Chickens
What comes first the chicken or the egg? At Moorooduc your child will get to find out as they care for the school chickens.
Classes take turns during term to care for the chickens. Eggs are collected and used by the children to cook or conduct experiments.
On weekends many families vie for the responsibility of being “Chicken Carers” and are encouraged to write, draw and take photographs about their experience. These are published in our weekly newsletter. During School Holidays families take the chickens home for some much deserved R&R.
Y.C.D.I
As Moorooduc is developing today’s children into tomorrow’s adults, we believe in the total development of the child which includes not only academic success but social and emotional well-being too.
The acclaimed ‘You Can Do It!’ program has been wholeheartedly embraced by Moorooduc as a positive approach to student welfare and personal development. It has proved to be an extremely successful addition to our curriculum with positive feedback from students, parents, teachers and the wider community.
This program encourages all students to reach their potential (academically, intellectually, interpersonally and emotionally) by using the five “Keys to Success”- Confidence, Persistence, Organisation, Getting Along and Resilience.
Confidence – in accepting myself, taking risks and being independent
Persistence – in everything I do, working hard, giving things a go (I think I can, therefore I can!)
Organisation – in setting goals and planning my time wisely
Getting Along – in being accepting of others, thinking before I react, playing by the rules
Resilience – in bouncing back, staying in control, keeping the situation in perspective.
Camps
Moorooduc has a comprehensive camp program beginning at prep.
In the Prep Year, students come to school for breakfast.
In Year One and Two, our students participate in eating breakfast at school followed by a camp incursion taken by Somers camp staff. Students will rotate around camp activities promoting independence and teamwork. This is similar to what they will experience when attending camp in future grades.
Year Three and Four students have a three day- two night camp in cabin accommodation.
In Year Five and Six students alternate with a three day, two night camp to Phillip Island Adventure camp and Melbourne Urban camp which includes travelling to and from the city by train and visiting the Melbourne Zoo, Eureka Sky Deck, Etihad Stadium, Old Melbourne Gaol and Melbourne Museum.
Swimming
With both Port Phillip and Western Port Bays within close proximity of Moorooduc Primary, we understand the importance of a swimming program that gives the children water experiences not limited to one specific setting. It is with this in mind, that we have an intensive swimming program for years Prep-2 focussing on not only stroke technique but also water safety and confidence at an indoor swimming pool.
Grades 3-4 experiences are broadened in an outdoor swimming pool whilst the Grades 5-6 have a fabulous Water Safety Program. The Water Safety Program gives student the opportunity to test skill development and survival skills in real life situations at local beaches. They become familiar community groups such as the local Life Saving and Sailing Clubs and Water Police. This program is always a highlight of the year for our senior students especially the hotly contested Iron Man and Iron Woman events.
Moorooduc Gardening and Chicken Club
As a part of the schools Engagement and Wellbeing program we have a Gardening and Chicken Club that operates at selected lunch times. Students are involved in the planting and growing of vegetables in the schools vegetable gardens and also looking after the school chickens. Produce from the gardens and the eggs from the chickens are then sold by the students to parents in our Pop-Up Stall.
Both these programs promote environmental sustainability and connect students with healthy food and lifestyles. The activities link to a broad range of student learning outcomes in both Numeracy and Literacy and also provide and excellent platform to develop students social and emotional wellbeing.
Anzac Day
Each year Moorooduc Primary school is represented by a group of students at Mornington’s Anzac march and memorial service. Students bring flowers, poems and wreaths to lay at the cenotaph.
Running Track
Part of the Moorooduc School grounds is a 330 metre (approximately) running track. The track winds around the school, passing the chicken coop and interactive garden. It is used to improve the general fitness of all children and laps are recorded on a special card. Children receive a certificate acknowledging their persistence and effort at numerous milestones such as ten, twenty-five, fifty and one hundred kilometres. It is also utilised in training sessions for Cross Country running
Be You
Moorooduc uses the Be You framework to organise and monitor our student wellbeing programs. Be You promotes mental health and wellbeing, from the early years to 18 years, and offers educators and learning communities evidence-based online professional learning, complemented by a range of tools and resources to turn learning into action. Be You empowers educators, helping them to develop valuable mental health skills and knowledge, while also providing an effective model for implementing a whole-learning community approach to mental health and wellbeing.
Be You is an Australian Primary Schools’ mental health initiative which targets five component areas across the school.
The component areas are: Mentally Healthy Communities, Family Partnerships, Learning Resilience, Early Support and Responding Together.