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.
SEESAW
Just a reminder to look at your child’s Seesaw journal. The teachers and students put a lot of time and effort into uploading learning so families can have a discussion at home. If you are unsure of your Seesaw login please contact your child’s teacher.
WEAR A BEANIE DAY
Over the past few weeks, Year 3 students have been inquiring into services that respond to crises. We have been exploring how we can take action and were keen to spread awareness about these charities. The students are currently investigating and finalising which organisations they would like to contribute to. Further information will be provided.
On the Thursday 2nd of May, the Year 3s are encouraging the school community to participate in a Wear-A-Beanie-Day to raise funds for charities that support people in crisis situations. It's a fun way to take action in our Unit of Inquiry 'How We Organise Ourselves' and make a difference.
Students will be asked to bring their best beanie and contribute a gold coin donation. The Year 3s are still finalising the charity that they would like to donate. Once this has been finalised, each class will make a poster if you could please share them with your students.
Thanks,
The Year 3 Team
MOTHER'S DAY BREAKFAST AND CRAFT MORNING
The P&F have put together a wonderful morning to celebrate our Mothers and Special friends of Milgate on Wednesday 8th May.
Mother’s Day Breakfast 8.00 am - 8.45 am. To make this breakfast possible we are asking for Baked Goods Donations. For more information please see the P&F page on the website
Mother’s Day Craft Activity 9 am - 9.50 am - We are welcoming mums and special friends into the classroom to complete the craft activity. Please see the Compass post for more details.
ANZAC MEMORIAL SERVICE
On Tuesday the Year 6 leaders represented Milgate Primary School at the ANZAC service at Templestowe Memorial Park. The ANZAC service allowed students to remember and honour our ANZACS. We are so proud of Year 6 leaders for representing Milgate so well. Lest We Forget.
YEAR 1 EXCURSION TO THE MUSEUM
On Friday last week, the Year 1 students had a fantastic day visiting the Melbourne Museum as part of their inquiry into 'Where we are in place and time'. The students had so much fun exploring fossils and rocks as they wandered through the thrilling Dinosaur Walk, and visited Horridus the Triceratops, one of the most complete Triceratops fossils ever found, unearthed after 67 million years. The students explored their wonderings about the histories and cultures of Victoria's first peoples, learning about their stories and artefacts, and they had a ball playing with the interactive components that illustrated the unfolding Melbourne story. A big hit of the day was the Mini Mega Model Museum, where the students’ enthusiastically observed miniatures and models.
Thank you very much to all the parent helpers who offered up their time to assist us on the day, we were greatly appreciative and hope you enjoyed the day too!
Here are some photos of the fabulous day we had!
YEAR 6 EXCURSION TO SCIENCE WORKS
Over the last 6 weeks, Year 6 has been inquiring into How the world works. Today, our learners have had the opportunity to travel to Scienceworks, where they explored exhibitions such as ‘Sportsworks’ and ‘Beyond Perception’, and engaged in enriching and hands-on learning experiences that challenged their scientific thinking and curiosities.
Through participating in an interactive show called ‘Cool Stuff’ at the Energy Lab, our Year 6 learners deepened their understandings of the properties of solids, liquids and gases. The Energy Lab show included use of nitrogen and water to represent changes in states of matter. The presenter demonstrated how oxygen contracts when cooled and expands when heated.
The experiences at Science works provoked and challenged our learner’s thinking and have led to curiosities they are excited to inquire into for our final week.
WELLBEING
Thank you to all of the parents who provided input into the Tiered Response Model. This is in the process of being collated. Once this has been completed, it will be shared with the school community for feedback. Whilst the feedback will be taken onboard and the model will be used, it is a working document that will continue to be updated.
Students have shown how caring they are as they have filled up the caring tokens container. The Year 6 Wellbeing leaders are in the process of planning a whole school celebration. This will be shared at an upcoming assembly.
The first Milgate Mix-ups will be held on Friday May 10. Milgate Mix-ups is a multi age group of students from Foundation to Year 6. The sessions focus on building connections with different students and teachers. The sessions are held on a Friday from 2:45-3:15. The lessons are created by the Wellbeing Leaders and run by the Year 6 students in each group. The sessions will be held in Week 4, 7 and 9 this term.
