Primary School

It was great to welcome many mothers, grandmothers and significant others to our Mother’s Day Celebrations last week. The buzz around the school ground was just wonderful and we hope that all the visitors enjoyed their breakfast and pampering. A special thank you to the Senior Drumline, Sarah Duffey and Delaney Laffy for their great performances and entertainment. We appreciate all the support from our parent volunteers who braved the cold weather and cooked up a tasty breakfast and we would like to acknowledge the generous support from many local businesses who donated raffle prizes to the school. These events are not possible without the support of our staff, who took on many different roles to ensure the morning ran smoothly. 

 

We would like to thank our MAG Parents & Friends for organising a highly successful Mother’s Day stall. To say it was a huge success would be an understatement. In total 360 presents were prepared and an additional 80 presents were added throughout the morning to ensure all students had an opportunity to shop at the stall. Events like these cannot go ahead without the exceptional help of our amazing volunteers. We hope everyone enjoyed their special gifts. 

 

 

Gymnastics Co-Curricular

Our very popular Gymnastics Co-Curricular for students in Years 2 to Year 6 has officially started. Last week, the students in Kindergarten and Year 1 were offered a trial lesson and many students attended this fun class. This week, the students in Years 2 to Year 6 had their first class which is taught by Jamison McFadden, a MAG alumni member who completed Year 12 last year.

 

Moving forward, students in Year 5 and Year 6 have their lesson at lunchtime on Wednesday and students in Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 attend their lesson on Thursday during lunchtime. Students who attend Gymnastics classes are allowed to attend school in their Sports Uniform on the allocated day.

 

GRIP Leadership

On Tuesday 9 May, 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. 

 

Cabe Ludlow:

GRIP Leader was a very exciting experience, and beneficial to our learning of “how to be a better leader”. There were three main sessions and in the first session we learnt how to be an others first leader. In the second session we brainstormed ideas for our school that impact everyone and in our last session, we learned how to get others on board with our ideas. 

 

Lyla Bassett:

GRIP leadership was a great opportunity for all our Year 6 leaders to become fantastic role models. The day was broken up into 3 sessions. In each session we, Loud Noises was something we all enjoyed. Loud Noises was a time to be loud and have some fun. Loud Noises was not only a great brain break but also a great way to develop our team building and communication skills.

 

Matthew Maxwell:

GRIP Leadership was a thrilling and beneficial day that helped all the Year 6 leaders become better leaders. The word GRIP, stands for Generosity, Responsibility, Integrity and People. There were several schools there from across Victoria. Throughout the day there were 3 sessions, separating the recess and lunch break. When the recess and lunch break started people were allowed to buy leadership badges. 

 

ThinkUKnow presentation

Today, students in Year 5 and Year 6 attended a cyber safety, ThinkUKnow, presentation delivered by NSW Police. The presentation included the following:

  • Simple steps young people can take to keep themselves safe online.
  • Understanding the importance of keeping personal information "private" and recognising that information can be shared within content such as images and usernames.
  • How to explore the difference between knowing people and knowing people offline, and how to apply critical thinking skills when determining what is appropriate to share.
  • Being able to identify a series of trusted adults who young people can go to when they feel unsure or unsafe when using the internet.

In addition, we direct your attention to an article from the School’s Wellbeing Team in this week’s Newsletter that includes some excellent advice and resources for families. Please take the time to read this article and we encourage you to have a conversation with your child. Research indicates that having open communication within families is a significant way of supporting our young people in staying safe in the online environment.

 

Audiology Screenings

On Thursday 25 May our Kindergarten students have an opportunity to have their hearing screened. The assessment will be conducted by a local Audiologist Johanna Nesbitt. Johanna has worked with our school in different capacities for many years and we thank her for her continued support and this great opportunity.

 

Audiology is the science of hearing, and an Audiologist is trained to assess the Auditory pathway, at any age. It is critically important that children can hear well from birth so that they can develop speech and communication skills and maximise their learning potential. 

 

We would to thank those parents who have already taken advantage of this fabulous opportunity by completing the consent forms. These are due to the Primary Reception by this Monday 22 May. Parents will receive a detailed report on the day which shows the results of the assessment.

 

Grammar Experience

Next week, our Kindergarten Grammar Experiences are scheduled to take place. We welcome our 2024 Kindergarten students and families on Wednesday 24 and Friday 26 May. Students will engage in classroom workshops whilst their parents attend a School tour and information session. Do you know someone who is currently considering their child’s future education? Feel free to share the flyer below.

 

School Photo Days

This year, the School Photo Days have been scheduled for Thursday 1 June and Friday 2 June. A copy of the schedule can be found on the School Notices page of this newsletter. All Primary students are scheduled to have their individual photo and class photo taken on Thursday 1 June. Parents should have received the School Photo Envelope from MSP. Students are expected to wear their full Winter Uniform on this day. 

 

To Order Photos:

Go to www.msp.com.au and click “Order Photos”. Enter your child’s personalised shootkey and follow the prompts. For any questions or further information, please contact MSP on 03 5482 3190.

 

Smart Watches

We have seen an increase in the number of students who wear a Smart Watch whilst being at school. In most cases, the intent for wearing a Smart Watch is to read the time, which is obviously appropriate. When students use their Smart Watch during the day for any other intent; contacting a parent or a friend, the same rules apply as set out in the Student Use of Mobile Phones policy. We ask that parents familiarise themselves with this policy. This policy can be found on page 32 of the School Handbook

 

After School Arrangements

  • For those students catching one of our late buses, the after-school supervision has changed from the Resource Centre to the Middle School. 
  • Students in Kinder to Year 2 will be allowed to play on the equipment but only after their parents have collected them from the classroom teacher, at which point the responsibility is transferred back to the parent who is required to actively supervise their child/ren. 
  • If students are not collected from the classroom by 3:15pm, they are sent to the Primary School office where parents can collect them.
  • Supervision after 3:15pm is not available and those parents who are unable to collect their child before this time, are encouraged to contact the Primary School Reception. Families who have difficulty collecting their child/ren before 3:15pm, are encourage to enrol their child/ren in School’s Out, our onsite Outside of School Hours Care provider. School's Out can be contacted on 1300 329 106.

Upcoming Events

24/05/23              Simultaneous Story Time; Kindergarten to Year 2

24/05/23              Kindergarten 2024 Grammar Experience

25/05/23              Kindergarten Audiology Screenings

26/06/23              Kindergarten 2024 Grammar Experience

26/06/23              Primary Netball Tournament; Year 5 and 6

26/05/23              Primary Assembly; Year 1 Performance

27/05/23              Kindergarten 2024 Enrolment Interviews

29/05/23              Reconciliation Week (all week)

01/06/23              School Photos

02/06/23              School Photos

02/06/23              Primary Choir Eisteddfod 

15/06/23              Young Performers Concert

 

Kind Regards,

 

Nici Deller                                                      Mel Scott

Head of Primary                                          Head of Teaching and Learning Primary