PRINCIPAL'S REPORT
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.
SEMESTER REPORTS
Students will receive a formal report each year at the end of Term 2 and Term 4. These reports will include your child’s level of progression against the Victorian curriculum alongside a personal/social comment written by the teacher and comments written by the specialist teachers. If you wish to download your child’s please see these instructions http://How-do-families-and-students-save-and-download-student-work on how to do so.
COMMUNITY HELP NEEDED
We are looking for parents in our Milgate community to help bring a student to and from school regularly. The child lives in Donvale. If you can help out can you please fill in
and we will pass your details over to the parent who needs some assistance.
LANGUAGE ARTS
As we embark on Term 2, our focus in Language Arts continues to evolve, nurturing the growth and development of our students' literacy skills and their broader understanding of the world around them. Building upon the foundations set in Term 1, our students have been exploring texts directly linked to their units of inquiry. Our Years 3-6 students have been developing their thinking skills as they respond to what they are reading with extended structured reading responses.
Structured reading responses emphasises deliberate, systematic engagement with texts, designed to enhance students' comprehension and critical thinking skills. By crafting text-dependent questions, guiding structured note-taking, and promoting concise, thoughtful written responses, this method encourages active interaction with reading material. This systematic approach supports deeper comprehension and strengthens students' ability to analyse and articulate insights effectively.
Through structured reading responses, our students are developing the tools and skills needed to navigate complex texts and extract meaningful insights. We are excited to witness their continued growth as confident and thoughtful readers and thinkers throughout the term.
COMING UP | LIBRARY NEWS
BOOK FAIR 6th - 10th MAY
- The Book Fair will be open 8:30am-3:45pm Monday to Friday
- Students will be able to purchase books during their Library sessions
- Parents will be able to purchase books before and after school
- The Book Fair will be open on Open Night (Wednesday 8th of May 3:45 pm-5:45 pm)
To build excitement for our annual Book Fair this term (Week 4), the Library held 2 competitions. The students chose which one they would like to enter:
- Best Book Fair Poster - students designed and made an A4 or A3 poster to advertise the Milgate Book Fair
- Best Book Cover Design - Our students designed a new front cover for their favourite book.
Congratulations to our winners!
Book Fair Poster: Winner = Ziyan 4YC
Runners up = Aria 3ES & Abbie 4KT
Book Cover Design: Winner = Aarav 4KT
Runners up = Janet 2TE & Lyla 3NK
Winners receive a $30 voucher to spend at the Book Fair and our runners up get to pick a stationary item from the fair! Thank you to all of our students who submitted a poster or book cover design, each submission showcased remarkable creativity and thoughtful effort.
LIBRARY BOOK FAIR ACTIVITIES WITH STEPH
Steph has organised an exciting week of Library activities for our wonderful students to participate in, for example, Library scavenger hunt, making personalised bookmarks or writing book reviews for other Milgate readers.
CONTINUOUS STORY
The continuous story is written by the whole school as a collaborative storytelling project where each class contributes a section to create a cohesive, and always hilarious, narrative. The final story will be read over the loudspeaker during lunchtime on Friday the 10th of May!
BOOK WEEK 19th - 23rd AUGUST
With our 2024 Children's Book Week theme; Reading is Magic, we're celebrating reading stories and their amazing power to transport minds. We are encouraging kids to be curious about the wonders in our world. It is a positive and affirming message for our young people. The magic of reading also lies in its power of enticement; a good story provokes conversations. Talking about the stories with others connects the reader with other readers. Wrapped around all of this are the "tricks" and skills of our amazing writers and illustrators, as they use all their powers of language and illustration to engage the reader in this world they are building.
READINGS KIDS EVENTS
Book Launch: Saturday is Pancake Day!
Sat 4 May 2024 at 2:00pm
Kids, Woiwurrung Country, 315 Lygon St, Carlton 3053
Storytime at Kids
Sun 5 May 2024 at 10:30am
Kids, Woiwurrung Country, 315 Lygon St, Carlton 3053
CHILDREN’S ELIBRARY AT THE MANNINGHAM LIBRARY
Download children's eAudiobook (talking books) for free
Click to access BorrowBox via browserClick here to download BorrowBox App- Apple StoreClick here to download BorrowBox App- Google PlayFreegal
Download children's music for free
Click here to access Freegal via browserClick here to download Freegal App- Apple storeClick here to download Freegal App- Google Play
Stream children's movies for free
Download children's eBooks for free
Click here to access OverDrive via browserClick here to download Libby App- Apple StoreClick here to download Libby App- Google Play
Watch famous Australians reading picture books online for free
CYBER SAFETY PROJECT
On Friday, the Year 3-6 students took part in a cyber safety incursion run by the Cyber Safety Project. Trent engaged the students with a range of authentic, interactive experiences and scenarios that assisted students in their understanding of how to be mindful when online. Following these sessions, students will be encouraged to be ‘upstanders’ who support their peers when they witness unsafe behaviour online.
This year, each year level focused on:
YEAR 3 and 4: Digital Resilience: Building Strength and Empathy
YEAR 5 and 6: Rise Up: Showing Responsibility and Integrity
In the sessions, students:
- Explored ways to self-manage their screen time
- Tuned into what is drawing them back to technology
- Identified techniques apps and game developers ise to capture and sustain their attention
- Learnt how to activate settings in their inline profiles to help them take control of their technology use
- Recognised the important differences between banter and bullying
- Learnt the steps they can take to seek help and manage difficult situations online
It is important that we continue to learn about the strategies we can implement to keep our children socially and emotionally safe online. The eSafety Commissioner website has a plethora of valuable resources for teachers, parents and students to learn how to use technology safely and responsibly. We encourage all parents and carers to visit esafety.gov.au to upskill themselves by reading the research and advice provided.
