About
From our Principal
I would like to extend a generous and warm welcome to you, your child and family to Macedon Primary School.
Set at the foot of Mount Macedon, Macedon Primary School boasts a long and proud history of providing high quality learning opportunities for children. The teaching and educational support staff at Macedon Primary School offer high level expertise in providing quality educational outcomes to all of our students. The teachers work in close knit teams and strive to continually improve their practice to support the emotional and academic growth of all students. Our learning community is guided by our school motto, “caring, sharing, learning” and we pride ourselves on our supportive culture and our continuous endeavour for excellence.
At Macedon Primary School, the environment plays an important role in bringing our curriculum to life. Students are regularly immersed in their bushland surroundings which play an active role in inspiring and setting the tone for their educational experiences. The school week includes regular teaching, learning and play in Middle Gully Reserve, a five acre bushland reserve opposite the main school site. In Middle Gully Reserve students, supported by teachers and a dedicated volunteer parent committee, take part in a number of exciting initiatives. We link in with experts in the field such as the CSIRO scientists in schools program and the students engage in meaningful learning. Some of the activities we complete regularly include monitoring the water quality in our dam, regularly tending to the garden, tracking and photographing local wildlife and learning about our local indigenous history through immersion in the bush.
The learning in Middle Gully Reserve is complimented by our extensive camping and outdoor education program in which students learn about teamwork, responsibility the natural surroundings while developing their resilience.
A key feature of our school is the high level of parent involvement and support in all aspects of the school year. This strong and healthy partnership acts as an important home/school link and benefits our students and school thoroughly.
We look forward to meeting you and working closely with all families who become a part of the Macedon Primary School community.
Matt Forrest
Please contact us for tours and queries.
School Profile
Macedon Primary School is located 60 kilometres north-west of Melbourne and serves the semi-rural community of Macedon. Established in 1869, the school maintains a current enrolment of 272 students and draws additional enrolments from nearby postcodes predominately from south of Woodend. In recent years, Macedon has experienced a slow and steady increase in young families moving into the area. There is a considerable level of parent participation in various aspects of the school with the school special outdoor education and environmental activities well supported.
Currently, there are 22 staff members; a principal, 11 full-time teachers, 3 part-time teachers and 5 part-time educational support, comprising of 3 integration aides and 2 office staff. The part time teachers provide specialist programs in Art, Physical Education, Performing Arts, Languages (Indonesian) and Literacy/Numeracy support. The Leadership team comprises of the Principal and 2 Leading Teachers who drive the improvement agenda for all aspects of the curriculum (teaching, learning and assessment practices), whilst staff work in Professional learning Teams (PLTs) to collectively plan the programs that support student academic, social, emotional and physical growth. The principal also works collectively with School Council to foster a community approach to educating the students, holding a shared belief that building learning communities is the best approach. Macedon Primary has a collective commitment to growing the whole child.
The school motto, “Caring, Learning, Sharing”, encapsulates the ethos of the school community and the following mission statement underpins the strategic direction and decisions that are made to improve the School as a learning community:
To provide comprehensive and innovative programs to enable our children to reach their full potential and to equip them with the skills and knowledge to become lifelong learners. To develop in children a sense of resilience and the ability to value themselves and others. To encourage the qualities of initiative, persistence and excellence to be successful in an ever changing world.
The school values outline the behaviours and attitude we hope to see in all members of the school community to foster the ideal learning environment for the students:
Respect: Showing care for yourself, others, property and the environment
Responsibility: Being accountable for your words and actions
Creativity: Producing original ideas and using your imagination
Integrity: Being honest, sincere and trustworthy
Teamwork: Working together and learning collaboratively
The school is fully committed to the KidsMatter framework being a proactive initiative focusing on children’s mental health and wellbeing; the school values are a crucial element of the KidsMatter whole school approach.
The school offers an attractive and engaging learning environment with the school undergoing a refurbishment (admin areas) and rebuild (classrooms) in 2003. The well maintained grounds include an adventure track, various climbing equipment and oval for active play, as well as numerous passive play areas including a dry creek bed and multiple sand pits. Middle Gully is a 1.6 hectare environmental reserve across the road, which boasts a solar powered eco-shed, vegetable and herb gardens, chook pen, dam and wetlands. The reserve is the key resource for the school’s focus on environnmental and outdoor education.
