Milpera News, September 2024

Message from our Principal, Ms Julie Peel

Dear Parents and Carers,

What a truly fantastic term it has been. On the 23rd of August we celebrated our 40th birthday with our past students, past teachers, current students, our volunteers and everybody in our community. More than 700 people came to the event The Gallery of Stories and it was a truly wonderful evening. Our students sang, danced and hosted the Showcase event which provided entertainment for all. The Art Installations were amazing and the rooms showcasing student journeys, student learning experiences, photographs from our Happy Friends project warmed the hearts of everyone present. A short trip back in time was showcased in Room 5 and other fun activities included the Crochet House, Rick Roser’s indigenous workshop and the wonderful Latino Band. We will certainly remember this term for many years to come.

Our students have also enjoyed camp, excursions, after school sports, cooking and many other fabulous learning experiences in our classrooms. Your children have had some amazing learning experiences at Milpera and made great gains in both their settlement and language learning journeys. Our Teacher Aides continue to support the students to settle well and provide valuable cultural support.

For 40 years Milpera has provided an intensive English Program on this site and our students have gone on to create the most valuable contributions to Australian society. Our doves are symbols of the students, their growing freedom and their readiness to spread their wings to fly into their futures. Have a safe and happy holiday. Here’s to 40 years of our very special school – Milpera.

Message from our Deputy Principal, Mr Sam Dilly

Dear Parents and Carers,

Milpera SHS continues to be a lighthouse for recently arrived students from refugee and migrant backgrounds. Our focus has always been on building an inclusive school environment that supports the settlement and language development of our students.

Earlier this term we celebrated Milpera’s 40th Anniversary with the “Gallery of Stories” event. We welcomed our Milpera community past and present to acknowledge the impact Milpera has had on the 13,800 students who have past through our gates. It was a fantastic opportunity to catch up with past students and staff and learn about their achievements after Milpera.

Recently we recognised our teacher aides and the essential work they do at Milpera. Our teacher aides play a vital role in the settlement of our students. They interpret, provide advice to our staff and support our students both inside and outside the classroom. We could not do our work without them.

Congratulations to our exiting students on all your hard work. On behalf of the Milpera community, we wish you the best of luck as you continue your education at school or at TAFE. You have worked hard to grow your English. Thank you for sharing your language, culture and experiences with the Milpera community. We wish you well.

Milpera 40th Anniversary Celebrations

Milpera's year of 40th Anniversary celebrations culminated in an afternoon and evening of displays, entertainment, speeches, food, memories and laughter. The creativity and talent of Milpera staff and students was on show in decorations around the school. Banners of embroidered fabric showing student's cultural heritage waved in the breeze, mobiles of doves hung from the trees. Paper mâché puppets brightened the garden beds and collages showed memories from home.

Friends of Milpera, including parents, past students, past and current teachers, volunteers, as well as our local councillor and state and federal members of Parliament, attended the event. Around 700 people were able to join the school over the course of the afternoon and evening to celebrate this very special milestone.

Attendees were able to visit classrooms to view art installations and artefacts from students' journeys to Australia, as well as listen to digital stories and voices from the past. At the showcase event in the evening, special guests and former students recounted their memories from their time at Milpera. Afghan and Samoan dancers entertained with professional and energetic performances, showcasing their cultural heritages. Finally, Milpera's 40th Birthday cake was cut by student and school leaders. The event was a fitting finale to the celebration of Milpera's 40 years of educating newly arrived young people from a refugee and migrant background.

40th Anniversary Celebration

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Excursion to Toohey Forest

In Week 2 this term, our Junior Prep 1 students took an excursion to Toohey Forest Environmental Education Centre. This excursion supported students’ learning in science, with a focus on Ecology. Students were able to do field studies, use scientific equipment and even have some hands-on time with some beautiful Australian reptiles.

Here is a recount from two students from Room 6:

On Tuesday and Wednesday 16^th and 17^th June, Rooms 14, 6 and Room 5, went on excursion to Toohey Forest. We have done lots of interesting things at Toohey Forest.

First on Tuesday morning, the teacher taught us how catch the creatures from water. Next, we went to the pond and we caught a lots of creatures like insects, worms, and spiders.

We were coming back to the building and we saw a koala in a tree. The koala was very cute. Then, we looked at creatures under the microscope and we looked around. There was a turtle and a lizard and a lot of other things.

Last, we sat in a circle and we touched a snake. The snake's skin was smooth. After that we went back to school. We had a lot of fun.

