From the Assistant Principal
Adele Brice
Dear parents/carers,
I trust you all had a restful time over the Term 2 holiday period. It was wonderful to see our students back and eager to learn at the beginning of the term, there was lots of chatter in the yard about the 2024 Staff Olympic Torch relay video that was created by the staff.
In this edition of the newsletter I will discuss the following things;
- Student Attendance + Absence Learning Plans
- Staff Toilets
- Child Safe - Dropping children off at the beginning of the day /End of the day supervision
- Child Safe update - including review of two Child Safe policies which are currently being updated
- Child Safe - Cyber Safety Project webinar series update
- Child Safe - eSafety Commissioner - Being an Upstander
- Child Safe - eSafety Commissioner webinar series update
- Partnering with Parents - Talking about School
Student Attendance
Daily attendance is important for all children to succeed in education and to ensure they don't fall behind socially and developmentally.
School participation maximises life opportunities for providing children with education and support networks. School helps children to develop important skills, knowledge and values that set them up for further learning and participation in their community. School helps them to make the most of life opportunities.
A child missing one day a fortnight will miss four weeks in a year, and more than a year of school by Year 10. It is important that children develop regular attendance habits at an early age.
Please do not hesitate to chat with a member of our leadership team if you would like to have further conversations about attendance.
Absence learning plans
Student Absence Learning Plans are implemented to support the education of students who are absent from school for an extended period. Student Absence Learning Plans should be developed collaboratively by teachers, students and their parent.
Student Absence Learning Plan must be developed for:
- students who are planning extended absences from school, for example for a family holiday
- students suspended for more than 3 days (refer to suspension guidelines for more information)
Staff toilets in admin area
The toilets in the admin are for staff use and not for students. Should students be onsite after school and need the toilet, they are asked to use the student toilet blocks.
Childsafe update
Dropping Children off at the beginning of the day
Parents/carers are reminded that students should not be dropped off at school prior to 8.35am without supervision from parents. Students arriving before 8.35am will be sent to the office to be supervised. Staff supervising students will ask class teachers to contact parents.
End of Day Supervision - staff are on duty until 3.40pm. After this time, parents need to actively supervise their children if still in the school yard.
Child Safety and Wellbeing at Wonga Park Primary School Policy Review
Wonga Park Primary School is committed to providing an environment where students are safe and feel safe.
Our child safety framework includes policies, codes and procedures that explain how we support and maintain the safety and wellbeing of our students and protect them from harm. These documents are available on our website.
We are also committed to continuous improvement of our child safety framework. We are currently reviewing our child safety policies and practices to ensure they are up-to-date and effective. The policies listed below are attached in DRAFT format for your reference.
- Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
- Student Wellbeing and Engagement Policy
Our students and families are important partners in this process. We welcome your feedback or ideas on ways we can improve our approach to child safety and wellbeing.
If you have any suggestions or comments, please contact Adele Brice (Assistant Principal) at adele.brice@education.vic.gov.au
CYBER SAFETY PROJECT Webinar Series 2024
We have continued to partner with trusted eSafety Provider Cyber Safety Project to bring parents and guardians six webinars exploring all facets of cyber safety. Join the Cyber Safety Project and special guest experts as they explore a diverse range of topics pertinent to raising children in a digital age.
- Protecting Children Online | Available now on-demand
Kristi McVee (Child Abuse Prevention & Education) & Trent Ray (Cyber Safety Project) - The Se*ual World of the 21st Century Adolescent | Available now on-demand
Daniel Principe (Collective Shout) & Trent Ray (Cyber Safety Project) - Talk to Me First: Exposure to Explicit Content | Available now on-demand
Justine Keily-Scott (Sex Education Australia) & Sam Macaulay (Cyber Safety Project) - Game Aware – Healthy Gaming | 30 July 2024
Andrew Kinch (Game Aware) & Sam Macaulay (Cyber Safety Project) - Building Digital Resilience | 3 September 2024
Ash Manuel (Growing with Gratitude) & Trent Ray (Cyber Safety Project) - My First Mobile Device | 22 October 2024
Luca Gennai (Cyber Safety Project) & Trent Ray (Cyber Safety Project)
WHERE
Live online via Zoom with on-demand rewatch (available within 24 hours of live webinar).All live webinars begin at 7:30pm (AEDT/AEST) and run for approximately 45 minutes.
HOW
Parents/Guardians need to register for each webinar by clicking on the “Register Now” button on the registration page (https://cybersafetyproject.com.au/parents/). Once registered reminders will be sent to ensure you don’t miss the live webinar. Rewatch on-demand will be available by revisiting the registration page and clicking on the ‘Watch Now” button available after the webinar has concluded (within 24 hours).
REGISTER NOW OR FIND OUT MORE:https://cybersafetyproject.com.au/parents/
eSafety Commissioner
How to be an upstander...
In this edition of the newsletter we'll explore the idea of being an upstander? What is an upstander you might ask? Well, the eSafety Commission defines an upstander as 'someone who chooses to support a person who is being abused or harmed. There are ways your children can be an upstander online while keeling themselves safe.
- If you choose to support someone who’s being bullied or abused online, you’ve chosen to be an upstander.
- If you feel safe, you can stand up to the person who is bullying or abusing others.
- Even privately supporting the person being targeted or reaching out to get help from someone else can make a big difference.
You are encouraged to read the information that the eSafety shares on their website regarding being an upstander.
eSafety Commissioner Webinar Series
We encourage you to explore the eSafety Commissioners website, it contains invaluable information for parents regarding online safety.
The 2024 Parent and carer webinar schedule is listed below for your reference;
Partnering with Parents
The Raising Children website is a wonder resource for parents and carers. Talking about School discussions are important for parents to have with their children. Some things to consider when having discussions about school at home are;
- Talking about school with children and teenagers shows you’re interested in their lives and learning.
- It’s best to start conversations about school when the moment seems right and your child seems ready to talk.
- Get younger children talking by asking simple and positive questions about school.
You can read more about the importance of having these conservations with your child/ren via this link.
Please do not hesitate to chat with me in regards to anything I have shared with you in this edition of the newsletter.
Adele Brice - Assistant Principal