Term 4 is here!
Welcome back
We have had a great start to term 4 this week. It has been great to see all of the students back and hear about how they spent their holiday. Term 4 is a great time of the school year when we can enjoy the return of warmer weather, lots of exciting activities and the coming holiday season. Some of the exciting events we are looking forward to include:
- Swimming and lifesaving excursions
- The Concert and Awards Night on October 31st
- Outdoor Education camp
- PLC3 Camp
- Pathways Camp
- Graduation night
- Student Representative Council excursion
With the more pleasant weather, we should be able to meet every Wednesday morning at 9am for our whole school Assembly in the amphitheatre. It would be great to see you there.
Please contact me if you are able to volunteer for our school council. I'd like to have two more parents join us for the remainder of this term and next year.
School Attendance - Every Day Counts
Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child's education. Students learn new things at school every day - missing school puts them behind. After reviewing our attendance data for the year, I'm still very worried about the number of students who have more than 20 or even 30 days absent from school this year.
There is no safe number of days for missing school - each day a student misses puts them behind, and can affect their educational outcomes.
Information on Smoking and Vaping
Parents, carers, schools, and community all play an important role in protecting children and young people from, and educating them about, the harmful effects of smoking and vaping.
The Tobacco Act 1987 (Vic) bans smoking and vaping on school premises, and within 4 metres of any pedestrian access point to school premises. This applies to anyone on school premises during and outside of school hours including students, staff and school visitors.
The department also bans smoking and vaping at school events and excursions held off school premises.
Research from the Royal Children’s Hospital shows many parents and carers are not aware of the harmful effects or how their views about smoking and vaping can impact the likelihood of a young person taking up smoking or vaping.
The Department of Education has developed resources to help you learn more about the health risks of smoking and vaping. The resources include advice about how to talk to children and young people about vaping, and where to get support. To access the resources, go to https://www.vic.gov.au/smoking-and-vaping-advice-parents
You can also view this video on smoking and vaping from experts at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne for health advice and tips for starting a conversation with young people.
Kai Pukarinen
Principal