On the second day at Toohey Forest the teacher taught us how to catch animals from the forest. We caught a lot of animals like moths, butterflies, grasshoppers, spiders and other things. Then we looked at the animals under a microscope. Then we had our lunch and after that we looked at food chains. And at last, we sat in a circle and we saw two unique insects. Then we touched lizards and they felt smooth. We had a lot of fun at Toohey Forest.

By Umul Banen and Mugoli 

Room 6

Women of the World Planning Event

In July, our female students from Prep 2 participated in a Women of the World planning day in preparation for the Women of the World Schools Event in October. Our students met in the school library to discuss what issues are important to them as young women from across the world. These issues will be highlighted at the schools' event and shine light on some of the most relevant and pressing issues for young women today. Thank you for your contributions, Prep 2 students!

Mark Bailey, Minister for Transport, Visits Milpera

On Tuesday 30 July, The Hon. Mark Bailey visited us to see our Breakfast Program, which provides a healthy free breakfast for Milpera Students. Students greeted Mr Bailey and showed him our much-loved school tuckshop and the fresh ingredients used to make our breakfasts. Thank you, Mr Bailey, for your time and for being a special guest once again at Milpera. We always love seeing you here.  

Healthier Together Program by Good Start

Nine of our Pacific Islands students are busy learning life skills in the Healthier Together program this term. The program is run by Pacific Islander health professionals and focuses on healthy eating and lifestyles using cultural knowledge and recipes.

You can see some of our students from Samoa and PNG enjoying a cooking lesson here and having a great time.

A Visit from Taiwanese teachers to Milpera

In partnership with EQI, Milpera was delighted to host a group of Taiwanese teachers for a day. Our visitors observed a range of classes, acted as students in a typical Milpera lesson and listened to presentations about the various ways we support our students. It was a day filled with valuable exchanges, insights and lots of photos. This successful event showcased the collaborative spirit and dedication to education that we all share.

Rail Safety Excursion

On Wednesday 31 July, our new students had their Rail and Bus Safety excursion, run by Queensland Rail. We walked to the Chelmer train station in a group and learned about how to be safe and responsible while using the rail and bus network in South-East Queensland. Students boarded a stationary train and learnt how to safely embark and disembark from it, including pressing the door open and using the emergency button. They then caught the bus back to school. A large percentage of our students travel to and from school every day on the train, so this was a valuable experience. Thank you to Queensland Rail and the Beginner teachers.

Luminous Lantern Festival

On Friday the 2nd August the annual multicultural Luminous Lantern Parade and music performance was held at South Bank to welcome new arrivals to Queensland. It was a spectacular event. Many students, volunteers, teacher aides and teachers represented Milpera, by carrying a banner and our beautiful lanterns. The festival provides an opportunity for people from many different cultural backgrounds to come together to celebrate their diversity and creativity. As usual, Ms Liana helped students make some wonderful lanterns to showcase Milpera.

Cooking with the Beginners

Our Beginner students in Room 11 have been learning about numbers, ordinal numbers, days and dates. They are also learning to read and follow procedures. They used this knowledge to make biscuit characters. The results were creative and yummy!

Science Week

Milpera celebrated Science Week in August with two very popular activities. Surfing Scientist, Ruben Mearmen visited our school with a very exciting science activity with Lasers and liquid Nitrogen. Ruben arrived in Australia when he was 9 years old and had to learn English and adjust into the new country and make new friends. The students enjoyed the show and asked many questions. 

The students also participated in another very popular activity of Ice cream making which was run by the senior school leaders. 

Stanley River Camp

This term, Rooms 1 and 21 attended camp at Stanley River. School camps are a very important part of our curriculum at Milpera. They provide an opportunity for students to learn new skills, learn more about the Australian environment and gain independence, all while practising their English language skills. Room 1 students worked together to describe their experience at camp.

The first day we left Milpera on the bus and arrived at the Stanley River camping site. We met our camp tour guides and we were shown our dormitory rooms for boys and girls. We saw a beautiful view and heard beautiful sounds of the birds. Together we had introductions then played some indigenous games. We had something to eat and played ukulele and sang ‘Count On me’ Together. We enjoyed our time with our friends from Room 1 and 21. Many students wanted to sleep in tents so we built tents together. Later that evening we shared stories and toasted marshmallows around the fire.

