From the Assistant Principal
Adele Brice
I trust you all had a lovely Easter with your families. The first two weeks have been busy start to the term. I loved seeing our fabulous senior school choir singing at the Warrandyte festival. The song choices tied in beautifully to the work the students have been doing. Many thanks to Tim Phillips for his work in the Performing Arts space. A highlight for me already this term was our ANZAC Day service. When my grandfather was alive, he would come to our school every year to educate our students to help them understand the significance of this day. The service held at our school was truly moving from the articulate students who spoke, to our choir, the wreath and poppies that our students made with Mrs Salisbury and to Violet and Caleb for their wonderful performance on the flute. And of course having Arthur is attendance is always very special. My Grandfather always shared with us John Maxwell Edmond's quote, 'When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say, For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today'.
CHILD SAFE
Policy Update
Our Volunteers Policy has been reviewed by the Education Sub Committee and ratified at the April School Council Meeting. To review this policy you can click the link on the policy title.
We are committed to implementing and following practices which protect the safety and wellbeing of children and our staff and volunteers. We also recognises the valuable contribution that volunteers provide to our school community and the work that we do.
The procedures set out in the Volunteers Policy are designed to ensure that Wonga Park Primary School’s volunteers are suitable to work with children and are well-placed to make a positive contribution to our school community.
Partnering with the Parents/Carers/Community
Childsafe Volunteer Training
As you are no doubt aware we are mandated (without exemption) to provide training for all volunteers working in our school. It's a requirement that our staff and volunteers are equipped with knowledge, skills and awareness to keep young people safe through ongoing education and training. Training is required to be updated annually.
All volunteers working in all school will need to have completed annual training prior to working with students at our school.
There is one remaining Volunteer Training Session on offer in Term 2. Please be aware of when your annual training expiries and join one of the online sessions if applicable. The details for the sessions are listed below, you can also find the link on the Sentral Parent Calendar.
Tuesday 4th June 5.15-5.45pm (online)
https://eduvic.webex.com/eduvic/j.php?MTID=ma799d08a7644b999cebfe9f02112349d
Meeting number: 2653 898 7549
Password: bmEBiP6va78
Online Safety
Our Prep students will commence bringing their iPads to school this term.
The eSafety Commissioner shares that There is a lot of conflicting advice and emerging research around screen time. But, the right amount of screen time can depend on a range of factors like your child’s age and maturity, the kind of content they are consuming, their learning needs and your family routine. It can be easy to focus only on the clock and how long your child is spending in front of the screen, but the quality and nature of what they are doing online, and your involvement are just as important.
It's really important that you set screen time boundaries with your children, a helpful tip sheet has been attached for your reference.
Cyber Safety Project
The 2024 Parent Webinar Series are available for our community as we partner with the team. The upcoming webinars are listed below for your reference, you can sign up for the sessions using this link
Partnering with Parents
To help make sure that your child feels supported at school you must work with the school to create a supportive environment. This will also help meet your child's learning and wellbeing needs.
To help you have effective interactions with school, I'm sharing the tip sheet 'Think.Wait. Communication' which will help to have effective interactions before, during and after you meet with school staff.
Parent webinars - eSafety Commissioner
eSafety 101: How eSafety can help
This webinar provides an overview of the eSafety Commissioner, and supporting programs and resources for parents and carers, children and young people.
It's suitable for parents and carers of children and young people in primary and secondary school.
Term 2 dates (Australian Eastern Standard Time)
- Tuesday, 14 May: 12:30 pm
- Thursday, 6 June: 12:30 pm
Wellbeing and digital technologies
An overview of strategies to protect, respond to and support your child online. This webinar will focus on the digital skills to protect and support young people’s mental health and wellbeing online.
It's suitable for parents and carers of children and young people in secondary school.
Term 2 dates (Australian Eastern Standard Time)
- Thursday, 16 May: 12:30 pm
- Tuesday, 4 June: 2:00 pm
Consent and online boundaries: how to support your primary-aged child
As children begin to navigate the online world, they need to know how to make decisions around consent and boundaries. This webinar will outline strategies for parents and carers, as well as support those hard-to-have conversations.
It's suitable for parents and carers of children in primary school.
Term 2 dates (Australian Eastern Standard Time)
- Tuesday, 28 May: 12:30 pm
- Tuesday, 18 June: 12:30 pm
Setting your child up for success online
An overview of having conversations about tech and online interaction, putting boundaries and rules in place, using parental controls, and monitoring your child online.
It's suitable for parents and carers of children primary school.
Term 2 dates (Australian Eastern Standard Time)
- Thursday, 30 May: 12:30 pm
- Thursday, 20 June: 12:30 pm
Diversity and Inclusion
As you'll no doubt have read in past newsletters, next year we transition from the PSD Program (Program for Students with Disabilities ) to the new Disability and Inclusion model. Over the course of this year I'll share information with you regarding this space.
Inclusive education is a philosophy that emphasises the importance of accommodating all students, regardless of their abilities or differences, within mainstream classrooms. It promotes an environment where every child, regardless of their background, disability, or special need, is valued and provided with equal opportunities to learn and succeed. Inclusive education not only fosters academic growth but also encourages social integration, empathy, and understanding among students. By embracing diversity and individuality, inclusive education aims to create a supportive and enriching learning environment for all children.
Please do not hesitate to chat with me if you want to know more in regards to anything I have shared with you in this edition of the newsletter.
Adele Brice - Assistant Principal