Engagement & Wellbeing
School Breakfast Club Coming to Buninyong PS
We’re thrilled to announce that Buninyong PS has been successful in our application for the School Breakfast Clubs Program, which will kick off in 2025. This initiative, delivered by Foodbank Victoria in partnership with the Victorian Government, ensures all students have access to a nutritious breakfast, helping them stay focused and make the most of their learning.
What's Happening Now?
Our induction for the program is complete, and we're eager to start trialling some aspects as we prepare for the full launch next year. From this week, every classroom will have a fruit bowl, and students can enjoy fresh fruit during eating times.
How Can You Help?
The Breakfast Club relies on volunteers to keep things running. At this stage, our plan is to operate on a couple of mornings per week. If you’d like to get involved or learn more, please reach out to Narelle Sullivan at narelle.sullivan@education.vic.gov.au
Support Beyond Breakfast
In addition to breakfast, the program also offers home food packs for students and their family in need. If you’d like to discuss this in confidence, please contact Narelle.
We’re excited to see how this program will strengthen and support our school community, and we look forward to working together to make it a success!
Whooping cough
Whooping cough cases are continuing to increase across Victoria, particularly among school-aged children.
Whooping cough is a very contagious infection, mostly spread through coughing or sneezing. Symptoms include:
- blocked or runny nose
- tiredness
- mild fever
- severe bouts of coughing, often followed by a ‘whooping’ sound on breathing.
Whooping cough can lead to life threatening infections in babies.
If your child is unwell, they should not attend school. Please see a doctor if you or your child develops whooping cough symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment will help reduce the spread of the infection.
Students diagnosed with whooping cough must not attend school.
If your child is diagnosed with whooping cough, they must not attend school for 21 days after the onset of the cough, or until they have received five days of antibiotic treatment. You must notify the school if your child is diagnosed with whooping cough.
To further reduce the spread of infection to your child and the school community, the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 require that some students who were in the same classroom as a student diagnosed with whooping cough should not attend school.
Your child should not attend school for 14 days after they were last exposed to a person diagnosed with whooping cough, or until they have taken five days of a course of antibiotic treatment if they are:
- aged less than seven years; and
- not fully vaccinated with three doses of whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine.
This exclusion is required by law – refer to the school exclusion table for primary schools and children’s services.
If your child is diagnosed with whooping cough, please contact the school to let us know.
More information
For more information about whooping cough, refer to Whooping cough on the Better Health Channel.
Vaccination is the best way to reduce the risk of whooping cough. The Department of Health recommends staying up to date with immunisations, including booster doses. A free booster dose of the pertussis vaccine is covered under the national immunisation program for students aged 12 to 13. If you are unsure about your child’s vaccination status for whooping cough, please discuss with an immunisation provider, such as your doctor.
I really appreciate your support in keeping our students safe and well.
Bunjil Awards
Congratulations to the following students who received a Bunjil Award at the last assembly.
Bunjil awards recognise student achievement and those who display our school values of being respectful, responsible and kind.
Well done! All of our recipients enjoyed a hot chocolate or zooper dooper with a principal.
