Andersons Creek Primary School Newsletter

Principal's Report

Principal’s Report – Start of Term Reminders

Welcome back to ACPS! We hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable break, filled with time to relax, play, and connect with family and friends. It’s fantastic to see our students returning with energy, curiosity, and enthusiasm, ready for a busy and exciting term ahead.

 

Start of Term Reminders

Here are a few reminders to help everyone settle in smoothly and start the Term positively.

 

Uniform and Hats

  • As the weather warms up, we ask that students wear navy blue shorts (not black) for consistency across the school.

  • Term 4 marks the start of our compulsory hat period, which continues into Term 1 next year. Hats must be navy blue bucket, wide-brim, or legionnaire style—caps are not permitted. This is a state-wide requirement and an important part of our SunSmart practices.

  • Sunscreen application is encouraged. Students may bring their own sunscreen that they like, and teachers will remind them to apply it before Recess and Lunch. Sunscreen is also available at school if needed.

 

Class Allocations

  • Student and staff class placements will be finalised during the first half of the Term.

  • Students in year levels with more than one class may nominate a friend to be placed with them. We ensure each child has at least one nominated friend in their class.

  • We kindly ask families not to request specific teachers, as staff placements are made to balance the needs of all students and year levels, creating the most effective learning environment across the school. 

     

Allergy Awareness – No Nuts

  • ACPS is an Allergy Aware School to protect students with severe allergies. Please ensure snacks and lunches do not contain nuts. Your support is greatly appreciated.

 

Child Safety and Volunteering

  • We are grateful for the support of our volunteers. All volunteers must have a Working With Children Check and sign in/out at the office when entering and exiting the school.

  • Further information, including our Volunteer Induction Pack, is available on Compass.

 

Before and After School Supervision

  • Before school: supervision begins at 8:45am in the playground.

  • After school: supervision continues until 3:45pm.

  • Students on school grounds outside these times are unsupervised unless attending a before or after school care program or a supervised extracurricular activity.

Jump Rope for Heart

ACPS is excited to participate in Jump Rope for Heart this term! Over the next five weeks, students will enjoy a morning skipping session from 8:45–9:00am in the school courtyard, with music to make a fun and active start to the day.

Students will develop new skipping skills, increase physical activity, and learn about heart health. The program concludes with a school-wide Jump Off Day, where students show off their new skills.

SO FAR AS A SCHOOL WE HAVE RAISED $1913 AND SKIPPED 23 HOURS

Register your child online at www.jumprope.org.au/parents to link them to our ACPS page. By registering online, you and your child can:

  • Easily raise funds

  • Track progress and earn virtual badges

  • Share updates with family and friends

  • Access additional skipping resources

 

Fire Season – Preparing for Bushfires

This week’s relocation is a timely reminder that we are entering the fire season. Ensuring the safety of our students and staff is our highest priority.

 

School Preparations for Bushfire Season

Each year, we take a range of actions to prepare for bushfires and grassfires, including updating our Emergency Management Plan, clearing grounds and gutters, and prioritising relevant maintenance works. 

 

Our school is classified as being in one of the highest fire risk categories (BARR 1). On days forecasted as Extreme in the Manningham LGA, we will enact our pre-emptive relocation plan. On Catastrophic days in the Central fire weather district, the school will be closed. Notifications will be sent via Compass.

 

How Families Can Help

  • Ensure your contact details are up to date.

  • Read newsletters, check our website, or speak with staff about our emergency plans.

  • Update your family bushfire survival plan, including alternative care arrangements if the school is relocated or closed.

  • Follow your family’s plan if triggers are met, and inform the school if your children will be absent.

  • Discuss bushfires and safety plans with your children.

     

Further Information

  • VicEmergency app (Android/iOS)

  • VicEmergency Hotline: 1800 226 226

  • Website: https://emergency.vic.gov.au

  • Facebook/Twitter: VicEmergency

  • ABC Local Radio, Sky News, and other emergency broadcasters

     

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the department’s policy?

