Wellbeing Report
Andre Campbell
Welcome back everyone,
It has been exciting in the mornings watching our students return to school. After such a long time in remote learning, it has been great settling the children back into their classrooms. Over the past few days, the school and the grounds have been bursting with smiles and laughter and it has been great watching the children re-connect with their friends. We are so pleased that the children are transitioning smoothly to their classrooms. There are extra staff to help before and after school and if you have any questions or concerns, they are looking forward to catching up for a quick chat. Staff are keen to support your child’s transition and if your child is a little worried, we are happy to walk your child to their classroom. A special thank you to our parents for your gratitude and appreciation acknowledging the extra efforts our staff have made in preparing to return to school and for supporting our COVID-19 safe practices.
Return to School Tips
Many parents have expressed the joy of getting back into school routines. Following a routine, getting plenty of sleep and eating well supports good physical and mental health and promotes a successful school experience.
Some students may be feeling a little worried about returning to school. We do have a social story to help support those conversations at home. If you are interested in getting a social story, please give me a call.
If your child is feeling overwhelmed settling back into learning, speak to them about their worries and listen with empathy. Always acknowledge their feelings as this will give them a sense of control. Predictability is important for children to feel confident from the beginning so please be punctual at drop off and pick up time at the end of the day. Children pick up on what is being modelled so showing them that you are calm, supportive and positive will help your child feel confident and competent. Extra tips-
- Support your child with schoolwork and school life. Show interest by asking what your child has done during the day, what schoolwork they are working on, and whether they need any help.
- Focus on your child’s strengths and the effort they put in. Praise your child for what they are good at, and let them know you are proud of them for trying things they find difficult.
- Talk with the teacher/staff to find out how your child is going. A good relationship between school and home will ensure the best outcomes for your child.
We are planning some fun events for the students to enjoy including crazy hair day, crazy socks day and maybe a crazy hat day. Every day the Wellbeing Team will offer Craft Club at lunchtimes. Children can come along and meet other students to rekindle new friendships and have some fun making crafts, colouring in and decorating rocks.
Woori Yallock Community House and our neighbouring primary schools are supporting the Kids Fest event during Children’s Week, October 25th to 29th. Kids Fest will mostly be an on-line event and we are encouraging our families to register-see flyer. There are a number of great activities planned. The dates for Kids Fest have been extended, to give families plenty of time to participate.
There is a photo/art project where children will draw a picture of their favourite place in the community. Parents can then help their child take a photo of the location, the children will write a description explaining their reasons, and why they like this area and how it makes them feel. The Woori Yallock Community House will place all the entries into a booklet called My Community-Our Community. There will be prizes awarded for first, second and third place for different age groups.
All parents and carers need to do is simply register their children on the Woori Yallock Community House’s Face Book page or website. The children will receive their own activity pack including materials for-
- Kite making
- Friendship bracelets
- Pet rocks
Transition Information for Grade 6 Parents/Carers
For interested parents, the Wellbeing Team are planning to offer a virtual zoom session to support transition to secondary school. Scott Tully and Tracey Smedley from Upper Yarra Secondary School have previously facilitated this event. We are planning to cover a generic Question and Answer Forum and we encourage all parents and carers who have a child in Grade 6 to be a part of it.
Scott Tully, Principal of UYSC and Tracey Smedley, Well-being Co-ordinator will present a virtual Question and Answer session for all parents who would like to hear how they can best support their child transitioning into Year 7.
Your child does not need to be attending UYSC to attend this session. Scott Tully has worked in many of the secondary schools in the area and this is an open invitation to all our Grade 6 parents and carers. I will let you know the date once everything is finalised and please speak to me if you have any further questions.
Face Mask Support
It has been fantastic to see many of our students wearing facemasks and the staff are impressed by the student’s maturity and understanding. As the grades have returned, the Wellbeing Team has been speaking to grades to support children’s questions or worries about being COVID safe practices. We ask parents to please check that all student jumpers are clearly labelled and we will do our best to find any lost items.
Face Mask Tips for Children
Using play to help get children familiar with wearing facemask ideas. Go to:
Helping kids feel comfortable:
Tips
- Give children time to explain and talk through their questions or fears.
- Practice wearing the facemask at home to help your child get used to it.
- Give them time to touch them and play with the masks.
- Encourage your child to put it on their favourite teddy.
Free Happy Families Membership
Veronica and I are thrilled that a number of families have joined the Happy Families membership. We have had lots of positive comments that parents and carers are enjoying the website. If you haven’t got around to joining, it’s not too late. The Happy Families membership gives you access to a number of resources which will help families, staff and students to thrive. Every member will receive a weekly "Lighten the Load" email, which includes a quick, easy to apply tip from Dr. Justin, as well as some updates about other features in the membership. There is a library of parenting resources which offers calm assurance, direction and solutions you can try out on your families.
Click on the link to join:
https://members.happyfamilies.com.au/woori-yallock-primary-school
Head Lice Program
- This week, we have already had a case of live lice found in the junior school. We ask parents to work with us to keep our reports low and to continue to treat and monitor your children’s hair. Please notify the office or tell your child’s teacher when you treat your child so lice alert notes can issued on COMPASS. Reminder-any child found with live lice will be excluded from school until they are treated.
Service Supports & Agencies
During the lock down there are many organisations across Yarra Ranges offering support and assistance. For community relief and support agencies, click on the link at:
https://www.yarraranges.vic.gov.au/Council/Coronavirus-Updates/Community-relief-and-support-agencies
For people looking for food relief, CIRE at the Yarra Junction hub, have food parcels and they have free bread on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. The Yarra Junction hub is open during lockdown for essential services only; food relief and they are a Centrelink Access Point. This service can be accessed by appointment where the school Welfare Team can refer families. If you are interested or know of any one you would like to recommend please contact me. During the school holidays people can enquire directly at CIRE. They are located next to the Yarra Junction Post Office and they are open Mon-Fri: 9am-4pm.
Don’t forget to connect with the Resilience Project resources online for parents. There are some fantastic resources to promote wellbeing in families:
https://theresilienceproject.com.au/at-home/parent-carer-information/
We are looking forward seeing all our families and working together to help everyone adjust and settle back into learning. If you need help with school uniform, a food hamper or enquires for other services please call Veronica, Lily or myself.