Morphett Vale Primary School and Preschool

Building, Creating, and Working Together! 🌿🏕️

While stormy weather meant our planned excursion with Nature Play SA couldn't go ahead, our Junior Primary students were lucky enough to welcome the team to Morphett Vale Primary School instead!

Working together, our students embraced the challenge of designing and building their own cubbies using natural materials. Along the way, they demonstrated creativity, teamwork, problem-solving and perseverance as they transformed ideas into impressive structures.

Most importantly, there were plenty of smiles, laughter and opportunities to connect with friends while learning through play.

A big thank you to the Nature Play SA team for bringing this wonderful hands-on experience to our school and creating such a memorable day for our students. 💚

🎉 MINI ME MONDAY REVEAL 🎉

The little footy fan in the Adelaide Crows jumper was… 🥁

✨ Tawnee, one of our wonderful SSOs! ✨

It seems somewhere along the way, Tawnee switched teams and now supports a rival Adelaide club! 👀🏉

A big thank you to everyone who joined in with their guesses this week. We love seeing our students, families and staff get involved in the fun! 💙

Don't forget to keep an eye out for our next Mini Me Monday mystery—you never know who will be featured next! 👶✨

🌱 From garden bed to harvest basket! 🥕

Our Reception to Year 4 students had a fantastic time working alongside Rebecca from Greenhill Living, harvesting fresh vegetables and replanting our garden beds.

The students loved getting their hands in the soil, learning about how food grows and seeing the rewards of caring for a garden. With plenty of fresh veggies ready to harvest, it was a wonderful opportunity to connect learning with the natural world.

A heartfelt thank you to Rebecca for sharing her knowledge, passion and enthusiasm with our students. Your dedication to educating young people about gardening, sustainability and where our food comes from is truly inspiring, and we are grateful for the opportunity to learn from you.

🌿💚 Thank you for helping our school garden continue to flourish!

FreshFromTheGarden SustainabilityEducation

Wanggami. 🦘

That's the Ngarrindjeri word for kangaroo.

We were fortunate to spend time learning with local Indigenous artist and cultural consultant Harley Hall & his wife Trish, during our recent pupil free day. In this short video, Harley uses the yidaki and movement to bring wanggami to life.

Learning about First Nations cultures, histories and perspectives is an important part of our journey as a school. We are grateful for opportunities to listen, learn and walk together in respect and understanding.

Students and families, we'd love to learn with you! Can you share a Kaurna or Ngarrindjeri word in the comments, or tell us something you've discovered about our local First Nations cultures?

A big thank you to Harley for sharing his knowledge and passion with our staff.

Learn more about Harley's work via the link below.
https://www.ngrakanidreaming.com.au/

Learning, Listening and Growing Together 🌿

Today, the staff of Morphett Vale Primary School came together for a Cultural Awareness Professional Development Day, providing an opportunity to deepen our understanding of Indigenous cultures, histories and perspectives.

Our day began on Kaurna Country beneath the shade of a gum tree, surrounded by birdsong, as we gathered for a Welcome and Smoking Ceremony led by Harley Hall and Trish. Staff were joined by children attending OSHC, who were also fortunate to participate in this special experience.

A Smoking Ceremony is an ancient cultural practice that has been conducted by Aboriginal peoples for thousands of years. Harley shared the significance of the ceremony as a way of cleansing people, places and objects of negative energies and spirits, creating a sense of connection, respect and belonging.

Through storytelling, language and music, Harley taught us Kaurna and Ngarrindjeri words and demonstrated the Yidaki (didgeridoo), skilfully recreating the sounds of native animals. Listening and learning in such a meaningful setting provided a powerful reminder of the rich cultural knowledge that continues to thrive on Country.

The remainder of the day was facilitated by Simon Wilson, Melissa Mundy and Jess Harvie who led staff through meaningful discussions and learning experiences focused on cultural responsiveness and Indigenous perspectives. Together, we explored ways to continue walking alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with respect, understanding and a commitment to ongoing learning. Their knowledge, guidance and generosity provided valuable opportunities for reflection and growth that will continue to shape our practice and strengthen our school community.

We extend our sincere thanks to Harley, Trish, Melissa, Jess and Simon for sharing their knowledge and supporting our learning journey.

❤️💛🖤

🎉 MINI ME MONDAY REVEAL 🎉

The sleepy little Mini Me with a love for the Backstreet Boys was… 🥁

✨ Mrs Creeper, our Year 1 & 2 teacher! ✨

We hope you enjoyed guessing this week’s mystery staff member and learning a fun fact from her childhood! 🎶😴

A big thank you to everyone who joined in and shared their guesses. Keep an eye out for our next Mini Me Monday challenge—you never know who might be featured next! 👀💙