Hi everyone, we have a fantastic Wellbeing Team with me, Sally and Libby. We can help with any parenting worries or support your family with home or family concerns. The Wellbeing Team are on before and after school duty and we can help with any questions or queries you may have.

If parents are looking to purchase school uniform, we sell second hand school uniforms. We accept donations from families, and we often need spare socks and boys’ and girls’ underwear to change children. When a child has a toileting accident or gets wet, having a supply of spare clothes. This means there’s no disruption to a parent’s day where you would get a phone call to come down to the school with a change of clothes.

Also, when families are feeling financial strain and hardship we can apply to State School Relief for school uniform, underwear, socks and school shoes and runners. Keep in mind that State School Relief can also help families replace eyeglasses. Students can get one free voucher per year which is particularly handy when a child breaks or loses their glasses.

For any enquiries, please email the Wellbeing Team at-

Andre.Campbell@education.vic.gov.au

Sally.Marshall@education.vic.gov.au

elizabeth.martin3@education.vic.gov.au

Activities at Breaktimes

Across the year, at break times, the Wellbeing Team run activity clubs. While we expect more hot weather, for this term, at lunchtimes, we are running Lego club in the library.

If your child is looking to make friends, have some fun and be creative, tell them they can come to the activity clubs. The clubs run in the main building outside the specialist classrooms and in the library. In the past, students enjoyed making key chains, bracelets, fidgets and cat’s eyes, turtles, finger knitting, bookmarks and they created some amazing Lego builds.

We are always looking for donations, especially wool, crochet hooks, craft/haberdashery items and Lego. This term, we are collecting the Woolworth’s Lego Bricks. When you are doing your weekly shop or if you have a family member interested in collecting them, we would appreciate you keeping the school in mind. In the past, we have collected the series called the supermarket and farm. The students still love making different shops and farms. If you are having a clean out, please feel free to bring your items to the office/wellbeing office.

Activity	Recess	Lunchtime
Monday	Chess/library	Lego club-library
Tuesday	No clubs	Diamond Art & Colouring-outside the specialist rooms
Wednesday	No clubs	Chess-library Diamond Art & Colouring-outside the specialist rooms
Thursday	No clubs	Uno, games & Colouring- outside the specialist rooms
Friday	No clubs	Lego club-library

Friendships

The Wellbeing Team have been supporting students on friendship making skills. Ask your child how they are handling getting to know their peers by-

Asking to join in
Using a kind voice
Standing up for a friend
Agreeing on rules in a game
People are not property

This week’s shout out comes from Lola and Penny our school ambassadors, “If you are feeling down or if you have a problem, come and speak us”.

DET School Nurse Program- Preps School Entry Health Checks

For our prep families, this week you should have received an envelope containing a postcard with the QR Code. If this is a problem, then we do have hardcopies of the health questionnaire so please ask the office or your prep classroom teacher. This is a valued and important program which offers free health and wellbeing screening for all Victorian students in their first year of school. This program seeks to improve the health and education outcomes for children and their families.

A health assessment under the Primary School Nursing Program is not intended to replace your normal source of health care. If you or your child’s teacher has concerns about your child’s health or development, your child can be referred to the school nurse at any time. Direct health assessment services provided under the Primary School Nursing Program may include:

Vision screening
Hearing screening
Speech and language screening
General developmental assessments

Attendance & Absences

We encourage parents and carers to refer to COMPASS for information happening at school. Schools are required to work towards IMPROVING THE ATTENDANCE and PUNCTUALITY RATES of our students. We encourage all parents to call the office when your child is going to be away and to notify the school through COMPASS. This really helps us as we are able to communicate effectively with all relevant staff early in the school day.

Attendance Data-It’s Cool to be at School!

When your child comes to school and it’s their birthday, we are bringing the buzz to make their day even more special. When they arrive at school in the mornings, we are presenting them with a special birthday sticker badge. I must say the kids are really loving this!

Over the time a child attends school, having 1 or 2 days absence does not seem like much but it does add up and can impact on missed learning opportunities.

Foodbank services available in the Yarra Valley

Foodbank provides our supplies for Breakfast Club on Monday’s and Wednesday’s. This week the team at Foodbank sent a recipe for a great after school snack.

Foodbank also provide a list of local locations that offer food support. Simply search for Foodbank online and pop in your postcode. The food support can be found in Woori Yallock, Yarra Junction, Wandin North, Seville and Millgrove. If you find it difficult to find food for your family there is plenty of help available in the area to access. https://findfood.foodbank.org.au/vic/? If you would like your child to make use of our yummy breakfast foods, send them to school that bit earlier so they will have time to eat and enjoy their food. We serve toast until the music is playing for the start of the school day. Please remind your child that if they want to have something to eat before school that they need to head straight down to the German Room.

Food Pantry

The food pantry is open on Wednesday and Friday afternoons between 2:30 and 3:30pm. We have a range of foods, including gluten and lactose free items and on Wednesday’s we have fresh carrots and fruit, apples, pears and oranges. If you are in need of a pantry top up please stop by and pick something up. Hampers are also available upon request from the Wellbeing Team.

Second hand uniform

Available, contact the Wellbeing team to access free second hand uniform.

Chaplaincy

Sally Marshall – Chaplain is happy to catch up with your child if you feel they need that extra emotional support during school hours. Sally is available on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and can be contacted via email

sally.marshall@education.vic.gov.au

or by phone call 5964 7258.

Secondary Schools Open Night