On the second day we prepared to go canoeing. We had a safety talk and played a game with the paddles. We made two boats together and found friends to go canoeing with. We all went canoeing to a park, saw kangaroos, ate lunch and some people went swimming. After returning to the camp site we played volleyball. In the evening we cooked dinner and damper on the fire. After that we went for a walk and looked at the stars.

On the final day of camp we had a birthday cake for Hannah. Then we did a treasure hunt together. It was very hot and was difficult to finish the activity, but we enjoyed the challenge. We rested then after that learned how to make fire using wood. We only made smoke with the wood, but we were more successful with the metal flint. At the end, everyone got a special wrist band. Finally we made our way back to Milpera on the bus.

It was a fantastic experience. We really enjoyed time around the campfire, playing games, canoeing and watching the stars together.

Written by the Students of Room 1

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

On Tuesday 10^th September, students from Room 5 and 6 joined students from St Joseph’s Nudgee College on an excursion to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. It was a fantastic day where new friendships were formed and we met some wonderful Australian animals, including koalas of course! Other highlights including feeding and patting the kangaroos, and enjoying a sheepdog show and a birds of prey demonstration.

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Gratitude Morning Tea

Student leaders wanted to express their gratitude to all the Milpera teachers who had helped them in their English language and settlement journey. They hosted a morning tea for teachers and teacher aides on tables outside the staff room. Teachers were treated to an assortment of delicious plates - cheese and biscuits, chocolate and orange cakes. Juices and sparkling water were served in champagne flutes, adding to the elegance of the tables decorated with flowers. Teachers really appreciated the student leaders’ efforts and their words of gratitude.

Showcasing Student Work

Visit to Karawatha Forest

Room 20 visited Karawatha Forest in June. They enjoyed the experience so much that they jointly composed a poem to express their feelings. It is clear to see the value of such a visit, not only in helping to teach a new English skill, but in exposing students to the wonderful natural environment so close to our city.

Recount Writing with Rooms 8 and 15

Teacher, Hannah Wadley, and students of Room 8 proved that it was not necessary to go on excursion to create a shared experience to learn about recount. Student, Victor Hugo, shares his version of the jointly constructed class recount of their school day. It sounds like the students enjoyed this learning experience.

Orientation

On Tuesday 23 July, Miss Wadley taught English to students of Room 8 at Milpera State High School. This was to learn about recount. 

Sequence of events

Firstly, Miss Wadley came to Room 8 and checked homework. After that, Miss Wadley did the spelling test. Then, Miss Wadley said to Room 8 to write a paragraph about things you did yesterday. Later, Miss Wadley said to circle the sequence words in the paragraph. I heard all of room 8 being quiet.

1. Secondly, we learned about the 5 senses. The 5 senses are smell, hear, see, touch and taste. Then we wrote about our senses in our English books. Next, we shared ideas in class. We saw each other writing. We heard Miss Wadley talking. All Room 8 was very busy. We were tired and felt hungry.
2. Next, Room 8 students learned about adjectives. After that, Miss Wadley told Room 8 students to move into small groups. I saw many people talking. I heard many different adjectives. It was very interesting.
3. Finally, we left Room 8 with chairs. Then went to the Big Tree and we moved into a circle. We played “Move if”. It was cool! After that, we walked to the Soccer Field and we moved into a circle. Next, we played “Cat and Mouse”. Students chased each other and everyone laughed.

Conclusion

I was happy to be in Room 8. I liked the groups because it was fun. Miss Wadley loved helping everyone to learn English.

Room 15 students used a different approach to practise their recount writing. They wrote postcards to their classmates describing their school holidays. Students Chenxiao and Onyx show their mastery of sequencing and past tense verbs in their postcards.

Room 16 Garden Club

Room 16 has been learning more about their surroundings at Milpera by tending to the garden and growing some vegetables. One student has written about the experience.

On Wednesday afternoon, Room 16 went to the garden at Milpera with Miss Rosie, Miss Luisa, Miss Sajeda. We went to the garden to improve it.

Firstly, we left Room 16 and went into the gardens with Miss Rosie. Then we saw Miss Luisa and Miss Sajeda. Next, we collected the weeds and then we put them in the bin. After that, we dug and dug a hole for the new plants. Then, we put the plant in the holes.

Secondly, we watered the plants. Next, we picked up rubbish to put in the bin. Then we put the gloves in the box. Later, we picked up the tools to put in the box. Then, Rahaf took a photo.

Thirdly, I watched some people walk around. Next, we take photos all together and we played at the garden.

I like gardening because I like to see the plants growing.

Written by Donna