“We would like to acknowledge the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people, the first people to dream, create, wonder, dance, play and learn on this breathtaking land. This land was cared for and respected for tens of thousands of years. The First Nations people lived in companionship with the animals and the life on this land. We acknowledge that this is stolen land and we pay our respects to elders, past, present and emerging.”

Rayma Atkinson (2023 Suzanne Peterson Award Recipient)

Step Up Sessions

Today was our third Step Up session: Hello New Routines! Students had the opportunity to unpack the expectations, practices and routines of their cohort next year which may include new approaches to learning or new responsibilities, or it may demonstrate that there are lots of things that will remain the same, no matter which cohort we are in.

The students are becoming increasingly well versed in trialling new rooms, meeting new teachers and spending time with new friends. Practising these skills will help all our kiddos build up the toolkit to manage change next year and beyond.

Your kiddo might be coming home on a Monday afternoon feeling extra tired or appearing a little short-tempered. We know that when we expend energy on something that is new and challenging, it can sometimes draw down on our ‘bucket’. Teachers are planning carefully to allow time to decompress after Step Up sessions, but families may want to do the same.

Foundie Transition

Our incoming 2025 Foundie students have been participating in their own transition for two weeks so far, with the third session happening on Wednesday of this week. We have seen brave little humans taking steps to be ready for Big School; making new friends, building their stamina, practising saying goodbye to their grown up and last week they got to meet Jenny dressed as a pirate!

This week the kids will keep practising their skills and they will get to meet Max the PE teacher while their grown ups are learning about what to expect in the Foundation year. Well done to everyone for your efforts so far!

Reporting Online Harm to the E-Safety Commissioner

It can be challenging for parents and carers to help their children navigate the world of online gaming and social media. One look at the conversations between politicians and experts demonstrates the level of complexity that comes with this topic.

One of the challenges we face is that online safety is a relatively new and rapidly evolving space - and one where young people often feel far more comfortable with the nuances than their grown ups do. Another challenge is that the internet connects people from different places and spaces, often beyond your child’s friendship group or the school.

It is important for the school to be aware of any concerning online behaviour; although we are not always in a position to stop or prevent the behaviour, understanding what our students are involved in or subjected to can help us make decisions about what we want to teach or how we can offer support to students and families.

If you are concerned by online behaviour, you can also make a report to the e-Safety Commissioner. Reports can be about cyber-bullying, sharing of personal information or images without consent, illegal content and much more. Go to https://www.esafety.gov.au/report to read more about options available to individuals and families.

Baby Angus

It is with great pleasure that we announce the arrival of Rebecca and Michael’s happy and healthy baby boy - Angus McLaughlan. Angus arrived on the 9th November at 3.78kg and 52cm long! Mum and bub are both doing well with lots of lullabies sung by his two older sisters Ruby and Pearl.

Congratulations to Rebecca and Michael, we are so happy for your growing family and hope you enjoy all the snuggles and love for as long as possible.

Hot Days & STELA Air Conditioning

We are currently working on linking up the air conditioning units in the STELA building to an appropriate source. This process has taken longer than expected, but we are happy to announce that there has been progress and we expect this work to be completed in the coming weeks. In the meantime, we have made arrangements to relocate the Foundation classes when the temperature is too high.

Sprout