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.

Term 3 Dates

7 & 8 September: Year 2 Day Camps

11 September: School Disco (purchase tickets)

18 September: Last Day Term 3 (2:30pm dismissal)

Term 4 Dates

5 October: First day Term 4

28 October: Milgate Art Show

2 November: Student Free Day (Teacher Professional Practice Day)

3 November: Melbourne Cup Day (public Holiday)

9-10 November: Year 5/6 Outdoor Ed Electives (Surfing)

16-18 November: Year 6 Camp (Marysville)

18-20 November: Year 5 Camp (Marysville)

7 December: End of Year Concert

9 December: Year 6 Graduation

18 December: Last Day Term 4 (1:30pm Dismissal)

SCHOOL DISCO: PURCHASE TICKETS NOW!

https://events.humanitix.com/milgate-student-disco-or-2026

FATHER’S DAY GAMES AFTERNOON

It was wonderful to welcome so many fathers, grandfathers and special father figures to Milgate for our Father’s Day Games Afternoon. The school was filled with energy and laughter as students and their special guests enjoyed spending time together. Thank you to everyone who joined us and helped make the afternoon such a warm celebration of our community.

Fathers and father figures play an important role in children’s lives. Through their encouragement, guidance, care and everyday presence, they help children feel secure, valued and confident. The time they spend listening, playing, learning and sharing experiences with children contributes enormously to their wellbeing and development. We are grateful for the many different ways fathers and father figures support our students, their families and the broader Milgate community. We hope everyone enjoyed this special opportunity to celebrate these important relationships.

TOILET REFURBISHMENT WORKS COMMENCED!

We’re excited to share that refurbishment works have commenced on our Year 2, 5 and 6 student toilet facilities, with both the boys’ and girls’ amenities receiving a significant upgrade.

Importantly, the project has been strongly shaped by student voice. Earlier this year, 194 students in Years 4–6 were surveyed about their experience of our existing facilities. With 74% of students indicating that they did not feel proud of the way the toilets looked and were cared for, students highlighted concerns including presentation, odour, privacy and unreliable fixtures.

The refurbishment will create brighter, more contemporary and welcoming spaces, with improved privacy, ventilation, lighting, handwashing facilities and durable, easy-to-clean finishes. The overall design has been guided by the priorities of student pride, privacy, hygiene and function.

We’re looking forward to seeing the transformation take shape and, most importantly, providing facilities that our students can feel proud to use and care for.

The school also has a grant application being assessed for a full refurbishment of the school's main toilet block. We will update the community accordingly once the grant announcements have been made.

CURRICULUM DAYS

Berry Street

During our Curriculum Day, staff continued their professional learning about the Berry Street Education Model, with a focus on the importance of relationships in supporting students’ learning, wellbeing and engagement. We explored how meaningful relationships are not formed through isolated activities or simply by being friendly. They develop over time through consistent, genuine interactions that help students feel known, valued, safe and understood.

Staff examined the everyday practices that build trust and connection, including showing genuine interest in students’ lives, listening carefully, responding predictably and recognising each child’s individual strengths and needs. We also explored the importance of combining warmth and empathy with clear boundaries and high expectations. Strong relationships do not mean avoiding challenge; they provide the secure foundation students need to take risks, respond to feedback and persist when learning becomes difficult. When students experience a strong sense of connection and belonging at school, they are more likely to engage, participate and develop the confidence to learn. Staff will continue to embed these relational practices into daily classroom routines and interactions so that every student feels supported to learn, grow and thrive.

Peter Lilijedahl

On Wednesday, our teaching and education support staff had the privilege of participating in a full day of professional learning with internationally renowned mathematics educator and researcher Peter Liljedahl. Peter is the author of Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics, an approach focused on creating classroom conditions in which all students are actively thinking, collaborating and making sense of mathematical ideas.

Throughout the day, our teachers experienced mathematics from the perspective of learners. Peter led staff through a range of activities and complete mathematics lessons, allowing us to experience the productive struggle, curiosity, discussion and satisfaction that occur when learners are given the opportunity to explore a worthwhile problem. Staff worked collaboratively at whiteboards, shared ideas, tested different strategies and learned from the thinking of others. There was plenty of energy, laughter and, importantly, deep mathematical thinking throughout the day.

A key message from the professional learning was that learning mathematics should involve much more than watching a teacher demonstrate a procedure and then repeating it. Students need regular opportunities to think, reason, notice patterns, make connections, communicate their ideas and respond when their first strategy does not work. These experiences help students develop both mathematical understanding and important learner dispositions such as persistence, flexibility, confidence and curiosity.

