Engagement & Wellbeing

Wellbeing Curriculum Day

The focus on Friday was all around wellbeing and staff participated in a range of activities and sessions to further build our capacity in this area. Fostering teaching and learning practices that support and promote student mental health and wellbeing helps to benefit all students to thrive.

It was a great opportunity for our teachers to deepen their understanding of our School-Wide Positive Behaviour (SWPB) teaching practices to ensure we are promoting positive behaviours and social-emotional wellbeing. Teachers also underwent professional development in the Open Parachute program, which will be integrated in our weekly Respectful Relationships sessions to help give students skills to support their mental health. Staff also gained further knowledge on using the student check-in resource. This is a screening tool teachers can use to efficiently identify students who may be at risk of social, emotional, and academic behaviours which interfere with their learning.

Another key component of Friday was completing necessary Department of Education learning modules, including anaphylaxis and asthma training, as well as the staff survey. 

School Volunteers 

Working With Children’s Check (WWCC) Reminder

Please remember that to volunteer in classrooms, attend excursions or camps all parents and carers require a valid Working with Children Check on file at school. 

WWCC are valid for 5 years and are free for volunteers to apply for.  You can apply, renew and check your existing status by visiting https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/

We regularly encourage volunteers in classrooms and on excursions. Even if it is not something you have previously considered, it can be useful to have, and we encourage you to apply. 

Once your card arrives, bring it to the school office where the staff will take a copy and add you to our WWCC register.  

Volunteer Child Safe Reminder:

• All volunteers at Buninyong PS are required to be familiar with our policies and procedures relating to child safety and understand the important role they play in maintaining and promoting the safety of our students.
• Volunteers must read the suite of policies and procedures in the links below before commencing any work where children are likely to be present.
• Buninyong Primary School is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children. We want children attending our school to be safe, happy and respected.
• We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where diversity is supported and students feel safe to bring their whole selves to school.
• Allegations and concerns relating to the safety and wellbeing of our school community will be treated very seriously and consistently with our policies and procedures.
•  We are committed to preventing child abuse, identifying risks early and removing and reducing these risks.
• Everyone has a role to ensure children are safe – if something doesn’t feel right, speak up. If you have any concerns about any inappropriate behaviours in the school community you should speak to the Principal or Assistant Principal. If this would not be appropriate in the circumstances, you can contact the Ballarat Regional Office of the Department of Education and Training on 1300 338 691.
• All new volunteers must read and familiarise themselves with the following documents. Please click on the hyperlinks to access each document. They are also available on our website www.buninyongps.edu.au. If you would prefer a hard copy of this pack, please contact the team in the office who will happily provide you with one.
• Buninyong Primary School Volunteers Policy
• Buninyong Primary School Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
• Buninyong Primary School Child Safety Responding and Reporting Obligations Policy and Procedures
• Buninyong Primary School Child Safety Code of Conduct
• PROTECT: Four Critical Actions for Schools – Responding to incidents, disclosures and suspicions of child abuse
• PROTECT: Identify child abuse