Primary Report 

From the Primary Office

Students in the Primary School have been very busy these last few weeks. Through leadership opportunities, local community events and awareness days, students have been able to connect with each other in the local area. It has been a welcoming change after the last two years with many events cancelled due to imposed restrictions.

Harmony Week is celebrated from Monday 21 March until Sunday 27 March this year. Primary School students celebrated Harmony Day today on Friday 25 March. Harmony Day celebrates Australia’s cultural diversity. It is about including, respecting and appreciating the stories, traditions and cultures of all people who call Australia home. Our Year 6 students led an informative based craft session for our Primary students to promote the messages of Harmony Day and it provided a great opportunity for our students to connect with other year levels across the school.

The National Day of Action against bullying and violence, also known as ‘Bullying No Way!’ Day, is Australia’s key bullying prevention strategy. The awareness theme for this year was Kindness Culture. By building kindness culture together, we can promote inclusion, respect and community belonging for all students in schools across Australia. On Friday 18 March, our students and staff were involved in lessons about ‘Kindness… it starts with you!’. The central focus of these lessons was for students to commit to an act of kindness which they wrote or drew on a love heart. All coloured love hearts contributed to our kindness wall which was also featured in our outdoor Chapel services as a way to inspire our students to be kind to others.

It was great to see many of our families at this year’s Teddy Bear’s Picnic, hosted by the Murray River Council and Moama Anglican Grammar. A huge thank you to our Year 6 student leaders and two parent volunteers who did a great job in engaging the younger kids with the art and craft activities. The pictures taken in our very own MAG photo booth showcase the fun had by all!

The School will be present at the upcoming Echuca-Moama Market on Sunday. Our School leaders will be involved in running student activities and we look forward to connecting with you. 

Complimentary Sport Workshop

On Friday 11 March, we visited the Campaspe Community Childcare Centre where we ran a complimentary sport workshop for their Kindergarten students. Mr Harris, together with our Chanter House Captains, Sophie Jardine and Jack Millar, did an amazing job getting all students involved in the engaging activities. This workshop is part of a new initiative which aims to strengthen our connections with the local preschools, kindergartens and wider community.

Parent Volunteers

For those parents, grandparents, carers or significant others looking at becoming a Registered Volunteer, further sessions for the volunteer induction have been scheduled.

Please contact the PS reception on 03 5480 5950 to book your spot. Parents registering for the online session will receive a Zoom invite. 

GRIP Leadership

On Monday 21 March, our Year 6 Student Leaders participated in the annual GRIP Leadership Conference in Shepparton. The purpose of this conference was for Year 6 leaders to develop their leadership skills and to collaborate and connect with other Year 6 leaders in the region. The goal of the day was for students to leave with a clear vision, a solid understanding and plenty of ideas on how to develop their leadership roles throughout the remainder of the year. 

Grace McMaster 6A

'The GRIP Leadership day was an amazing experience for all the Year 6 leaders. The presenters Andy and Michael were amazing at entertaining the audience and made the leader day feel special. My favourite part of the day was when we played all the fun games and when we had to move around the auditorium to ask other leaders questions and get their opinions.'  

Alexander Attalh 6A

'The GRIP conference in Shepparton was an amazing leadership experience with so many fun activities. We learned that leaders look for opportunities to do things better than they have ever been done before.'

Charlotte Moller 6A

'We learned that as leaders in the Primary School, we need to STEP up by; Serving others, Taking initiative, Exemplifying our school values and by changing the Purpose. In addition, we completed lots of fun activities which excelled our learning opportunities.'

Zara Hensley 6B

'Andy and Michael unpacked the meaning of integrity, one of our school values. We STEP up integrity by; Showing what is right, Telling the truth, Encouraging others to do what is right and Persisting if you are criticised. Throughout the day we had so much fun and the Loud Noises activities were my favourite.' 

NAPLAN Practice Test 

In May, students in Year 3, Year 5, Year 7 and Year 9 will participate in NAPLAN Online. Our Year 3 and Year 5 students will take part in the Coordinated Practice Test (CPT) on Monday 28 March. Participation in the practice demonstration tests is highly beneficial for schools and students in their preparation for NAPLAN Online, as it allows schools and students to become familiar with the online assessment platform and processes.  

Academic Co-Curricular Program

We are pleased to announce the start of the Academic Co-Curricular program in the Primary School. This program focuses on supporting and extending students in the areas of English and Mathematics. Stage Coordinators, together with the teachers and support staff have been planning engaging programs which cater for different skills and goals. Identified students will be invited to attend the lessons which run as withdrawal groups during the day. Teachers will contact parents of students who are invited to attend. Different students will have an opportunity to be involved in the Academic Co-Curricular program as we continue to revise the skills and goals being taught. Teachers use assessment data, observations and diagnostic tests to establish who will be invited. If you have any questions about the programs, please contact your child’s classroom teacher in the first instance. 

Choices Flooring Echuca

We would like to thank the team at Choices Flooring in Echuca for their generous donation. Ross and Ange have donated many carpet squares to the school over the past two years. These carpet squares are regularly used by all Primary students to sit on when attending outdoor assemblies and events.

Choices Flooring in Echuca offers a large selection of timber flooring, carpet, luxury vinyl, bamboo and tile floors and the team will be happy to answer your questions about the right flooring to buy for your home. Their shop is located at 1/188 Annesley Street in Echuca.

Primary Easter Activities

On Tuesday 6 April, all students at Moama Anglican Grammar will be involved in an Easter Chapel service. Primary students will be split into 2 groups; K-2 and 3-6 for this service. Parents are unable to attend the Chapel service which has been scheduled throughout the day; however, on the morning of Friday 8 April, parents are invited to join their kids in celebrating Easter at school. More information about the different planned activities will be shared with families early next week. 

Masks

We continue to assess the COVID risks with each activity we plan. This last week, we have seen a big reduction in students testing positive to COVID in the Primary School. In line with current NSW Health advice, masks are no longer a requirement and as such, parents will be able to collect their child from their classroom without a mask. We thank all our parents and visitors for their support and patience throughout the term. 

Kind Regards,

Nici Deller                                                            Mel Scott

Head of Primary                                                Head of Teaching and Learning Primary