Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people, the traditional owners of the land Mickleham Primary School is on, and pay our respects to elders past, present and emerging and to any Koorie people joining us today.

We would like to acknowledge the children of the past, present and future who have grown up, learnt and played with friends on this land.

We would like to acknowledge our country and nature, including: trees, grasses, flowers, birds and insects. Our Bluestone building represents our community’s past and we are the future.

Acknowledgement of Diversity

We acknowledge and respect the differences between us. We understand we all come from different cultures, and we have different opinions and needs. We are all equals and cooperate as we play a role in our school community.

The above statements were written by our children and staff through our Koorie Action Group and Diversity Leaders.

Camping program

We are extremely fortunate at Mickleham Primary School, that we have staff members who are so committed to our children having a well-rounded experience that they agree to attend school camps. We have structured the program so that it increases in complexity over the years. 

Our Prep children return to school one evening for our ‘Lullabies’ program. They go on a teddy bear hunt, have teddy bear biscuits and hot chocolate and toast marshmallows over a campfire. The excited squeals of a bunch of Preps as they run around the school with their torches is so much fun to watch.

Grade 1 children come to school one day in their pyjamas. They eat breakfast together and catch up with their classmates from Grade 2 who had a sleepover the night before. Grade 2 children (and teachers) sleep in their classroom areas after a movie night and fun activities.

In odd years, our Grade 3/4 children go to Sovereign Hill and learn about the gold rush period in our country’s history. They learn a great deal about the way people lived when there was no electricity, industrial machinery or even computer games and internet! Our children engaged with pantomime performers and asked insightful questions. In even years, this cohort goes to Healesville. This camp involves traditional rope courses, flying foxes and problem-solving activities. This camp also includes a visit to Healesville Sanctuary.

Our Grade 5/6s travel to Phillip Island in odd years to participate in surfing, learn about Australian native animals and enjoy a range of fun and challenging activities. In even years we travel to a camp in the Benalla area then drive to the snow for a very long day of snow sledding and snowball making (and throwing). We also do a bushwalk and a team building ropes course. 

At a quick glance, the range of experiences is extensive and would provide any child moving through all year levels an engaging variety of opportunities. 

The value of school camp experiences goes well beyond the sights and activities alone. Children learn to solve problems, be resilient, shower and dress themselves, keep their cabin tidy and look after their belongings, cook and serve their breakfast, do dishes and co-operate with their group to tidy the meals area. They learn to listen to each other and follow directions. Just this morning several children held up white pieces of fabric and asked me what it was – sheets was the answer. They slept on the fitted sheet and under the doona provided but did not know how to make their bed with a sheet. 

Many parents are anxious about the idea of their children leaving for camp and recently some sent messages to staff who posted photos of children enjoying themselves at camp. You can be assured that teachers have reminded children to get jumpers and coats many, many times; to take a shower every day and brush their teeth twice a day. However, if they do not get their jumper the first time, they may feel cold and will be sure to get it next time. Independence is a value of our school and a life skill. We encourage campers to take care of themselves, their friends and their belongings. 

Having attended many camps now, I cannot thank our staff enough for their hard work – in organizing the events, leaving their families and snug beds, supervising children for very long days, and taking care of the physical and emotional needs of your children. They are nothing short of amazing. It is unquestionably very hard work, but it is also very rewarding to watch these little people grow and adapt before your eyes.

Education Week

Every year, Victorian government schools celebrate learning during a special week – Education Week. It is in fact this week in 2025. As we have a cohort out at camp, we have decided to celebrate learning at MPS during Week 6. The highlight of our celebration is ‘Twilight School’ on Wednesday 28th May. The children are very excited to be staying at school until it is dark and having a special lunch and glo bands. Parents are invited to join the children from approximately 5:40pm to work with their children in House groups on activities connected with the theme of celebrating diversity and culture.

I have been communicating with the land developers to get the streetlights connected before Wednesday. I am told it will happen this Saturday. Fingers crossed it is successful. Parents can park in the two side streets (Lagoon Avenue and Dryland Boulevard) as well as in the old staff car park and drive through on Mickleham Road. Please drive very carefully around the school as the children are not familiar with being at school after dark.

Please remember…

It is absolutely never acceptable for one parent to correct the behaviour of another child. If you see something that needs to be addressed, please speak with a member of staff. You would not like it if another parent reprimanded your child, please do not do it to other people’s children.