Environmental education and sustainability are embedded in the curriculum through regular hands-on learning activities, grade level study topics and a kitchen garden program. Long term scientific investigations focusing on local flora, fauna and natural resources are also being developed. A weekly parent based Landcare program supports the Middle Gully Environmental initiatives. There is a strong emphasis on outdoor education involving camping in tents, hiking, bike riding and orienteering. These activities are aligned with the school based camping program from Foundation to Year 6 where they explore the local landscape on bushwalks and bike rides in the older grades. Students in years 3-6 attend external camps in locations throughout Victoria providing more outdoor educational experiences and opportunities to study contrasting environments in great depth.
The school offers a range of extra-curricular activities including instrumental music tuition in keyboard on Mondays and Guitar on Fridays. These user pay programs are utilised by many families from Grade 1 upwards. School Council operate an Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) service with both the before and after care programs becoming more popular in recent years as families juggle the challenge of work-family commitments.
Macedon Primary is a community school, not just in words but in the attitudes, actions and values we endeavour to uphold with everyone, every day.
Staff
Principal & Admin
Classroom Teachers
Specialists
Student Support / Intervention
Lisa Pickles
Education Support
lisa.pickles@education.vic.gov.au
Anne Eames
Education Support
anne.eames@education.vic.gov.au
Reports Plans & Policies
Annual Report
Policies
Administration Of Medication Policy
Collection Statement Primary School
Electronic Funds Management Policy
Parent Payments Letter To Parents
Personal Property Policy Students
Photographing, Filming And Recording Students Policy
Physical Activity & Healthy Eating Policy
Policy Review & Communication Policy
Privacy Policy (External Link – Updated by DET)
Statement Of Values And School Philosophy 2021
Student Wellbeing And Engagement Policy
Supervision & Duty Of Care Policy
OSHC
Welcome to the Macedon Primary School Combined Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) Service. We aim to provide your child/ren with care of the highest possible standard within a safe, secure and stimulating environment.
In response to the community needs of the Macedon area, Macedon Primary School Council in 1988 established and now operates a Combined Out of School Hours (OSHC) Service. The Service incorporates Before School Care and After School Care.
The Service operates to provide a high quality primary school-aged care in a safe, enjoyable and caring environment. It is provided at minimal cost and enables parents to pursue options leading to employment, training, recreation and the pursuit of personal interests. The Service includes a wide variety of activities that are prepared and implemented in a friendly environment, which accounts for children’s social, emotional, intellectual, language, physical and creative needs. In this way the Service endeavors to complement the school’s activities and be consistent with the school’s policies and practices.
Vicki Leening is the Coordinator for the Before School and After School program. The program runs from 7:00am – 8:45am, the after school program runs from 3:30pm – 6:30pm and staff remain until the last child is picked up.
All families planning on using our Service need to complete a OSHC Enrolment Form for all new students. Students previously enrolled in our service will complete an OSHC Enrolment Form Update each year which is emailed out in the November of the previous year. It is very important to have current contact numbers and people listed who are authorised to collect child/ren. Bookings are then made through the Coordinators during the program or during school hours by telephoning the office on 5426 1518 or emailing oshp@macedonps.vic.edu.au, and can be either on a permanent or casual basis.
The program comes under the Education and Care National Regulations 2011, and Education and Care National Law 2010, and works within the OSHC National Framework.
Each week a program plan is displayed in the Communication Book with a broad outline of activities. Child initiated activities are an important part of our program and are noted on the plan as they happen.
Breakfast is available at Before School Care.
At After School a healthy two course afternoon tea is provided
The snack is varied and where possible children’s preferences are included;
A plate of seasonal fruit/vegetables is offered.
Staff are hands-on and build a trusting relationship with your child/ren. Our objective is to have an environment the children feel welcome and comfortable in. Your input as parents is very important to us and we welcome any involvement or suggestions.
The staff are looking forward to getting to know your family and particularly your child/ren during the year.
