WHAM!

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 1 Dates

9 March: Labour Day (Public Holiday)

11 - 13 March: NAPLAN (Years 3 & 5)

18 & 23 March: School Photos

2 April: Free Dress Day (Gold coin donation to Sspport the Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal)

2 April: Easter Hat Parade

2 April: Last Day Term 1 (2:30pm dismissal)

Year 4 Excursion| Sovereign Hill

On Wednesday, Year 4 students visited Sovereign Hill Living Museum to begin their new unit of inquiry, 'Where We are in Place and Time'. Students had the opportunity to experience what life was like in the 1850s, and participated in activities and demonstrations such as gold panning, gold pouring, and a Red Hill Mine tour. Students also attended an education session in an olden day classroom, which provoked their thinking into the Central idea of ‘Discoveries lead to opportunities, change and new understandings’. It was a fantastic day of learning and exploring, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the experience. 

YEAR 1 INCURSION - FIRE RESCUE VICTORIA

Today, we were lucky enough to have a visit from Emre from Fire Rescue Victoria! He explained to us the role of a firefighter within the community. He spoke about what their day looks like and all the different ways they can help us. We learnt that only 6% of their job includes actually fighting fires, and the other 94% is fire prevention, education, emergency response and their other responsibilities. Emre shared all of the resources and tools FRV they have to help them keep the community safe. We even had the opportunity to wear the heavy firefighter jacket, look at a smoke detector and the full firefighter’s protective gear and learnt about what to do if there is a fire at home or school. A massive thank you to Aiden.A  for bringing his Dad Emre in, to share this wonderful experience with all the Year 1 students.

Foundation Parents Evening

Last night, Foundation parents came together for a relaxed and welcoming evening to celebrate the start of their child’s school journey. Held in the Staffroom and Canteen Courtyard, the event provided the perfect opportunity for families to connect and share in the excitement of the year ahead.

Parents enjoyed a selection of finger food while the informal atmosphere encouraged conversations, laughter, and the building of new friendships among our Foundation community. The Milgate Foundation Evening was a wonderful way to mark the beginning of an exciting chapter for both students and families, setting a positive tone for the year ahead. Special thanks to our Year 1 parents who kindly volunteered on the night to make the event a success. 

School Photos

Next Wednesday, we will be having our class and individual student photos. The photographers will then be back on the following Monday 23rd, for School Leader photos, sibling photos, and to take any individual photos of those absent on day 1. We kindly ask that you ensure your children are wearing their full school uniform on the day. 

Year 5 & 6 Mountain Biking

Over the past fortnight, selected Year 5 and 6 students went mountain biking along the Mullum Mullum trail as part of our outdoor electives program. The riders set off from school and had a great day of riding the trails and testing themselves through some smaller single tracks near Westerfolds Park. Special thanks to Mr Will, the teachers and the parent volunteers for making the event such a success. 

Incursion - Scott Darlow

We are pleased to welcome Scott Darlow, a Yorta Yorta singer, songwriter, public speaker and educator, to Milgate Primary School next Tuesday.

Scott will be working with students and staff across the day to deepen understanding of Australia’s shared history and to strengthen our commitment to respectful relationships and reconciliation. Through music, storytelling and discussion, Scott presents age-appropriate sessions that explore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and perspectives in a thoughtful and balanced way. Each year level is allocated 50 minutes for the incursion.

Students will engage with artefacts, timelines and traditional instruments such as the Yidaki (didgeridoo), gaining insight into the richness and diversity of First Nations cultures. His sessions focus on understanding, respect, and the importance of learning from history to build a more inclusive future for all Australians.

Scott will also provide professional learning for staff, supporting us to continue embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives across the curriculum in ways that are accurate, respectful and aligned with the Victorian Curriculum.

This visit supports our commitment to educating students about Australia’s history in a way that promotes empathy, critical thinking and reconciliation, while honouring the many stories that shape our nation.

Each year level will be allocated 50 minutes to explore content specific to their curriculum and age expected delivery.

House Swimming

All our Year 3-6 students will participate in the House Swimming Sports at Croydon Memorial Pool on Wednesday, 25th March. It will be a wonderful opportunity for students to participate in a range of events that cater to all ability levels. Parents are welcome to join us at the pool and we look forward to seeing the students in their House colours, cheering their peers on. Just a reminder that all students are expected to attend the event.

National RIDE2SCHOOL Day

Next Friday 20th March is National Ride2School day. We’re looking forward to seeing students riding their bikes to school and it will be a perfect opportunity to encourage more members of our school community to use active travel to and from school each day. Bikes and scooters are securely locked during school hours behind the STEM room near the blue basketball courts. 

New Families Information Session

On Thursday 5 March, the Leadership Team welcomed our new families at the New Families Information Session. Held in the Staffroom, the session provided an opportunity for families to learn more about school routines, communication tools, and ways to support their child’s learning. Families were guided through Compass and Seesaw, and received helpful tips on staying connected with teachers and the wider school community. Thank you to those in attendance, and a reminder that if you have any questions, we always welcome you to come see our wonderful admin team in the office, or speak to your children's teachers. 

Specialist Teachers - Which Classes Do They Teach

At our recent New Families Information Session, a wonderful question came up: “How do we find out who our child’s specialist teachers are?”

To help, here is the list of Specialist Teachers for 2026, the classes they are teaching, and their email addresses should you wish to get in touch:

STEM

Ana Kostidis - ana.kostidis@education.vic.gov.au - Foundation, 1MC and 1CR

Stephanie Kim - stephanie.kim@education.vic.gov.au - 1AD, 1KK and all other year levels

Performing Arts

Warwick Davies - warwick.davies@education.vic.gov.au - Foundation, 1MC and 1CR

Odette Strickland - odette.strickland@education.vic.gov.au -  1AD, 1KK and all other year levels

Physical Education

James Will - james.will@education.vic.gov.au - FJP, 1AD, 1MC, 1CR, 2EW, 2DE, 3SY, 3CT, 4EC, 4SK, 4JC, 5RC, 5AP, 5SB, 6MH, 6JH, 6CW

Emily Collins - emily.collins2@education.vic.gov.au - FNS, FLP, 1KK, 2CL, 2CD, 3JL, 3BA, 4LV, 4TC, 5JX, 5KB, 6AL, 6HW

Mandarin

Wendy Yu - tongwendy.yu@education.vic.gov.au -  All classes throughout the year

May-Sem Wong - maysem.wong@education.vic.gov.au -Tai Chi (Year 3 Term 1, Term 4, Term 2, Year 5 Term 3 and Year 6 Term 4)

Visual Arts

Soo Jin Kim - soojin.kim@education.vic.gov.au - Foundation, 1AD and 1KK

Tamara Zebisch - tamara.zebisch@education.vic.gov.au - 1MC, 1CR and all other year levels