latest hits. Our incentive for running this event was to improve the wellbeing of the primary school, while still learning important life skills along the way. Kids from all classes came flooding in and it didn’t take long before the disco was in full swing. After a quick game of ‘Bobs and Statues’, we transitioned into ‘Best Dancers on Stage’. We finished the disco with one big circle and some free dancing by each year level’.

Year 4 Sustainability projects

The Year 4 students have been promoting sustainability through the development of small projects and inquiries. They delved deep into crucial issues such as waste management, pollution control, recycling, and explored innovative ways to take meaningful action for a greener future.

Students have conducted research and collaborated on projects that not only raised awareness but also made a tangible impact in their local community. Year 4 students demonstrated their commitment to positive change.

Some of the fantastic inquiries and projects that students developed and promoted:

• Inquiring and learning about the fantastic ways our school canteen considers sustainable packaging for our lunch orders.
• Promoting 'Nude Food', challenging students to count, and then attempting to reduce the amount of plastic waste contained in their lunchboxes.
• A thought-provoking survey to the different areas of the school to identify quantities of rubbish vs how much they have picked up themselves.

By fostering a sense of responsibility and a passion for environmental stewardship, our Year 4 students not only learned about sustainability but also became advocates for a cleaner, healthier planet while inspiring us to take action and work towards a more sustainable and eco-conscious future.

Year 4 Camp

The Year 4 students attended their year level camp at PGL Campaspe Downs in Kyneton where they participated in a range of outdoor team building activities: Possum Glider, Aeroball, Orienteering, Archery, Raft Building, Flying Fox, Challenge Course and Rock Climbing. These activities are designed to encourage students to build skills around teamwork, communication, risk-management, working outside of their comfort zone while enjoying themselves. 

Complimentary Preschool Workshops

This initiative started in 2022 as a way of strengthening our connections with the local Preschools and Kindergartens. On Thursday 31 August, the Perricoota House Captains Charlie and Violet joined Mrs Deller and Mrs Tonkin to Journey ELC in Echuca where they delivered an Italian workshop for the students.  

‘Going to Journey ELC was a very enjoyable and fun experience. Seeing smiles on the kids' faces made me smile myself. We were teaching them Italian and sung the sang Hokey Pokey in Italian. The kids were screaming, they loved it. It brought back many happy memories’.

By Violet McGillivray.

‘Going to Journey ELC was so much fun. We sang songs about mice in Italian and the Hokey Pokey. One of the kids was screaming, they were enjoying it that much. I loved going to the Early Learning Centre, it brought me so much joy and I would love to go back again’.

By Charlie Flanigan

Primary Gymnastics Competition

‘On Friday the 1st of September, students from MAG attended the international Gymnastics Competition in Melbourne. It was an early start for us all, leaving school around 5:20am with 5 teams attending the competition. We warmed up as soon as we arrived, and then participated in our first event, which was the floor beam. It was very nerve racking for us because it was our first event. We then competed in floor, rings, vault, acro and to finish bars. At the end of the competition there was an award ceremony. We were also able to watch the championship performances, which was very inspiring. 

Within the 5 teams that participated in the competition, Senior Champions 6s got 2nd, Senior Champions 5s got 3rd and Senior Legends got 4th overall. Junior Champion As got 2nd and Junior Champion Bs got 6th. Our school placed 3rd out of all the schools, which is an amazing achievement, as it is the first time in 10 years that our school has placed in the top 3. 

Thank you to Jamison McFadden, the staff (Mrs McFadden and Mrs Frew) and parents (Linda, Mel and Brodie) who helped out on the day. A special thank you to Jamison, Linda and Mrs Deller for attending our training sessions each week. This great experience would not have been possible without everyone’s support’.  

By Shae Christie and Allegra Smith

‘Swinging into Math’

In an exciting integration of sports and mathematics, our Year 4 students recently had the unique opportunity to engage with the school's cutting-edge golf simulator in their math lessons. Tasked with recording and analysing data from players' golf swings, our young mathematicians collected data sets and then translated their findings into organised tables and graphs. This hands-on project allowed the students to explore various maths concepts such as decimals, data analysis, statistics, probability, and chance. Students not only honed their math skills but also experienced the practical applications of mathematics in real-world scenarios. 

Primary School Chapel

On Friday the 1st of September, the Primary School met together for our second Term 3 Chapel. We thank Reverend Phil from Christ Church Anglican Echuca for visiting us again. Our chapel focused on another story about Jesus. This time we learnt about the time that Jesus healed the blind man called Bartimaeus. The Year 5 students are to be commended on their wonderful dramatic presentation of this story, reading bible readings, and leading the prayers. 

K-2 Stage Assembly

This week, students in Kinder to Year 2 attended the last Stage Assembly for the term. After the acknowledgement of Country, we celebrated our K-2 Gymnastic Stars. Hot off their competition in Melbourne last week, the team showed off their medals and shared some highlights. We then moved on to our K-2 Superstars. At the conclusion of our Assembly, we channelled our inner chicken by dancing up a storm to the ‘Chicken Dance’. There was plenty of squawking and scratching feet going on. 

The ‘Stars of the Week’ in K-2 were: 

The Great Australian Book Swap

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported the Book Swap at school on Thursday 7 September to help raise awareness and funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation. The Parents and Friends did an amazing job in running the Book Swap this year, and we would like to thank them for their ongoing support. 

Year 2 Showcase

During this term, the Year 2 students have been working extremely hard in both Science and History. In Science they have been learning about different forces including push, pull and gravity. During History lessons the students have been learning about things from the past and comparing them to what we have today. They explored toys from the past and learnt what their parents and grandparents used to play with. Year 2 were challenged with designing a toy for a toy show that shows either push, pull or gravity, some toys show more than one. They are excited to share their creations! Parents and Carers are invited to attend the Year 2 Showcase on Wednesday 13 September from 1:40pm onwards.

I would like to wish all the Primary families a well-deserved break. We hope you enjoy some family time and great weather. We look forward to welcoming back all students on Tuesday 10 October. 

Upcoming Events

12/09/23              Jump Rope for Heart; Year 5 Jump Off day

12/09/23              Year 2 Showcase

14/09/23              R U OK Day

15/09/23              Last day of Term 3 (early finish at 2:05pm)

09/09/23              Student Free Day

10/10/23              Kinder and Year 1 Swimming Program

12/10/23              Kinder and Year 1 Swimming Program

13/10/23              Year 5/6 Basketball Competition (selected students)

17/10/23              Kinder and Year 1 Swimming Program

17/10/23              Year 6 Camp (until Friday 20/10/23)

19/10/23              Kinder and Year 1 Swimming Program

20/10/23              Primary Assembly; Kindergarten Performance

Kind Regards,

Nici Deller                                                      

Head of Primary