The Department of Education annually assesses the fire risk of all schools and early childhood services with the support of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). They are allocated a category of risk (categories 0 to 6). Schools and services that are categories 0-3 are published on the Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR). Schools at some risk of bushfire and grassfire are published on the Category 4 List.

The department’s Bushfire and Grassfire Preparedness Policy requires schools at high risk of bushfire to enact pre-emptive action plans based on LGA-level fire danger forecasts. Conditions can vary significantly across the wider weather district, so using local forecasts helps us to respond appropriately to risks in our local area and maintain stability and educational continuity for our students and school community. This policy is consistent for all schools at high levels of risk and this approach is supported by emergency services. 

The policy also requires that all schools and early childhood services on the BARR and the Category 4 list close when a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is forecast in their fire weather district. All school bus routes which travel in or through a district with Catastrophic fire danger must also be cancelled. 

 

Why do we use the LGA forecast?

When the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) provides public fire danger rating forecasts, they use fire weather district areas. In Victoria, there are 9 fire weather districts, which include numerous Local Government Areas.

As conditions can vary significantly across a wider weather district, the department uses BoM LGA forecasts for some pre-emptive actions to respond appropriately to risks in the local area and maintain safe educational continuity for students and the school community. LGA forecasts are a subset of the weather district ratings and while not issued publicly, are provided to emergency services and government departments to support planning and operational activities. 

This policy is consistent for all schools at high levels of risk and this approach is supported by emergency services, including the Country Fire Authority (CFA).

 

What do we do when our LGA has a different fire danger rating to the wider fire weather district?

As we respond to local conditions, there may be days during the fire season when our fire weather district, Central is forecast as an Extreme fire danger rating, but our LGA is at a lower level of fire danger. On these days our school operations will continue as normal; however, we will be taking action in line with fire services’ advice by:

  • checking our Emergency Management Plan and taking any necessary preparedness actions 

  • actively monitoring our local conditions and warnings

  • having plans and procedures in place for if a fire starts to support us to take immediate action. 

While our school will continue to operate, we encourage our school community to consider their own bushfire survival plan and reassess any travel through bushfire risk areas. We encourage you to follow your family bushfire survival plan and the advice of emergency services. 

There may also be days where our LGA is forecast as Extreme fire danger, but Central fire weather district is not. On these days we will enact our pre-emptive action plan.

 

When will our school be closed due to Catastrophic fire danger?

Our school will close on a day forecasted as Catastrophic fire danger rating in Central fire weather district. Closure of the school due to a Catastrophic fire danger rating will be enacted when the BOM forecast and related public safety messaging is confirmed. Due to uncertainties in the forecast, the timing of this confirmation may vary. Information regarding potential or confirmed Catastrophic fire danger days will be communicated to you by Compass. 

It is also important to be aware that:

  • No one will be on site on days where the school is closed due to a forecast Catastrophic day.

  • Out-of-school-hours care will also be cancelled on these days.

  • All bus routes that travel through the Catastrophic area will be cancelled.

  • School camps will be cancelled if a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is forecast for fire weather district in which the camp is located, or if the travel involves passing through areas that have Catastrophic fire danger.

     

Families are encouraged to enact their Bushfire Survival Plan on Catastrophic fire danger rating days. On such days, children should never be left at home alone or in the care of older children.

 

For those of us living in a bushfire prone area, the Country Fire Authority (CFA) advises that when Catastrophic days are forecast, the safest option is to leave the night before or early on the morning of the Catastrophic day.

 

Upcoming Events

  • Grandparents Morning – Wednesday 22nd October, 9:30–11:15am. Students will share their learning and spend time with their grandparents.

  • Pink Up Warrandyte – Dress in Pink Day – Friday 24th October. This week, the Warrandyte Pink Ladies visited our assembly to talk about Breast Cancer awareness and the Pinking Up Warrandyte initiative. In support, all students are encouraged to dress in pink and bring a gold coin donation. More details are available on Compass.

  • Working Bee – Friday 24th October, 2:30–5:30pm. A chance for our school community to help care for and improve our grounds. We encourage anyone able to attend, even for part of the time, to join us.

 

 

 

Daniel Webber

 

Principal