Principal's Message
Dear Parents and Carers
From the commencement of term 3, all Victorian government schools must contact parents/carers on the same day of an unexplained student absence. The means that parents/carers need to report absences via Compass as soon as possible to prevent being contacted by us. Please view the article, "Notification of Student Absences" contained within this newsletter for further details.
Building Resilience
At Clifton Hill Primary School we often talk about the importance of building resilience in children. Resilience is our ability to adapt and bounce back when things don't go as planned. Resilient children don't dwell on mistakes or failures, instead they are able to acknowledge the situation, learn from what has happened, and then move forward. Research shows that resilient people are at a lesser risk of mental health issues.
Follow this link to an article that discusses factors which impact a child's ability to develop resilience, as well as ways in which we, as a school and as parents, can help our children build resilience.
Another great website to learn more about building resilient children is the Beyond Blue website. Please click on the following link if you are interested in how to support your child to develop skills, habits and attitudes for building resilience.
https://healthyfamilies.beyondblue.org.au/healthy-homes/building-resilience
Allergy Awareness Week
Last week was food allergy awareness week, therefore as we have a number of students in our school who have food allergies and are at risk of anaphylaxis, I thought I would share some facts about food allergies:
- You can be allergic to any food. However, 90% of reactions are caused by ten foods – cow’s milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, sesame, soy, shellfish, fish and lupin.
- One in 10 babies born in Australia today will develop a food allergy that could threaten their life every day.
- Australia has one of the highest rates of food allergies in the developed world, and it is increasing at an alarming rate.
- Adrenaline, not antihistamines, reverse the signs and symptoms of anaphylaxis.
- Knowing how to respond to an allergic reaction when recognising the signs and symptoms, could save someone’s life.
- What do you do if someone is thought to be having an anaphylaxis? Lay on the ground, administer adrenaline autoinjector (EpiPen) and call triple zero. Follow ASCIA Action Plan.
Food allergic reactions can range from mild to severe, severe being what we call anaphylaxis. Symptoms usually appear within two hours of a person eating a food (even a small amount) they are allergic to.
The signs and symptoms of mild to moderate allergic reaction are:
- swelling of the face, lips and eyes, hives or welts, tingling mouth, abdominal pain, vomiting (these are signs of a severe allergic reaction to insects)
The signs and symptoms of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) are:
- difficult/noisy breathing, swelling of the tongue, swelling/tightness of the throat, difficulty talking and/or hoarse voice, wheeze or persistent cough, persistent dizziness or collapse, pale and floppy (young children)
Keeping our students safe is all about AWARENESS, AVOIDANCE AND ACTION
- Knowing what your classmates/friends are allergic to
- Never share food and always washing hands after eating
- Telling an adult straight away if someone with allergies looks sick… even if they don’t want you to!
A copy of our school's Anaphylaxis Policy can be found on the school's website.
Home Learning Policy
Our Home Learning Policy was recently reviewed and ratified by School Council. A copy of the policy can be accessed below.
Our school website hosts all our current school policies.