Supporting Positive Communication: Respecting Our Right to Disconnect

As a community, we value open and respectful communication, knowing that strong relationships between families and our staff greatly contribute to our students’ success. This year, we’re placing an extra focus on balancing this vital communication with the well-being of our staff, aligning with recent legislation—the "Right to Disconnect."

The Right to Disconnect, introduced to support work-life balance, means that employees have the right to disconnect from work communications outside of their regular working hours. For our school, this means that our dedicated teachers and staff are encouraged to focus on their personal time and recharge once their workday ends.

We understand that sometimes you may need to reach out to a teacher with a question or a concern. We encourage you to do so during regular school hours whenever possible. If you send a message outside these hours, please know that our staff may not respond until the following school day. This respect for boundaries helps ensure they return to work refreshed and able to give their best to your children.

For urgent matters, please contact the school office directly. Our team will ensure the message reaches the appropriate staff member as soon as possible.

Thank you for your support as we implement these changes. By respecting the Right to Disconnect, we’re all working together to create a positive, healthy environment for our students and our staff alike.

Scholarships to support students

Scholarships are available for students who complete Year 4 to Year 11 in 2025, and for students enrolled in Year 12 in 2024 who plan to do tertiary studies in 2025.

The Department of Education administers a number of scholarships available to eligible students who are enrolled in Year 4 to Year 12 in 2025.

Applicants for these scholarships will be evaluated on their:

participation in school activities
community involvement
academic achievement.

Scholarships are either one-off payments or cover the duration of the student’s course or annual study.

Many of these scholarships have specific eligibility criteria, so please refer to individual applications for more information. Applications are now open, and close on Saturday 1 February 2025.

For information on how to apply, refer to Student scholarships.

Swimming program

It was great to see the Year 1, 3 and 5 students participate in the swimming program this week at Paul Sadler Swim School. The skills learnt during the program provide children with a swimming and water safety foundation that will enable them to safely enjoy aquatic activities in a limited range of environments. The school swimming and water safety lessons cover 4 key components:

Underwater Skills
Entries & Exits
Stroke Development
Water Safety

Thank you to Miss Booth for organising this 7-day event.

Safe socials - For parents and carers (primary)

The Department has created resources and advice regarding how parents can support their children as they navigate the online world, specifically on how to stay safe and` the potential risks of social media. See link below for some great advice and tips.

https://www.vic.gov.au/safe-socials-parents-and-carers-primary

International Maths Olympiad 2024 opportunity for students

If students would like to have a go at the International Maths Olympiad, please see the details below. This competition is flexible and is able to be completed at home.

About the competition -

GeniusCerebrum International Mathematics Olympiad (GIMO) is an International Olympiad that tests the skills, speed, accuracy and awareness in a wide variety of topics related to Mathematics. Free Online Preparation Portal will be provided to all students post-registration. GIMO was rated as Australia's Highly Ranked Olympiad in the year 2022 by International Math Olympiad Council. Close to 1 million Students participated in GIMO 2023.

www.geniuscerebrum.com/gimo-aus

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Please feel free to pop in for a chat with either Carrie, Brendan or I, should you wish to discuss anything.

Our doors are always open!

Take care,

Mr. Dale Blythman

PCA News