SWIMMING | YEAR 4
This week our Year 4s attended swimming lessons at Aquarena. The students learnt skills from blowing bubbles and torpedo to survival backstroke and butterfly. It was wonderful to see their confidence in the pool grow from one day to the next. The students were risk-takers as they tried out new things and celebrated during Friday’s session with group games and survival skills.
GEORGINA MANNING | Parent Information Evening
On Tuesday, April 30, Georgina Manning from Wellbeing with Kids presented her parent seminar, ‘5 Secrets to Developing Confidence and Resilience’. She taught us about strategies that build confidence, the importance of creative play, parenting strategies that foster resilience, and mindful listening techniques.
CELEBRATING NEURODIVERSITY - Dyspraxia
Dyspraxia, also known as Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), is a neurological condition that affects motor coordination. It impacts a person's ability to plan and carry out physical movements in a smooth and coordinated manner.
Individuals with dyspraxia may experience difficulties with tasks such as tying shoelaces, writing neatly, participating in sports, and organising their thoughts or belongings. It's important to note that dyspraxia is not related to intelligence.
While dyspraxia can present challenges in daily life, early diagnosis and intervention can help individuals develop strategies to manage their difficulties and improve their quality of life. Treatment may include occupational therapy, physical therapy, and educational support tailored to the individual's needs.
Emma Lewell-Buck - Politician
Emma was diagnosed with dyspraxia later in life, at the age of 27. She has said that she has always found directions difficult and perceives maps as ‘a blank piece of paper’, so needs to find her way around using landmarks. As a child, she would put her shoes on the wrong feet and would often spill drinks.
Emma has said on having dyspraxia, “Being Dyspraxic hasn’t shaped the direction of my career but it has impacted on how I have conducted myself. The chronic low self-esteem, tendency to be overly critical and dwell on things means that I over prepare and agonise over details. The plus side of this is that I have found people that will complement me on my depth of knowledge and are assured when I am saying something that I really mean it….
Being Dyspraxic is a good thing because the people who make a difference in the world are those who stand out and are not the same as everyone else. We are the often the problem solvers, creators and innovators, we are never the ones sat in the room thinking the same as everyone else.”
YEAR 3 HWOO ACTION | WEAR A BEANIE DAY
Year 3 students have been investigating how communities respond to crises as part of the ‘How We Organise Ourselves’ unit of learning. We explored different charitable organisations and were inspired to raise funds and awareness about the good that these organisations do for those affected by different crisis situations. This led to students organising ‘Wear A Beanie Day’ on Thursday 2nd May, where the whole school was invited to wear a beanie and bring a gold coin donation to support various charities. After researching a range of worthwhile organisations, students decided to lend their support to three incredible charities: The Australian Red Cross, Foodbank, and Kids Under Cover. They then created posters to teach students across the school about the wonderful work that these organisations do in our community.
We are proud to say that Milgate Primary School raised $532.35! The Year 3 students had a fantastic time teaching others about these charities and gained knowledge about what individuals can do to support those in need.
UPGRADE TO THE STADIUM KITCHEN
The new kitchen cabinetry has been installed in the stadium this week. This new cabinetry will provide Team Kids with more storage and newer appliances, which will better meet the needs of the students attending OSHC. The kitchen upgrade will be finalised in the coming weeks once the new glass splashback is installed. We would like to thank the members of the school council for their work in obtaining the quotes and designs and overseeing the upgrade.
TABLE TENNIS TABLES
Next week we will have two new table tennis tables installed near the library. These tables are durable and weatherproof and have been purchased with funds raised through the Parents and Friends Committee and School Fun Run from last year. We look forward to seeing the students enjoying these new additions to our school facilities.
MATHEMATICS AT HOME
Are you eager to ignite your child's passion for numbers and problem-solving? As advocates of play-based learning, we believe that fostering mathematical growth begins right at home, within the cozy confines of everyday activities. Here are some delightful and effective strategies to support your child's mathematical journey:
- Embrace Playful Exploration: Transform ordinary tasks into mathematical adventures! Encourage your child to count their toys during cleanup, compare sizes while baking cookies, or even measure the height of their stuffed animals. These playful encounters with math build a strong foundation for later learning.
- Cultivate Curiosity: Encourage your child to ask questions about the world around them. Why does the sun rise and set? How many legs do insects have? Engage in these discussions, fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Remember, there's no such thing as too many questions in the quest for knowledge!
- Incorporate Games: Turn learning into a game! Board games like Snakes and Ladders, card games like Uno, or even digital games designed for math practice can make learning enjoyable and interactive. These games not only reinforce mathematical concepts but also promote strategic thinking and perseverance.
- Real-Life Applications: Show your child how math is woven into everyday life. Involve them in budgeting for groceries, planning a trip using maps, or even measuring ingredients for a recipe. By connecting math to real-world scenarios, you're helping your child understand its relevance and applicability.
- Foster a Growth Mindset: Encourage your child to embrace challenges and view mistakes as opportunities for growth. Celebrate their efforts, regardless of the outcome, and emphasize the importance of perseverance in problem-solving. A positive attitude towards learning math lays the groundwork for future success.
- Create a Math-Rich Environment: Surround your child with mathematical stimuli. Decorate their room with number charts, geometric shapes, or math-themed books. By immersing them in a math-rich environment, you're nurturing their natural curiosity and reinforcing mathematical concepts in subtle yet impactful ways.
Remember, each child's mathematical journey is unique, and progress may vary. Be patient, be supportive, and most importantly, have fun along the way! Together, let's cultivate a love for math that will last a lifetime.