Primary Report
Term 3 is certainly in full swing, as we emerge out of the depths of Winter with all the bugs and ills this often brings.
The children have slipped back into their established routines and are working and engaging well with their classes.
By now you will have received access to your children’s reports and be informed as to how they are progressing with their learning. These reports provided clear discussion points for the Parent Teacher Student Conferences last week and communicate your child’s strengths as well as areas where they need to do some work to benefit their learning.
The teachers were very positive in their talk about the participation of families during these conferences and highlight the importance of working together to ensure our children are being given the optimum support for their learning and achievements. If you have gone away from these discussions with more questions or require further information from the teachers, they are happy to make another time to sit down and chat with you.
On Tuesday 29th July, I was privileged to go with the Prep-Year 3 students on their visit to Bundoora Farm. It had been quite some time since I had visited and I was pleasantly surprised to see how much they have developed the program for students and the public. The students experienced 2 educational sessions with Joe and Julie our historians.
Joe led the children through an experience of life in the early 20th century when Bundoora was predominantly farming land, without electricity, plumbing, refrigeration, television and indoor toilets. The children performed chores that the children of these times would have done daily such as churning cream into butter, cleaning the house and washing clothes with a wash board. They also experienced what school was like in the early 20th century. They sat at desks in rows with inkwells and used pens dipped in ink to write their alphabet and arithmetic lessons.
Julie took us on a tour through the animal reserve where the students were able to see mobs of kangaroos basking in the sun. Some were even able to see joeys emerging from their mother’s pouch. They also saw many curious emus who roam around the reserve. These animals as well as other native species thrived in this area when it was inhabited by the local indigenous groups who cared for this environment taking only what resources they needed to survive ensuring that it remained sustainable for all.
Finally, the students learned a little bit about the history of printing and how the printing press changed the world of the written word to become more widely accessible to everyone. They were able to set their own piece of type to print also.
The Year 4 - 6 students have launched their term 3 season for interschool sport in hot shots tennis and soccer. So far, we have had mixed results each week, but the students’ skills are certainly improving week on week. They continue to represent Macleod College proudly, demonstrating our values consistently.
The Curriculum Day on Monday 28th July, was most valuable for our staff. We were introduced to the Department of Education’s new Victorian Teaching and Learning Model. This model will enable us to use the cognitive science of how students learn and consider the implications this can have on our practice.
The four areas focus on:
Attention and focus – Ensuring students are actively engaged when learning
Knowledge and Memory – Learning is a change in long term memory
Retention and Recall – Students process limited amounts of new information
Mastery and Application – Students develop and demonstrate mastery of their learning
As we know, the student profile has changed with the influence of technology and we need to be informed as to how we can support their mental health, sense of hope and future success.
Prep students have celebrated their first 100 days of school. They have participated in lots of learning and fun activities related to the theme and today was the finale. They dressed up as their favourite superhero and enjoyed a chippie lunch with cupcakes for dessert.
Thursday afternoon, students invited their grandparents to come to school to join in with activities in the classroom. They also enjoyed some learning with their buddies over the week. I’m sure this week will remain a firm memory from their school days for them all.
We are currently taking enrolments for 2026, so if you are yet to enrol for Prep or any of the year levels please don’t delay, let your neighbours know, also as this will help us to plan for our classes for next year. Please contact Emma Wagner on 6242-enrolments@schools.vic.edu.au for an enrolment form.
Karen Butterworth
Primary Leader