Enrolments 2026

If you have a child who starts school next year, it is critical that you come and complete an enrolment form immediately. We are the only school in our local area that can accept enrolments from children outside of our zone. All other schools have enrolment management plans in place, meaning they cannot accept children who do not live in their specified zone. We want to be sure the siblings of our current children have a place before we accept out-of-zone applications.

I look forward to seeing you all at Twilight School on Wednesday.

Julie & Staff

Welcome families, 

On 13th April 2025 we held our second School Council meeting with our new committee. I would like to formally welcome our new members and thank them in advance for their valuable contributions to the school. We aim to keep you updated with information shared in these meetings on a regular basis.

Our School Council has four subcommittees, three of which meet on a monthly basis and report back during meetings.

During our FISO (Framework for Improving Student Outcomes) meeting we discussed changes in the structure of the Maths curriculum. There is a change from the Department of Education as they now only require schools to report on maths as one progression point. Through consultation with our 2024 FISO sub committee, we, as a school, will also report on individual maths strands (Number, Algebra, Measurement, Space, Statistics and Probability) using a five point scale. There is also a new curriculum in English but no changes to how this is reported to families.  

FISO also discussed the annual Parent survey. Every year the school distributes the survey to families for them to share their thoughts about our school with the Department of Education and our community. In order to help with engagement, Julie has looked at ways to have a higher number of families complete the survey. These are distributed to families in Term 3 and are a valuable way for schools and the Department of Education to gather information about our school and assist in making goals for the upcoming year. 

In our Community and Fundraising subcommittee meeting we discussed the Bunnings sausage sizzle and the Mothers Day stall that were recently held. We would like to thank all those that came and helped at the Mothers Day stall. Your volunteering of time is what helps our school. The Bunnings sausage sizzle was a success and we can not thank the Sumbul family enough for their ongoing contribution of sausages and families for donations of money, vouchers, food, drinks, etc. This was the first time we had started a fundraiser with no major overhead costs. It was an unbelievable achievement and we would again like to thank you with the giving of goods and time spent helping!

Lastly as President and Vice President we would like to remind families that the Volunteer Parent Payment is due in June 2025. These funds help our school provide resources for our children such as Reading Eggs, Mathletics and classroom resources. These learning tools are NOT provided from the Department of Education and are purchased by the school, with having these contributions fulfilled by our families this will continue to help us resource our school for the year ahead and provide learning opportunities for our students.

 Thank you 

Kim Milton and Amanda Tull-Boyle

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

ATTITUDES TO SCHOOL SURVEY

In recent weeks, teachers from the Student Engagement team conducted a survey with a random selection of students from Years Three to Six. The purpose of the survey was to gauge the understanding of the language used throughout the Attitudes to School Survey which is completed every year in Semester Two across government schools in Victoria. 

Using this data, the team has decided that teachers will work with students during Ready to Learn time to help students further understand the language used throughout the survey. We learnt that students had limited understanding regarding what student choice was and what it looked like in the classroom. In upcoming weeks, during our Ready to Learn sessions, students will learn about student choice and create a shared definition. Students in Foundation to Two will work on developing a Student Choice board whereas students in Three to Six will be working on a Passion Project of choice. We will be working on this from Week 6 onwards and look forward to engaging our students at Mickleham Primary School.

STUDENT WELLBEING

TERM 2 CLUBS

At Mickleham Primary School we offer clubs at almost every break. Click here to have a look at what’s planned for Term 2

BREAKFAST CLUB

We invite our children and their families to join us for Breakfast Club every day from 8:30am in the middle space at the Bottlebrush Building. Children enjoy the social experience of eating with their friends and families as well as starting the day with healthy ‘brain food’ in their bodies.

Choices includes: cereal, toast, spaghetti and milk.

3/4 CAMP – SOVEREIGN HILL

Last week 52 grade 3/4 students spent three days in Sovereign Hill. We were blessed with absolutely amazing weather and beautiful sunshine. Students all represented our school with pride and asked lots of interesting questions. Highlights of our time included two underground mine tours, a hilarious pantomime and being able to hold the gold ingot. Students were very successful in their gold panning efforts and we now have a small jar of gold in the 3/4 unit. We learnt that the meaning of Ballarat is ‘Bent Elbow’ because it was a resting place and when you sleep without a pillow on the ground – you bend your elbow to make yourself a pillow. Students were engaged in educational sessions about life on the Goldfields and STEM.