Principal's Report

Be Awesome Day 2024

The Be Awesome Day organising committee, led by Mrs Schulz, have planning well under way for our annual Be Awesome Day to be held on Friday, 1st November.

Please read additional details about this day on the Engagement and Wellbeing page of the newsletter.

Grade 3/4 Camp Success!

I had the privilege of attending the Grade 3/4 Log Cabin Camp during the last week of Term 3. It was fantastic camp, with lots of great activities and ample food!

Thanks very much to our parent helpers (Rebecca, Cam, Jo, Doryan and Stephanie) for giving up their time to support all our Grade 3/4 students. These camps are not possible without the generous support of our parents.

The Future is in Our Hands

I was extremely humbled recently to be asked to make a small contribution to an important community event occurring in Bendigo. During the 16 Days of Activism Campaign, from November 25 to December 10, 'The Future is in Our Hands' initiative will draw attention to gender-based violence, with the aim of eliminating this awful affliction on our society. As a male leader in Bendigo, I was asked to provide a statement about what 'Respect is...'. Please see the flyer below for additional details.

Teaching Respectful Relationships in primary schools is crucial for preventing gender-based violence. By instilling values of respect, empathy, and healthy communication from an early age, we empower children to challenge harmful stereotypes, recognise unhealthy behaviours, and foster a culture of respect and equality. This early education helps create safer communities and contributes to long-term change in attitudes toward gender-based violence.

Why not ask your child/children what they are learning about in Respectful Relationship at the moment? You will find that you can have some awesome conversations and contribute positively to the outstanding work done by our SGPS staff.

I am very proud to lead a school that delivers the Respectful Relationship curriculum incredibly well to our students. Thanks to our staff for their ongoing commitment to this important work. As a parent, there is not a part of the curriculum that holds greater importance to me.

The Future is in Our Hands - Community Event.pdf

Start Dates for 2025

We know that some families might be planning summer holidays and will be keen to know school start dates for 2025. They are:

Teachers are officially back at work on Tuesday, January 28
All students start back on Thursday, January 30, with Wednesday, January 29 being used for parent-teacher interviews (more details to come later this term).

For those planning a little further ahead:

Term 1 ends Friday, April 4
Term 2 starts Tuesday April 22.

Emergency Contact Details

As we commence Term 4, it is timely to think about emergency contact information that is held by the school for your child/children. Spring Gully Primary School is also on the Bushfire at Risk Register and up to date information is vital for the school. If you or your listed emergency contacts have recently changed contact details, can you please make sure that the office staff have been informed.

Note: This also relates to the most up to date medical information for your child/children.

Smile Dental

The Smile Squad team from Bendigo Health is coming to our school from Monday November 11th.

Smile Squad is the Victorian Government free school dental program. This means ALL students can get a free dental check-up, preventive services, and treatment at school.

How to access free dental care

We need your consent before we can provide services. Consent is usually provided by a parent or guardian.

OR use the below QR code:

Paper copies of the consent form are available. Please contact the school office if you would like to request one.

Smile Squad oral health packs

Your child(ren) will soon receive a free oral health pack to bring home. The pack contains a toothbrush, full sized toothpaste, and an oral health brochure. Please take the time to read the brochure. It’s full of helpful hints and tips to help your whole family eat well, drink well and clean well – for life.

Smile Squad provides standard strength fluoride toothpaste that is generally used by ages six and over, unless recommended by a dental or trained health professional.

If your child is under six, please talk to a dental or trained health professional to find out if your child might benefit from using this toothpaste. You can also choose to put the toothpaste away until they turn six or give it to someone else in your family to use.

Do I need to attend my child’s appointment?

No, you do not need to attend your child’s appointment. You can attend if you would like to, and you can take your child to the community dental clinic if you prefer.

REMINDERS

Upcoming Curriculum Days

Don't forget that we have three curriculum days coming up in Term 4. They are as follows:

Thursday 24th October – Berry Street Education Model (Day 1)
Friday 25th October – Berry Street Education Model (Day 2)
Wednesday 13th November – Reporting & Assessment Day

Grandparents Day

We have our Grandparents' Day tomorrow Friday, 18th October. Please share this date with grandparents and special friends. The day will run from 11.30am to 1.30pm (or 2.00pm for those who want to stay and have a snack with their grandchildren).

Change of Plans for 2025?

Accurate enrolment numbers are crucial when it comes to planning for 2025. If your child/children will not be with us next year, please contact your child’s teacher or the office as soon as possible.

Newsletter - Email Subscription

I know that all families receive a notification in their Compass News Feed when the newsletter is released, however, you (or your family members) also have the option to 'subscribe' to the newsletter. To do this, please scroll to the bottom of any page of the newsletter, click on 'subscribe' and fill in your details, i.e. name and email address.