Principal's Report

Many thanks to everyone who joined us for yesterday's Welcome Afternoon Tea. It was great to meet new families and feel a real sense of community amongst parents, grandparents, staff and students.

 It's been a really positive start to the school year and we hope that you and your children have settled happily back in to school routines.

In preparation for the afternoon tea, students in the kitchen garden teams were busy, this week, cooking up a storm.  On Monday, students in the Prep-3 team learned the art of juicing lemons to make cordial, noting how the sugar dissolved from a solid to a liquid, as they made the syrup.   On Wednesday, the 4-6 team was busy harvesting nashi and learning the skills of grating and safe knife handling, as well as following recipes to create delicious chocolate and zucchini cakes and spiced carrot muffins for afternoon tea.  Many thanks to Kathryn and students for their work in creating a lovely afternoon tea for our parents, and to Amanda and Emily for their assistance with preparing fruit platters and art activities.

On Monday, students in Years 5 and 6 had a great time practising their life-saving skills, during the open-water program with Life Saving Victoria. A highlight for many students was wearing life jackets, linking arms and floating down a small section of the Murray River in a circle with their friends. Students also had opportunities to improve their understanding about river safety, life saving and emergency response skills.

School Council Elections

A reminder that School Council elections are now underway, and we are seeking nominations for 4 parent positions, 3 DET positions and 1 Community member position.  This includes positions currently held by Council members, but whose term will end in March.  Retiring and new members are encouraged to nominate by 4.00pm on Wednesday 25th February, 2026.  To nominate for School Council, please complete the nomination form here.

Year 6 T-shirts

This morning during assembly, the Year 6 class of 2026 were presented with their new Year 6 T-shirts. Well done to the students on choosing Gen's great design. You all look amazing!

Out of School Hours Care (OSHC)

Jacara and the team in the OSHC room have created an inviting space that is calm and fun. Their focus is on ensuring a safe, engaging and supportive environment in which children can enjoy before and after school care. Next week's program includes making cards of appreciation for local businesses, and students creating 'maps' of their lives. Other OSHC activities include cooking, sport, art and science experiments. If you would like to find out more about the OSHC service, please see the OSHC page in the newsletter or visit the OSHC room before or after school.

Supporting Healthy Relationships

This year Emily has a wonderful opportunity to meet weekly with small groups of students to engage in drum circle practice. Based on the Rhythm2Recovery program she is using music combined with reflective discussion to improve and support social and emotional health. This week she met with a group of six girls from Anna's class to focus on social strengthening. They drummed, laughed, shared ideas, found commonality and strengthened friendships. The activities and discussions focussed on clear communication and the importance of active listening for building healthy relationships.  She is looking forward to sharing the circle with this great group of students for another couple of weeks, and will continue to work with different groups of students throughout the year.

Fire Safety Program Rescheduled

This week's postponed community bushfire safety session has been rescheduled for Wednesday 25th February, from 4-5pm in the multi-purpose building.  

Fire Safety Essentials is a CFA fire safety program that aims to challenge participants to recognise their personal risk and survive fire. A little preparation now can make a big difference when it matters the most. Residents and visitors from surrounding areas are encouraged and welcome to attend.

Parent Teacher Conferences

To help establish the school-home partnership and support your child's transition to school, parent teacher conferences will be held 23rd-26th February.  More information about how to book will be provided next week.

Become a Bogong Moth Tracker!

Bogong Moths are on the move and Zoos Victoria have developed a Moth Tracker to enable individuals to upload sightings.  Your contribution could help the conservation of Endangered Bogong Moths and Critically Endangered Mountain Pygmy-possums. For more information, see the Moth Tracker here.

Important Funding Information

Eligible families are encouraged to apply for Camps, Sports and Excursions funding, which has been increased to $400 per student/year.  Forms may be obtained from our office. For more information about the fund and eligibility, please see: 

Financial Help for Families: Resources | VIC.GOV.AU | Policy and Advisory Library

CSEF - Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund | vic.gov.au

Community Health Awareness and Planning

On February 24th, a planning workshop will be held in Bright, to help guide the development of a postvention plan for the Alpine Shire, to assist people bereaved by suicide.  Registration details can be found here.