Acting Principal's Report

Acting Principal’s Message

Moana - Thanks and Production Update

Moana is nearly here!!! Tuesday saw the first full rehearsal in costume occur, with all students doing a tremendous job of remembering lines, moves and directions throughout.

We're looking forward to seeing our school community out in force at both shows next week - it's been a long four years of waiting!

Just quietly...I have heard rumours that this will be the best Robbie Mac show ever! (No pressure team!)

Limited tickets remain, please secure yours as soon as possible. Please also review the information that has been sent previously via Compass regarding the show.

Year 3-6 House Athletics

Big thanks to Tim Fearn-Wannan for running another successful athletics carnival last Thursday. Rain threatened but stayed away, enabling us to complete all events as scheduled - even allowing time for a couple of feature events, such as the teacher and student relay that showcased the gazelle-like grace and speed of Mrs James, Mr Van, Mrs Robinson and Mr Roche. Importantly, no hamstrings were harmed in the running of this race.

Our hearty thanks also to the staff, parents and carers who helped with the running of the day, whether by helping with a group or activity, or just by being there to add some atmosphere and sense of community!

Congratulations to Streeton House who continued their run of success in recent years to take out the House Shield on the day.

School Council Meeting Report

Thank you to our School Council members who participated in an extensive meeting last night, with our Councilors not heading home to their families until after 9:30pm.

At the meeting, alongside the usual core business, a number of important topics were discussed, including:

• Presentation of the updated Child Safe Standards
• Presentation and discussion of the Berry Street Educational Model and approval of curriculum days over the next two years to implement the model at our school
• Discussion and recommendations about fixing drainage issues on the oval and synthetic surfaces
• Update on the replacement of the damaged deck outside the junior school building
• Review of a number of policies related to the updated Child Safe Standards
• Discussion of child safety in our playground and the community

Child Safety in our Playground and the Community

In relation to the final point from School Council above and with the updated Child Safe Standards now in effect, it feels timely to share a useful article about keeping our students safe at school and in the community. We'd encourage all families to talk about this advice at home with your children.

Teachers have also discussed these messages in class-time in recent weeks. The following is reprinted from: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/keeping-your-kids-safe

Keeping your kids safe

Most crimes against children are not committed by a stranger but by someone they know. It is important to teach your child how to recognise suspicious behaviour – from both strangers and people they know – and what to do about it.

Protective behaviour for children

Parents are often worried about ‘stranger danger’. But this is only a small part of keeping children safe from people who want to hurt them. More than 8 in 10 crimes against children are committed by someone they know, even relatives or friends. There are also dangers online.

Young children may not recognise when adults pose a threat. Most predators are likely to seem friendly, or they may try to entice children with a treat or a sad story. But children can learn to recognise and trust their own feelings.

Protective behaviours encourage children to recognise unsafe situations and to take action through:

• recognising early warning signs, like butterflies in the stomach, sweaty hands, goose bumps or a racing heart
• understanding when to take action. Children need to understand the difference between feeling scared and still having fun, like during a movie; feeling scared but still being in control, like at the dentist; and feeling scared and not being in control, like when they are lost or being harmed by someone. This is a personal emergency and the child needs to seek help.
• taking action. This might mean talking to an adult they can trust, going to a safe place, or even dialling triple zero (000).

Practical tips for parents to keep children safe

• Always provide the supervision children need to remain safe.
• Trust your instincts if behaviour from a friend or relative makes you or your child feel uncomfortable.
• Believe your child if they tell you about something that made them feel uncomfortable.
• Make sure your child understands what touching is OK (like from the doctor) and what is not OK (touches that make them feel angry, upset or confused).
• Explain that sometimes adults do things that are wrong and they should tell you if this happens.
• Many abusers make children keep their abuse a secret. Help your children to learn the difference between safe and unsafe secrets. Teach them that secrets are only OK if they give someone a nice surprise.
• Have a family password that your child can remember. If someone tells your child they have come to pick them up, the child can test them with the password.
• Make sure your children know where to go for help.

Staying safe with strangers

Here are some tips you can give to young children to help them stay safe from strangers:

• Strangers are people you don’t know. Most strangers are good people. But you don’t have to always trust or believe an adult.
• If a stranger wants to talk to you, always check with your parents first.
• Strangers may make up stories or offer treats to make you go with them. Never go with a stranger — no matter what they say. Never, ever, get in a car with a stranger.
• If you are on your own, always stay somewhere busy and well-lit where other people can see you.
• Make sure your parents or carers always know where you are.
• Sometimes you might need to talk to a stranger for help, for example if you are lost. Look for a mum with children or go into a shop, police station, service station, library or school.
• If someone is following you or grabs you, scream for help as loud as you can. Shout ‘Go away, I don’t know you’ so other people will understand.

Student-Free day Friday 19th of August

A further reminder that Friday 19th of August will be a student-free day. TeamKids is available, please book with them directly.

COVID-19 Reminder

Also a further reminder that masks are now an expectation when indoors at school for all staff as well as students 8 years and above. Your assistance in encouraging this is appreciated.

Please continue to keep children at home if unwell, whether with COVID or otherwise.

Further info on the COVID19 page of this newsletter.

Kind regards,

Peter Watson

Acting Principal