CELEBRATING NEURODIVERSITY - Dyslexia
“Dyslexia can be said to be an unexpected and persistent challenge with acquiring and using written language. Dyslexia is increasingly being seen as a difference in language and cognition” - Singleton
Individuals with dyslexia have trouble with reading and spelling despite having the ability to learn. Individuals with dyslexia can learn, they just learn in a different way. Dyslexia is not a problem with comprehension, in fact, individuals with dyslexia can use higher level language skills to support their reading. The central difficulty for a student with dyslexia is to convert letter symbols to their correct sound (decode) and convert sounds to their correct written symbol (spell).
People with dyslexia often possess a unique set of strengths and abilities that can be advantageous in various contexts. Some of these strengths include:
Creativity: Many individuals with dyslexia demonstrate high levels of creativity. They often think outside the box, approach problems from unconventional angles, and excel in creative fields such as art, music, writing, and design.
Strong visual thinking: Dyslexic individuals often have strong visual-spatial abilities. They may excel in tasks that involve thinking in pictures, such as visualizing concepts, solving puzzles, or understanding complex spatial relationships.
Innovative problem-solving skills: Due to their unique cognitive processing styles, people with dyslexia often develop innovative problem-solving skills. They can approach challenges with fresh perspectives and find creative solutions that others may overlook.
Strong verbal communication skills: While dyslexia primarily affects reading and spelling abilities, many individuals with dyslexia excel in verbal communication. They may have excellent verbal expression, storytelling abilities, and persuasive communication skills.
Adaptability: People with dyslexia often develop strong adaptability skills as they learn to navigate various learning environments and accommodate their unique learning styles. They can quickly adjust to new situations and find ways to thrive despite challenges.
Sir Richard Branson
An example of a successful individual with dyslexia is Sir Richard Branson. He is the founder of the Virgin Group, which controls over 400 companies in various industries such as aviation, telecommunications, and entertainment.
Despite struggling with dyslexia during his school years, Branson did not let his learning difference hold him back. Instead, he embraced his strengths, such as creativity, innovation, and determination, to build his business empire. His ability to think outside the box and take calculated risks has been instrumental in his entrepreneurial success.
Branson has spoken openly about his dyslexia and how it influenced his approach to business. He has emphasized the importance of surrounding oneself with supportive individuals and focusing on one's strengths rather than dwelling on weaknesses. His story serves as an inspiring example of how individuals with dyslexia can overcome obstacles and achieve extraordinary success.
Parent Session: Georgie Manning | Tuesday, April 30 at 7:30pm (ONLINE)
On Tuesday, April 30, Georgina Manning from Wellbeing with Kids will be presenting the parent seminar ‘5 Secrets to Developing Confidence and Resilience’. The seminar will be held over Zoom at 7:30 pm. The seminar will cover strategies that build confidence, the importance of creative play, parenting strategies that foster resilience, and mindful listening techniques.
Georgina Manning is the Director of Wellbeing for Kids, an educator, counsellor and a psychotherapist. Georgina has many years of experience working in schools supporting children and parents, and facilitates regular parent seminars in schools, school professional development days for educators, and is a National speaker for wellbeing events. She has run Professional Development with Milgate staff and several parent seminars in recent years.
Working With Parents Around School Refusal and Engagement Online Workshops
The Child Youth Mental Health Services are providing an online workshop for parents who need support to manage their children who have school refusal and low engagement
Presented by: Nicky Lou (Senior Mental Health Clinician | Family Therapist | RPN5) and Rhiannon Thomas (Senior Clinical Psychologist)
This workshop will focus on:
- Learning what is School Refusal?
- How families can support a child who may be at risk of school refusal
- Why early intervention is important to prevent chronic school refusal.
Cost $43.33
To Register Click here
SCHOOL COUNCIL MEMBERS
The School Council plays an important role in the functioning of the school. I would like to thank and introduce or School Council members for 2024
Executive Officer: Kate Mancarella
President: Tony Pollock
Vice President: Maria Farrell
Treasurer: Terumi Sathananthan
Members: Joe Stamandaonli, Rebecca James, Ishu Gupta, Halla Allabadi, Julia Zhu, Sarah Brown, Jayde Williams and David Mander