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.
The student leadership roles are numerous at our school, giving children the opportunity to learn and grow as individuals as well as explore ways to develop public speaking skills and more. At the end of last year, our Grade 3, 4 & 5 children listened to speeches written by anyone who was interested in holding student leadership roles. Our staff provide feedback based on observations of student behaviour over time and their willingness to contribute positively to our school. Our main student leadership group (Captains, Diversity & Environment Leaders) conduct assemblies every second Friday afternoon, lead a range of initiatives across the school including: recycling and sustainability, healthy lunches, maintaining and yard. Our Diversity Leaders educate children and improve their awareness of our culturally and ability diverse community. They help to conduct events such as Harmony Day and NAIDOC Week. Our House Captain group lead House Meetings and encourage their House members to gain points for positive behaviours around the school and during athletics events. Over the coming weeks each class will vote for a Class Representative to join our student leadership group to make suggestions and decisions about a range of topics across the year.
Our Peer Mediators will also commence supporting other children manage minor issues in the playground in the next week or so. These children have received training to help them learn ways to support others to solve problems, make friends, and resolve minor conflicts.
At our assembly last Friday we awarded leadership roles to the following children. We extend our CONGRATULATIONS to these children and wish them well for an amazing experience as student leaders.
CAPTAINS
VICE CAPTAINS
DIVERSITY LEADERS
ENVIRONMENT LEADERS
Tom
Olivia
Lylah
Zakariya
Adam
Anhad
Kanav
Chelsea
Yara
Ryder
Elijah
School Councillors needed
Please consider being involved in our school through participation in the School Council. There are only eight meetings per year, with four of these being held on-line. Each Councillor is also involved in one sub-committee – helping to plan events and school programs.
Forms are available at the Office. Nominations close on Monday.
Building works
Over the summer break, the builders completed repairs to the pocket doors/walls in every classroom. At least 34 walls were cut open and repaired, then reconstructed. The walls are now safe and all fibreglass is contained within the walls. I am very hopeful that this will be the last major works to be undertaken, though I am still working on getting improvements made to our basketball court.
2026 Schoolwide theme – STRONGER TOGETHER
Each year we select a theme that unites our teams – both staff and children. Each theme is related to our values and mission statements. In keeping with our highly inclusive practices and valuing of our extremely diverse community, both cultural and ability, we believe we truly are STRONGER TOGETHER! Each cohort and staff team has created a display that represents this theme and will continue to promote this belief across the year. Families can help us to promote these beliefs by reinforcing how important it is to respect and accept each other and value the contributions made by every member of the school community.
Religious observances
This is a busy time of year for religious and cultural observances, with Chinese New Year and Ramadan/Eid celebrations happening this month. I met with children who are observing fasting and prayer practices during Ramadan and have arranged with them to sit away from other children during eating times and provided a private space for prayer. We will contact you immediately if there are any complications for your child during this time.
Emergency Management Plan
Each year, every school in Victoria prepares an Emergency Management Plan. This document anticipates many events and incidents and outlines the processes and procedures schools will implement should one of these events arise. We are required to follow the processes prepared by experts in a variety of fields and the Department as our ultimate governing body. As it is not possible to know the specific details of an incident until it occurs, we do the best we can to anticipate appropriate responses. At all times, the safety and wellbeing of our children and staff will be our singular priority. All decisions are made with this in mind.
After every incident, a thorough review is undertaken. The Department is collaborating with all other educational bodies and emergency management entities to refine practices and make any changes that are deemed necessary. Once they have been shared with me, I will inform you of the impact it will have on our practices moving forward.
We again want to thank all parents who have reached out to express their appreciation for our management of a challenging situation and I want to extend my thanks to our staff for their calm commitment to our children.
Traffic
Hume Council has installed traffic counting strips in both Dryland Boulevard and Lagoon Avenue. I am hopeful that the number of registered vehicles crossing these counting tapes will meet the threshold for crossing support. Perhaps I could suggest that you plan your trip to cross these rather than perform a u-turn…
Both Hume Council and Craigieburn Police are likely to randomly drive through our traffic areas. You will get a fine if you ignore the warnings that I give you almost every week and do the things in the MUST NOT column below.
MUST DO
· Observe speed and crossing rules
· Use the whole Kiss & Go zone for quick drops and pick-ups – children can walk to & from your car
· Park safely in side streets or opposite the school to come in and pick children up – not too close to the corner
· Leave space in the roundabout for through traffic
MUST NOT
· Speed in our school zone
· Drop children or load them in your car in the middle of the road
· Stop on the school crossing
· Wait for the first parking space in the Kiss & Go
· Cross the road ANYWHERE except the crossings
· U-turn within 20 metres of the school crossing
· Leave your car in the Kiss & Go zone, it is not a parking area
In term 4, students in grade 4 and 5 had the opportunity to participate in Peer Mediation training in preparation for 2026. Students developed their understanding of the following areas:
Skill One: Awareness of Body Language
Skill Two: Understanding feelings
Skill Three: Active Listening and Reflecting
Skill Four: Effective Questioning
Skill Five: Assertion
Skill Six: Brainstorming
In 2026, we will relaunch our PeerMediation Program selecting students who participated in the training. Congratulations to those students who volunteered, participated and developed lifelong problem solving skills. We are very excited to see these students in action next year. They will be in a bright purple vest in the yard!
Our students have just completed their block of Building Classroom Communities where they learnt all about our school’s RICH values. They have now started Guided Reading sessions.
Overall, the students have settled really well into their classrooms as well as the daily routines here at school.
At Mickleham Primary School we believe that a strong connection between school, students and family is important to help students achieve. We believe that the responsibility for educating children is shared by parents and the school. Your positive involvement is welcome in the school.
