Echuca Twin Rivers Primary School 

Student Wellbeing Update/SWPBS

Dear Parents and Carers, 

Welcome back to the 2023 school year! Here's hoping you had a restful break and your children are enthusiastic about their new class and school year. 

Our 2023 Wellbeing Team

This year Nicole and I will continue in our wellbeing roles here at school. Nicole will continue as the Wellbeing Officer 4 days a week with Tuesday being a non-work day. 

I will continue in the Disability Inclusion role and Mental Health in Primary Schools role 4 days a week with Fridays being a non-work day. 

If you have any wellbeing concerns for your child/children or family members, we are here to offer support and provide help where we can. We can refer or connect both students and family members to outside agencies in our local area when the need arises to address specific needs of the individual. 

We will continue to have Pip Inglis as our School Occupational Therapist 1.5 days a week  and Echuca Regional Health are currently recruiting a Speech Pathologist hopefully to start with us at the beginning of Term 2. Additionally, we have Kristy Beaumount from Anglicare continuing her work with us this year for 2 days a week here onsite at our school. Kristy will be onsite on Mondays and Thursdays. 

Kristy is continuing with the Early Help Pilot Program that was rolled out in only 6 schools in the state last year - ETRS and ETRSS being one of these school. Kristy can provide up to 8 hours of free support for any family who may need additional support beyond what the school can provide.

 Nicky Arnold and Jameson Martin, our school psychologist and speech pathologist respectively, remain as our key contacts with the Department.

ETRS Wellbeing Key Improvement Strategies for 2023

Below are the goals our Wellbeing Team along with our School Improvement Team (SIT) have earmarked for 2023. These goals were derived from our School's 4 Year Strategic plan that was formulated in 2020 with School Council members, the Leadership team at the time, visiting principals from other schools and several Regional Staff members.

 

This year we will focus on: 

  1. Build teacher capability to activate student voice and agency within the classroom
  2. Reduce the % of students with 20+ days absence from 39% in 2019 to 25% in 2024.
  3. Embed a whole-school approach to the development of the social and emotional wellbeing of students
  4. Develop and implement strategies that involve parents and carers as partners in their child’s learning

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.

 

# Congratulations to the 3/4 Department who had 100% attendance for the first 2 days of school! 

Anglicare Early Help Services at ETRS

Coffee Club Revival 

Before Covid arrived, our school had a very active and enthusiastic Parents and Friends Group. One of the ways we sort the help and input from our parents was a weekly catch up in the CAFE. The purpose of this was to welcome new families, share ideas for school improvement, provide informal feedback, seek advice and also connect people in our school community. 

With Parent Partnerships as one of this year's Key Improvement Strategies and Anglicare Early Help facilitator Kristy keen to join us, this initiative hopes to kick the year off well in this area. We anticipate commencement by Week 5 when the CAFE reopens to the public. Stay tuned for more details in future newsletters and on Class Dojo. Everyone is welcome including younger siblings.

 

PS. You don't need to drink coffee to attend ;)

School Wide Positive Behaviours 

School Wide Positive Behaviours continues to be the cornerstone of our Whole School approach to Wellbeing. We have been on this journey for 3.5 years now and have been awarded the Blue Award for our efforts. This year we are striving for the Bronze Award. Keep it under your hat  but we are quietly confident we will achieve it too!

We are currently updating our SWPBS Handbook for our students and families and will ensure these are included in our next newsletter edition. Keep an eye out for them and be sure to take the time to talk it through with your children who will be able to explain all the finer details in particular the Reward Matrix.

CUST Training 

On Friday 27th of January, our staff along with the Special School staff participated in CUST (Cultural Understanding & Safety Training)  with our local Koorie Education Support Officers Paul Clarke and Wayne Cowley and along with two senior staff from Bendigo.  

CUST training was delivered by our KESOs and is an introduction to ongoing learning and engagement with Aboriginal perspectives throughout the curriculum strengthening meaningful collaboration between local Aboriginal communities and schools. Under the newly revised Child Safe Standards this begins to address Guidance on Child Safe Standard 1: Establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.

 

Wishing everyone a super weekend, 

Anthea and the Wellbeing Team.