Principal's Message

Loving God,

we thank you for the sun's warmth

and the beautiful world you have given us to enjoy.

Help us to stay safe and protected

as we learn and play together in your care.

Grant us the wisdom to look after our health

and the wellbeing of our school community each day.

May we always walk in your light,

kept safe by your grace and love.

Updating Our Sun Protection Times

Dear Parents and Carers,

At St Andrew’s Parish Primary School, we are committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for our students to learn and play. Following a recent review, the School Advisory Council and our Leadership Team have endorsed an updated SunSmart Policy to align with the latest guidelines from SunSmart Victoria.

While St Andrew’s is already a sun-safe community with high hat-compliance, the most significant change in this update is when sun protection is required.

The Big Change: UV-Based Protection

Previously, many schools focused on specific terms (like Term 1 and 4) for sun safety. Under the new policy, sun protection—including the mandatory wearing of hats—is now required whenever UV levels reach 3 or higher. In Victoria, UV levels typically reach this threshold from mid-August to the end of April. This means that sun protection measures may now start earlier in the year and last longer than the traditional "hat terms" to ensure we are protecting students during peak radiation times, regardless of the temperature or cloud cover.

Additional Policy Updates

To ensure our school remains a leader in student wellbeing and OHS safety, we have also implemented the following:

Higher Protection Sunscreen: In line with updated risk-minimization standards, the school will now use SPF 50+ sunscreen (upgraded from SPF 30+). We ask you to only supply SPF 50+ roll on for your child.
Shade Safety: To ensure our grounds remain safe, we have introduced biannual shade audits to assess and improve outdoor shelter.
Curriculum Integration: Students will participate in at least one SunSmart learning activity per term to help them build independent habits for their future health.

A Note on Hats

We are proud that our students are already fantastic at wearing their hats! We continue to require broad-brimmed, bucket, or legionnaire hats that protect the face, neck, and ears. Please remember that caps and visors do not meet these safety standards and we would encourage you to not use these with your child.

Partnering with Families

We encourage all families to download the free SunSmart App from the Apple or Google Play store. This is the tool our staff will use to check daily local UV levels and determine when sun protection is necessary.

By modeling these behaviors together; seeking shade, wearing hats, and applying sunscreen 20 minutes before heading out; we can ensure our children stay protected while enjoying the outdoors.

Thank you for your ongoing support of these important health initiatives.

Your Voice Matters: Morning Routine Survey

As we continue to refine our morning procedures, the School Leadership and School Advisory Council (SAC) are seeking your direct feedback. We recognise that the start of the term involved significant change in regard to morning routine drop off. Based on your initial input, we have already made adjustments such as opening additional gates and implementing two distinct gathering areas.

We now want to understand how these specific updates are working for your family compared to the start of the school year. Please take a few moments to share your thoughts; this survey is completely anonymous. Your participation is vital in helping us ensure our routines prioritize student safety, staff wellbeing, and our valued sense of school community.

Complete the Survey Here:
Closing Date: Please submit your responses by Sunday 19 April 2026.

The results will be reviewed in Term 2, and current arrangements will remain in place until this review is complete.

Regards

Brian Martin

Principal