We strive to create an environment in which all our students feel safe, happy and important. We structure our classrooms and our programs so that the children experience success, are actively encouraged and have the opportunity to reach their full potential.
At Mickleham Primary School children belong to a community of learners and have every chance to achieve their personal best.
Mission and values
Our children will have an awareness of themselves and their role as active members of our school and wider community.
At Mickleham Primary School, we embrace our history and our future as we create a supportive learning environment through which –
Our children will grow as learners:
They will learn to be confident and curious, to question the what, when, where, why & how, of their own world
They will learn to be persistent and seek innovative, creative solutions
They will engage in learning by collaborating with others
They will learn to take risks and learn from attempts
They will work to meet and exceed high expectations
They will learn in a stimulating and safe environment
Our children will grow as citizens:
They will learn to be resilient in the face of challenges
They will be empathetic and compassionate, showing kindness and caring
They will communicate clearly and respectfully
They will embrace diversity and be inclusive of all others, creating a sense of belonging
They will be proactive contributors to the school community
They will contribute to the community beyond the school.
Our school’s objectives are considered as part of the 4 yearly strategic planning process and reflected in the goals listed in our current School Strategic Plan (SSP). We also develop an Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) to operationalise the goals and key improvement strategies contained in our SSP.
Term 1 Thursday 29th January – Thursday 2nd April Term 2 Monday 20th April – Friday 26th June Term 3 Monday 13th July – Friday 18th September Term 4 Monday 5th October – Friday 18th December
Attendance
Teachers are on duty from 8:30am until 3:40pm each day. An Out of School Hours Care program (TheirCare) is available for children who need to be at school outside these hours.
Children should arrive at school between 8:30am and 9am every morning.
Your child’s schooling is MOST important, and unnecessary absenteeism can affect their academic progress.
It is important that all students arrive at school on time and stay until the end of the day. Leaving early or arriving late by only 10 minutes a day over the course of a child’s primary years is the equivalent of missing over 9 weeks of schooling and can have a significant impact on their progress.
Regular attendance will promote your child’s:
Academic growth
Good social adjustment
Development of self-responsibility
However, home is a good place for a sick child and it is inadvisable to send back to school a child who is still recovering from an illness.
If your child is going to be absent you must record this on Compass. PLEASE do not phone school for a short absence.
A Before and After School Care Program operates onsite at Mickleham Primary School. The program is provided with well supervised care for students whose parents need to drop their child/children at school at the correct time or who are not available to pick up their child/children by 3:40pm.
The program hours are:
6:30am – 8:45am Before School Care
3:20pm – 6:30pm After School Care
We ask all our parents to enroll their children in the Out of School Hours Care program. This enables parents to use the program on short notice should there be an emergency.
Early departures
If you have to collect your child during the day, please go to the Office first to sign them out through Compass. The Office will contact the class teacher for your child to be sent over.
If another adult is collecting your child, please notify the school.
If your child is arriving late to school, you must come to the Office with your child and sign in on the Compass Kiosk.
Please try to make appointments out of school hours.
What your child will need
You will need to provide:
Appropriate enclosed footwear to be worn at all times (thongs, crocs and sandals are not to be worn at school)
Mickleham Primary School Uniform – you can purchase the school uniform from PSW
A lunch box and drink bottle
A school bag – these can also be ordered through PSW if you wish
A library bag
All belongings should be clearly labelled.
Children are encouraged to be responsible for their own belongings.
Medication at School
If your child requires medication, you must sign it in at the front office on a Medication Authority Form. No medication is to be brought to the office by a child or left in a child’s school bag.
Medications must be supplied in their original packaging/container supplied by the chemist which gives the name of the child, the doses, and the time the medication is to be given. No medication should be left with children.
PLEASE LET THE SCHOOL KNOW IF YOUR CHILD IS:
Asthmatic
Diabetic
Epileptic
Anaphylactic
Allergic to medication, stings or any foods
Any serious medical condition.
First Aid
From time to time staff might need to administer first aid to students at school or treat a condition.
Student who are unwell should not attend school. If a student becomes unwell during the school day, they may be directed to sick bay and monitored by staff. Depending on the nature of their symptoms, staff may contact parents or carers or an emergency contact person to ask them to collect the student.
If there is a situation or incident which occurs at school or a school activity which requires first aid to be administered to a student:
● Staff who have been trained in first aid will administer first aid in accordance with their training. In an emergency situation, other staff may assist in the administration of first aid within their level of competence ● In a medical emergency, staff may take emergency action and do not need to obtain parent/carer consent to do so. Staff may contact Triple Zero “000” for emergency medical services at any time ● Staff may also contact NURSE-ON-CALL (on 1300 60 60 24) in an emergency. NURSE-ON-CALL provides immediate, expert health advice from a registered nurse and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ● If first aid is administered for a minor injury or condition, Mickleham Primary School will notify parents/carers through a Compass notification for minor matters or phone calls for serious matters and for all head injuries ● If first aid is administered for a serious injury or condition, or in an emergency situation, school staff will attempt to contact parents/carers or emergency contacts as soon as reasonably practical ● If staff providing first aid determine that an emergency response is not required but that medical advice is needed, school staff will ask parents/carers, or an emergency contact person, to collect the student and recommend that advice is sought from a medical practitioner
The school Canteen operates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Lunch orders must be ordered through Compass.
Over the counter sales also occur on these days, however no hot food or lunch items can be purchased at this time.
Compass
At Mickleham Primary School, we recognise that our parents are very busy people who need up to date information available to them on their phones or computer. To achieve this, we encourage parents to register on our Compass portal and set their own password. All payments, consent for events and communication with the community occur through this forum.
Parents needing assistance to set up their Compass page or reset their password can call the Office and our friendly staff will provide help.
