A big thank you again to Steph, Bron, Chris Claire, Krista and Callum for their role in providing our swimming program, and to all our families and staff for their support and flexibility during this time.

Planning has now commenced for our 2024 Cluster Swim Carnival! Due to the early timing of the Regional Swim competition, we will be holding the Year 3-6 Cluster Swimming Carnival on Friday the 2nd February. This is the first Friday back, so we are asking families to please put this date in the diary. We will need lots of volunteers for the day, so if you can help out please email the school or give us a call.

This week, part of the school ground was fenced off in preparation for the upcoming building works. As the works are expected to be completed by the middle of 2024, hopefully it won't be too long before we see some more activity on the site!

On Tuesday, we had the first of our formal Prep transition programs. During this session, the children participated in a range of counting activities, focussing on the numbers 1-10. Our formal school transition program will continue next week, on Tuesday 5/12, from 10am - 12pm. A third and final day will be held on Tuesday 12/12 as part of the Statewide Transition Day, from 9am - 2pm. Please note that all students in all classes will transition to their new class on this day.

There has been much research on the benefits of participatory music and the way rhythmic music impacts the centres of the brain (amygdaloid, hippocampus, hypothalamus, and brain stem). These are areas that dictate our behavioural responses and are virtually free from the influence of cognition. To optimise these benefits at school, Emily has recently completed a Rhythm to Recovery facilitator's course, which will enable her to incorporate drum-circle lessons in music. From next year all students will participate in weekly sessions, as part of their music lesson. Initially, these lessons will focus on mindfulness and emotional regulation, followed by specific rhythm exercises that explore a range of emotions and discussion topics from the 5 key developmental areas: Social and emotional learning; Strengths and virtues; Identity and culture; Health and wellbeing; and Families, teams and communities. To deliver the lessons, the school will need to purchase a class set of drums. While we will be prioritising our Supermarket points to help raise the $3000 needed, we are also asking for donations. If you or anyone you know would be able to assist with raising these funds, please let the office know.

2024 Employment Opportunity - Education Support Role: Expressions of Interest are being sought from individuals interested in joining our team, either on a casual or part-time basis, to provide 1-1 support of students in the classroom. While experience is valuable, it is not essential. For more information, please contact the office on 57544354 or email us at mount.beauty.ps@education.vic.gov.au

On Thursday the 14th of December, we will be marking the end of the year with a special Assembly at 9.00am. This will be followed by a special thank you morning tea, for all our volunteers, who have contributed their time to our school, throughout the year. We hope that you can join us for this special occasion.

Families are also invited to join us at 11am, on Thursday the 14th December, for our Year 6 Graduation ceremony.

Resources:

Eligible families can now nominate for the School Student Broadband Initiative. This can be done through the National Referral Centre or through a list of National and Victorian organisations. Nominations are open now up until 30 April 2024. Eligible families will then be provided with a FREE connection for 12 months from the date of connection, with installation and initial set-up included in the service. For more information about the SSBI, including eligibility and how to nominate a family, please visit this website

Health and Well-being resources:

Helping my children after trauma: A guide for parents.

headspace: 1800 650 890
Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636.
WellMob
Yarning SafeNStrong
13Yarn - Crisis support line: 13 92 76

Art with Nicole