Peter also explored practical classroom routines that can increase participation and ensure that more students are doing the thinking. These included forming visibly random groups, having students work together on shared vertical whiteboards, carefully sequencing questions and using purposeful teacher questioning to move learning forward without removing the thinking from students. Staff also considered how we can check each student’s individual understanding after collaborative learning and use this evidence to plan the next steps in teaching.

This work complements and strengthens Milgate’s established approach to mathematics. It is not a separate program or a particular type of lesson that students will complete once or twice each week. Instead, the practices explored with Peter will be thoughtfully incorporated into our existing mathematics lesson structure and broader philosophy of learning. Our focus remains on combining rich mathematical inquiry with explicit teaching, purposeful practice, responsive feedback and appropriate support and challenge for every learner.

We are incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to learn directly from Peter. Our teachers left the day energised, challenged and full of ideas for continuing to strengthen mathematics teaching across Milgate. Most importantly, this professional learning will help us create classrooms in which students do not simply complete mathematics—they see themselves as capable mathematical thinkers.

GARDEN CLUB

On Monday, Zoe from Bunnings returned to Milgate to visit our Garden Club with donations of seedlings and soil. With the help of our young gardeners, parents and Jill Danne, our dedicated organiser we planted some Spring vegetables and flowers in the sensory garden. Carrots, bok choy, spinach, marigolds and silver beet seedlings were planted and watered. Thank you to Bunnings and to all the parents and carers who help with the weekly Garden Club, it is a great highlight in the week and a terrific start to Spring.

STAFF VS. STUDENTS BASKETBALL GAME

As part of their Year 6 Exhibition, two of our Year 6 students have explored how participating in basketball can positively influence mental health and wellbeing. To take meaningful action, they organised an exciting Teachers vs Students basketball game for our school community.

The game was a wonderful opportunity to bring students and staff together through physical activity, teamwork, connection and, of course, some friendly competition! Congratulations to Hugo and Oli for using their Exhibition learning to plan an action that promoted both wellbeing and community spirit.

ICAS

Congratulations to all students who participated in the ICAS assessments over the past five weeks. We are proud of the way students challenged themselves, demonstrated persistence and approached each assessment with a positive attitude.

Offering students the opportunity to participate in ICAS is one part of our broadening repertoire of opportunities to extend and challenge students. These assessments allow students to apply their knowledge and thinking skills in unfamiliar and complex contexts. Looking ahead to 2027, we will continue to expand the range of learning opportunities available for high-ability students, both within the classroom and through targeted enrichment and extension experiences. We look forward to sharing more information about these opportunities in the coming year and celebrating our students’ ICAS achievements as results become available.

GIVE OLD CLOTHES A NEW LIFE

Year 2 student Mia is taking action to reduce textile waste by collecting old clothing and textiles that are no longer suitable to be worn or donated. These items will be taken to H&M through its Garment Collecting Program, where collected textiles are sorted so they can be reused or recycled wherever possible. The program accepts clean clothing and textiles from any brand.

If you have clean, unwanted clothing or textiles at home that cannot be passed on to someone else, please consider contributing to Mia’s collection at the front office. This is a wonderful example of student action helping to keep textile waste out of landfill and give old materials another life.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS

Louis Year 5, won the championship at this year’s International Golden Gloves with two TKO victories 🏆, and also won a challenge match against the National Champion 🏆

Eyan Year 5, had the privilege of attending a masterclass with renowned pianist, Hayato Sumino at the Osaka Symphony Hall on the 25th of August in Japan. He was one of four chosen participants from around the world, and was honoured to play for one of his biggest music inspirations and a supportive Japanese audience.

He definitely picked up valuable tips and is looking forward to applying them in his next performance on the 20th of September at the Kingston City Hall, where he will be playing his original composition as well as Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

MILGATE HOODIES ONSALE NOW!

CANTEEN UPDATE

The canteen will NOT be open for over the counter sales on the last term of term 18th September. They will only be accepting online orders so please make sure to put them in by Thursday 17th September.

AUSTRALIAN GIRLS CHOIR - RESCHEDULE

Australian Girls choir has been re-scheduled now until Thursday 17th September, so there is still time to enrol either via sending back the paper permission slip, or online.

First Nations Spotlight

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that the following document contains images, names and information of deceased persons.

Register Now for Kelly Club OSHC: Commencing at Milgate from the start of Term 4

Parents & Friends