Vision and Values
To provide the best educational opportunities for all students.
Our Purpose
Our purpose is to develop excellence within the whole child (knowledge, skills, mindset and self-worth) by providing a stimulating and relevant curriculum.
We inspire curiosity and creativity amongst our students by customising how and what we teach.
At Mossgiel Park Primary School, children of all ages learn skills that will benefit and prepare them for tomorrow’s challenges where they will “STRIVE TO SUCCEED”.
Our Beliefs and Values
At Mossgiel Park Primary School, we strongly believe in the following principles of learning:
Respect
At Mossgiel Park Primary School, we are understanding and considerate of individual and collective rights. We recognise and accept individual differences, celebrate multiculturalism and support the growth of all students. Our school community is reliable, honest and trustworthy in our interactions with each other and the wider community.
Responsibility
Students are central to the learning process. We recognise personal, civic and environmental responsibilities and take positive action to better the world around us. At Mossgiel Park Primary School, our students are central to the learning process and are encouraged to be active in goal setting. As a school, we set high expectations of ourselves, our students and others to achieve excellence in knowledge and skills.
Relationships
Positive relationships and social skills foster connectedness between students, staff and the wider community. We build and sustain relationships and cooperative behaviours within and beyond the school through social and emotional learning. We foster global citizenship through action, and through the development of ethical and intercultural capabilities. At Mossgiel Park Primary School, we are proud to be a supportive community that cares for others.
Curriculum
Our Focus
Our focus is to develop knowledge and skills in students through authentic and relevant experiences, where the learning areas and capabilities of the Victorian Curriculum are integrated.
These experiences include a focus on STEM education, plus a variety of specialised curriculum offerings such as Music, Visual Arts, Physical Education and Indonesian language skills.
We embrace a blend of explicit instruction and the 5E learning approach to provide exceptional education that supports the development of the WHOLE CHILD.
Our Programs
InitiaLit
What is InitiaLit?
InitiaLit is an evidence-based whole class literacy program which will provide all children with the essential core knowledge and strong foundations to become successful readers and writers. InitiaLit teaches children how to read and spell through daily lessons, using research-based teaching methods. It also uses a range of engaging storybooks to develop children’s vocabulary and oral language.
What does InitiaLit do?
InitiaLit teaches children that words are made up of sounds and that those sounds are represented by letters. Unlike learning to talk, which children do without formal instruction, children need to be directly taught the relationship between sounds and letters. In InitiaLit children will build upon the knowledge of the alphabetic code that they gained in their first year of schooling (Foundation). They will learn that a letter or letters can make different sounds, and that two or three letters together can make a sound. They will also learn key terminology such as ‘vowel’, ‘syllable’, ‘phoneme’, ‘grapheme’, and ‘digraph’.
Spell-It
What is the Spell-It?
Building upon the solid foundation established through the InitiaLit program, Spell-It seamlessly continues the journey of language mastery for students in years 3 to 6. As a natural progression, Spell-It delves deeper into the realm of spelling, expanding upon the phonetic knowledge and decoding skills developed in earlier years.
The Spell-It Program is a comprehensive and meticulously designed system that unlocks the mastery of English spelling. It offers a step-by-step approach that systematically develops key phonetic knowledge for digraphs, trigraphs, and diphthongs.
What does the Spell-It do?
The Spell-It Program empowers students to confidently navigate the intricate rules and skills of English spelling. With its structured progression, this transformative program focuses on developing a deep understanding of the 45 sounds (phonemes) that compose English words. Additionally, it introduces students to the fascinating world of phonograms, encompassing the 75 unique ways these sounds are represented on paper.
Through engaging and immersive lessons, the Spell-It Program equips students with the essential tools to articulate, decode, and comprehend words with fluency and precision. By embracing this program, students develop a strong foundation in phonetics, enhancing their spelling abilities and fostering lifelong language skills.
Join us on this captivating journey with the Spell-It Program, where students unlock the secrets of English spelling and discover the joy of confidently expressing themselves through the written word.
Fountas and Pinnell
What is Fountas and Pinnell?
Fountas and Pinnell serves as a comprehensive tool for assessment, planning, and teaching, enabling us to tailor instruction to meet each student’s unique needs. This program introduces a continuum that encompasses various text characteristics and fosters critical thinking skills within, beyond, and about the text.
With Fountas and Pinnell, we are able to assess your child’s progress and identify their strengths and areas for growth. This valuable information guides us in designing personalised instruction that cultivates their reading comprehension and thinking abilities. By engaging with the text at deeper levels, your child will develop crucial skills such as making connections, analysing meaning, and drawing conclusions.
