Extra Curricular | Macedon Primary School

Bike Ed

The Bike Education program is delivered to grade 5 students generally in terms 3 and 4, and runs for 5 weeks. It focuses on the students learning the skills of how to ride safely on the road. These skills include stopping safely, head checks, traffic awareness, use of gears and learning road rules. The course begins with some riding skills sessions at school, followed by on-road riding. On-road riding is an essential part of the course and will be done in the local streets when children have successfully completed the riding skills sessions of the course within the school grounds. Later in term 4, the students participate in a grade 5 and 6 bike ride to Hanging Rock.

Camps

At Macedon Primary School, we believe that school camps are a valuable part of every child’s education—offering opportunities to build independence, resilience, and lasting memories with friends.

All students from Grade 1 through to Grade 6 participate in our camp program. Our Grade 1/2 students take part in a fun and supportive overnight camp, helping them build confidence and experience staying away from home in a familiar, school-supported environment.

From Grade 3 to Grade 6, students attend a two-night camp as part of our carefully planned two-year camp cycle. Each student will participate in both:
An adventure-based camp, where they take on physical challenges and team-building activities, and
An experience-based camp, which may focus on culture, nature, or community learning.
Our camp program helps students step out of their comfort zones, develop social skills, and strengthen their connection to classmates and teachers—all while having an unforgettable time.

House System

The Macedon Primary School House system incorporates our school values of Respect, Creativity, Team Work, Responsibility and Integrity. The children are placed in one of the following four houses:

Bourke (Green) – Sir Richard Bourke was the 8th Governor of New South Wales and approved a new settlement on the Yarra River called Melbourne.
Curtin (Blue) – John Curtin was the 14th Australian Prime Minister who attended Macedon Primary School.
Hume (Yellow) – Hamilton Hume was an early explorer of the present-day Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria. He was part of the expedition of the first Europeans to discover the Darling River.
Mitchell (Red) – Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell was surveyor and explorer of South Eastern Australia.

House Captains are elected from Grade 6 at the beginning of each year. House events are conducted throughout the year and all students participate. House events include: swimming, cross country, tabloid sports (a mixture of events including throwing, kicking and running) and athletics.

All students are expected to perform yard duty once a week at the end of lunchtime. This is organised and led by the House Captains. Points are awarded to each House on their yard duty day and the House with the highest points at the end of the year are awarded the Yard Duty House Shield.

“Got Ya” raffle tickets are given out to children that are demonstrating the school values or motto, in the yard and classrooms. At the end of the week name/s are drawn out and the winners get to choose a special KidsMatter prize. They also receive an award and their photo printed in the newsletter. At the end of the year the House with the highest points are awarded the KidsMatter House Shield.

Macedon Primary offers school-based ‘House Sports’ competitions for all students in Years 3-6 for swimming, and all students Foundation-6 for cross country running, tabloid sports and athletics. ‘House Sports’ competitions are conducted each year to promote a sense of community and connectedness, and celebrate skills learned in P.E. sessions in a friendly, competitive environment.

Instrumental Music

The following programs are offered as an additona program, to be arranged and paid for privately by families.

Guitar Lessons – Infinite Sound

Weekly 1/2 hour group session held at Macedon Primary on Friday mornings during school time for students from grade 2 -6.

visit www.infinitesound.com.au

Or call Aaron Moar – 0438 177 764

Ranges Music Network

Group and Individual lessons from grade prep to grade 6.

Voice & singing, harp, ukulele, bass, drums & percussion, violin, flute, clarinet, saxophone, doods & toots (beginner woodwinds), trumpet, trobone, rhythm & more….

Visit www.rangesmusic.net or email info@rangesmusic.net

Middle Gully Reserve

Macedon Primary School is extremely fortunate to have access to a wonderful natural resource just across the road—Middle Gully Reserve (MGR).

This 2.1-hectare area is home to native trees, vegetable gardens, a maze, fire pit, soccer field, dam, pizza oven, quiet seating areas, chickens, and an Eco Learning Centre. Recent upgrades include the addition of toilets, solar power, and water to the Eco Learning Centre in preparation for its redevelopment into a STEM learning space in the near future.

MGR is the cornerstone for a wide range of learning experiences at Macedon Primary. Each year level uses the reserve throughout the term for activities such as nature art, pizza making, and maintaining the vegetable gardens. It is also home to our environmental program, where each class participates in termly outdoor learning sessions. These sessions begin with a focus on plant knowledge or maintenance, followed by hands-on activities like planting, weeding, and creating improvements for the reserve.

MGR is also the setting for our weekly Forest School program. In Forest School, students explore the environment through a blend of biological science and outdoor education. Led by our passionate environmental educator Lisa, students develop practical skills and a deep appreciation for nature while studying the ecosystems around them.

Beyond classroom learning, MGR is used for special events such as the much-loved Winter Solstice and the school fete, as well as for weekly lunchtime play sessions for students in Years 1–6. These sessions offer students the chance to connect with nature, enjoy open-ended play, and explore the natural treasures of the reserve in a peaceful, open setting.

Middle Gully Reserve is more than just a space—it’s a vital part of the Macedon PS identity and a place where learning comes alive in the great outdoors.

Interschool Sports

Our school is affiliated with School Sport Victoria in the Western Ranges Division.

Macedon Primary School students compete against other students and teams from local primary schools including Holy Cross PS, St Bridget’s PS, New Gisborne PS, Gisborne PS, Riddells Creek PS, Mt Macedon PS and Montessori Gisborne.

The District Sports Association offers a range of sports including: Australian Rules football, soccer, netball, softball, basketball, cricket, tennis, athletics, swimming and cross country running for our school to compete in.

Equal opportunity for both girls and boys is provided where good sportsmanship and fair play through healthy competition is promoted. When teams are selected, a strong emphasis is placed on how well students will best represent our school and demonstrate our school values of respect, responsibility, integrity, creativity and teamwork.

Year 6s and then Year 5s make up the majority of the football, softball, tennis, basketball, netball, cricket and soccer teams while Year 4’s are selected to fill in when required.

Year 3s and 4s are also selected to join our Year 5s and 6s to represent our school in the under 10s, 11 year old and 12/13 year old events at district swimming, cross country and athletic carnivals.

If students are successful in any of these events they then move on to represent the Macedon Ranges District at Regional and then State finals.

The school offers lunch-time coaching programs throughout the year, weather permitting, for senior students who participate in the interschool sports.