Assistant Principal's Message - Adele Brice
Week 5 Term 1
Welcome back to the beginning of another school year, I trust you all had a safe and restful holiday period. A huge welcome to the new families that have joined our community this year and a very special welcome to our 2022 Prep students and families.
Parent Representatives
Our staff are currently in the process of finalising Parent Representatives for each of the grades. Our Parent Representatives play an important role, they not only help organise support for various functions but act as a vital connection to the school for parents in the grade, we particularly appreciate the job they do in welcoming new families to the school. We plan to meet with the 2022 Parent Representatives early next week to not only connect but to discuss and plan for the year ahead.
Child Safe
Child Safety Code of Conduct
We love welcoming parents, grandparents and members of the community to volunteer and support our students. Every year we do need volunteers to revise the Child Safety Code of Conduct. A hard copy of this form can be obtained from the office, or a copy can be downloaded from our website https://www.wongapark.vic.edu.au/s/Child-Safety-Code-of-Conduct-Policy-2019-Wonga-Park-Primary-School.pdf
Safer Internet Day
On Tuesday 8th February our school observed Safer Internet Day. The purpose of the day to play it safe and fair online. Safer Internet Day is a global initiative that brings people from across the world together to raise awareness about online safety. The is no place for online abuse. We can all make life online enjoyable by being kind and respectful to each other.
You can read about how our students acknowledged the day in the From the Classrooms section of the newsletter.
The Cyber Safety Project
We are excited to the announce that we are continuing to partner with the Cyber Safety Project again this year. The team have been booked to work with our school on Tuesday 22nd March and will be working with students, teachers and parents. Our parent session will be held on line - we cannot recommend strongly enough that all parents attend this session.
The Cyber Safety Project’s mission is to provide a whole community approach focused on developing future skills, lifelong habits and self-regulation when innovating and using digital technologies for work, life and play. To create safer communities our educational programs and proactive teaching strategies will engage the whole community with learning how to participate safety and responsibly in a digitally-engaged world.
You can learn more about the Cyber Safety Project by visiting their website; https://cybersafetyproject.com.au/about/
eSafety Commissioner
The eSafety Commissioner website is an extremely useful support for parents. The eSafety Commissioner (eSafety) is Australia’s independent regulator for online safety.
They are the world’s first government agency dedicated to keeping people safer online.
Regular parent online webinars are offered for parents and carers. To find out more and to register for these sessions please visit; https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars
Upcoming sessions include;
eSafety's parent guide to helping kids thrive online
This Term 1 webinar in 2022 offers tips about how to support young people to socialise, learn and have fun online safely.
It explains how to access information, use technology safely and navigate new online platforms.
The presentation is designed for parents and carers of young people aged 5 to 12 years old.
It will cover:
- how to talk to young people about online risks on different social media platforms and games
- how to help young people develop skills to protect themselves when they are online
- where to go for help if things go wrong and how to access mental health support and information through eSafety.
2022 dates for this session;
Wednesday 23 February 7.30 to 8.30 pm
eSafety’s parent guide to cyberbullying and online drama
This Term 1 webinar will provide parents and carers with the tools to support young people to have safe and respectful online relationships. It will also offer advice about what to do when things go wrong.
It is designed for parents and carers of young people aged 11 to 18 years old.
It will cover:
- starting conversations with your child about their online friendships and positive ways to deal with changing relationships
- understanding the rights, laws and community expectations that govern social media use
- where to seek help if your child is involved in a cyberbullying incident.
2022 dates for this session;
Thursday 10 March 12.30 to 1.30 pm
Tuesday 15 March 12.30 to 1.30 pm
Wednesday 23 March 7.30 to 8.30 pm
Communication with School Staff Policy
We welcome and encourage a strong partnership with our parents and carers. To ensure thereis clear information about how to communicate with the school, the Education Sub Committee created a Communication with School Staff Policy. The policy explains how we manage enquiries from parents and carers. At Wonga Park do have in our policy that parents and carers are unable to email staff directly, however it explains how to quickly and easily connect with staff member that you are wanting to connect with.
Sentral for Parents
Our Sentral Platform is an important space to help our parents and carers to remain connected to the school.
Sentral allows you to do things such as; lodge your child's absences, view your child's reports, view the parent calendar and also give permission & pay for various school events. You can learn more about Sentral for parents by visiting; https://www.sentral.com.au/parents
Connecting to WPPS Moysle Manager
Every year we require parents to provide permission to allow their children's iPads to be connected to our network. Students are unable to bring their iPads to school without this permission being provided.
Permission is now overdue, however we have extended the date on Sentral to this coming Friday 25th Feb.
If you have not yet provided permission, please head to the Sentral portal and read the related information to provide informed consent.
I look forward to connecting with you across the year.
Adele Brice
Assistant Principal