We believe that by utilising the Fountas and Pinnell program, we can empower your child to become an active, reflective reader, capable of extracting meaning from texts and developing a lifelong love for learning. Together, let’s embark on this exciting journey, where your child’s growth and development are at the heart of everything we do.
What does Fountas and Pinnell do?
Fountas and Pinnell breaks reading skills into distinct interdependent skills to be taught. With this program students will learn:
- monitoring and self correction
- solving words
- maintaining fluency
- adjusting
- summarising
- predicting
- making connections
- synthesising
- inferring
- analysing
- and critiquing.
Talk for Writing
What is Talk for Writing?
At Mossgiel Park Primary School, we hold the belief that writing should be a joyful and accessible experience for all students. That’s why we embrace the engaging Talk for Writing program, which empowers students to independently explore various writing genres. Through a combination of oral language development and close reading, children internalise the language structures associated with each genre.
The Talk for Writing approach begins by providing explicit instruction through modelled texts, allowing students to observe and absorb the key features of different writing styles. As their confidence and understanding grow, students transition towards independent writing, putting their newly acquired skills into practice.
By implementing this program, we foster a supportive environment where our students can develop the necessary skills and language to express themselves creatively and effectively through their writing. Through Talk for Writing, we unlock the potential for each student to become a confident and powerful writer, capable of articulating their thoughts and ideas with clarity and impact.
Our learning cycle for teaching is:
- Conduct a baseline assessment for each student’s point of need.
- Imitate the text through oral language.
- Innovate upon the original text to show how students can improve their writing.
- Independently apply learning with guidance to show progress.
- Assess progress against baseline assessments.
Mathematics
What is our approach to mathematics?
At Mossgiel Park Primary School, we are committed to nurturing mathematical thinking in every child through explicit instruction in numeracy. Our dedicated teachers employ a range of innovative strategies inspired by the theories of Michael Minas and Rob Vingerhoets, combined with engaging games and open-ended tasks.
In our classrooms, we create a dynamic learning environment where students actively participate in their mathematical journey. Our teachers utilise concrete materials to provide hands-on experiences that enhance understanding and conceptual development. Through open-ended learning tasks, students are encouraged to think critically, explore multiple approaches, and develop problem-solving skills.
Real-world problems are integrated into our curriculum, enabling students to apply mathematical concepts to authentic situations. By engaging in these practical contexts, students understand the relevance and usefulness of mathematics in their everyday lives.
Games play a vital role in our numeracy program, making learning enjoyable and fostering enthusiasm among our students. Through interactive and collaborative game-based activities, students develop mathematical fluency, logical reasoning, and strategic thinking skills.
Our ultimate goal is to equip every student with the knowledge, understanding, and skills to embrace opportunities and confidently tackle new challenges. With our comprehensive approach to numeracy instruction, we inspire a love for mathematics and empower our students to become confident, lifelong learners in this critical subject area.
History
Mossgiel Park Primary School stands on land that holds a rich history. Originally owned by a Scottish farmer, it was named Mossgiel Farm after his birthplace. As the land was subdivided to create the housing estate, the school derived its name from this vibrant community, known as Mossgiel Park.
Notably, Mossgiel Farm shares a connection with the esteemed poet Robert Burns, who, while making his significant contributions to English Literature, also worked as a farmer in Scotland. This land, mentioned in a poem by the renowned poet William Wordsworth, holds a special place in literary history and adds to the cultural significance of our school’s surroundings.
“There!” said a stripling, pointing with moot pride
~William Wordsworth
Towards a low roof with green trees half concealed,
“Is Mossgiel farm, and that’s the very field
Where Burns plowed up the daisy”. Far and wide
A plain below stretched seaward, while, descried
Above sea-clouds, the peaks of Arran rose…
From The Principal
A warm welcome to our school community!
Learning we do and fun we have! Students, staff and families share a real sense of community and our motto ‘Strive to Succeed’ clearly defines our intentions in all we do!
It is a privilege to be part of such a wonderful team of enthusiastic staff who place such commitment to the development of positive relationships with every child, which provides the foundation for effective learning to occur. Every staff member knows every child and this is important in having a real connection to each other and to the school.
Our teaching and learning program is engaging and promotes a love of learning and a sense of curiosity, all within a caring and supportive environment. Technology is an integral component of every child’s development.
We pride ourselves in the development of an orderly environment based on strong and uniform principles of routine and rigour throughout the school.
Visitors to our school comment on the friendly environment and the wonderful grounds.
Families new to the area or to our school are welcome to book a tour of the school by calling or emailing the office. It would be my pleasure to show you around our stimulating learning environment.
Lynn Ordish,
Mossgiel Park Principal
