Fortnightly Newsletter

Due to a number of office staff on leave, over the months of May and June, the Newsletter is going to be published fortnightly over this time.

16/5 - Newsletter

23/5 – No Newsletter

30/5 – Newsletter

6/6 – No Newsletter

13/6 – Newsletter

Please check Compass for updates, as usual, and the Newsletter is still available to be viewed in those weeks when a new one is not published.

Classroom Helpers Session

Dear Billanook Families,

We would like to invite parents/carers to be part of our classroom program again this year. We greatly appreciate your assistance and involvement at Billanook.

If you would like to assist in your child's classroom in 2025, even if you have done this course in the past, please come along to one of the Classroom Helpers sessions on Friday 16th May at 9.05am OR 2:35pm. These sessions will be held in the Staff Room and we ask that you sign in at the Office on arrival.

The session will cover:

- Your role as a classroom helper

- Literacy skills & strategies for effectively working with small groups or individual students

- Supporting your own child's learning at home

Following the session, teachers will send home a Parent Helper roster asking for volunteers for Term 2, specific to their classroom timetable. It is important to note that before starting as a classroom helper you must have provided a copy of your Working with Children Check to the Office. To obtain a Working With Children Check you must now apply online at https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/

Thank you! We look forward to seeing you then!

Lauren Cullum & Emma Woodhams

Literacy Enhancement

Smile Squad

Smile Squad is coming to Billanook Primary School

Dear families,

The Smile Squad team from EACH are coming to our school from May 5th 2025.

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.

Sign up to Smile Squad at: https://bit.ly/smilesquadvic

OR use the below QR code:

Please complete and submit the consent form, this will be sent directly to EACH.

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

The electronic consent form can be translated into more than 100 languages, and the paper form is available in 13 languages.

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.

EACH Smile Squad look forward to seeing you soon.

CSEF - Camp Sporting and Excursion Fund

Dear Parents and Carers,

For any families who have not applied for CSEF in the past you may now be eligible. Below is the eligibility criteria. Please complete the attached form and return to the office with a copy of you Health Care Card if you meet the below criteria.

Criteria 1 - Eligibility

To be eligible* for the fund, a mature minor of sixteen years of age or over, a parent or carer of a student attending a registered government or non-government Victorian primary or secondary school must:

· on the first day of Term 1; or

· on the first day of Term 2.

a) Be an eligible beneficiary within the meaning of the State Concessions Act 2004, that is, be a holder of Veterans Affairs Gold Card or be an eligible Centrelink Health Care Card (HCC) or Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) holder; or

b) Be a temporary foster parent; and

c) Submit an application to the school by the due date.

* A special consideration eligibility category also exists.

For more information, see: Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF): Eligibility | education.vic.gov.au

Mature minors or parents who receive a Carer Allowance on behalf of a child, or any other benefit or allowance not income tested by Centrelink, are not eligible for the CSEF unless they also comply with one of (a) or (b) above.

Please contact me if you have any queries.

Regards

Lani Hetherton

Business Manager

Late arrivals and early departures

Just a reminder that if your child arrives late to school after 9.00am, they MUST be signed in by a parent/carer on the Compass Kiosk in the office before heading to their classroom. This is essential for their safety and wellbeing and ensures that the school is aware that they have arrived on school property. The Compass Kiosk automatically records your child's time of arrival, updates the class roll and enters an explanation for the late arrival e.g. medical appointment.

Similarly, if you need to collect your child early from school between the hours of 9.00am and 3.30pm, they MUST be signed out on the Compass Kiosk in the office prior to collection from the classroom. To minimise disruptions to classrooms and student learning, we ask that you aim to pick up your child at the start or end of recess or lunchtime, if possible. Please also remember to send an email or note in the morning, so your child's teacher can make sure they are packed up and ready to go when you arrive. If a friend or other person will be collecting your child, you must notify the school. Photo Identification may be required if the person is not known to staff.

The Music Bus classes are back for 2025 - Enrol Now!

The Music Bus has opened their term 2 enrolments and are inviting new students to apply.

Classes offered are:

Keyboard (Prep-Yr 6)
Ukulele (Prep-Yr 6)
Drums (Yr 1-Yr 6)
Guitar (Yr 2-Yr 6)
Singing (Prep -Yr 6)

Lessons are:

30 minutes in duration - once per week
held in the hi-tech music classroom on wheels on our site
cost $22 per week ($24 drums) payable by the term on commencement

If you wish to take part, please complete this expression of interest form. https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/ee4627a5204c46158e1ab17e7c8069c6

Can’t make it to Billanook for the Monday afternoon assembly?

It’s now LIVE STREAMED for everyone to watch from home or work!

We would like to invite our Billanook community - parents and grandparents, to tune in online using the link below to see our amazing Billanook kids in action.

Time: 2:30pm-3:30pm

Day: Mondays

Meeting Link: https://eduvic.webex.com/eduvic/j.php?MTID=meb89713740479d3ac38ba576c434a37a

Meeting Number: 2652 671 7276

Password: Billanook

Working With Children Checks For Volunteers

A Victorian Government Working With Children Check (WWC) will be required by all adults who undertake any voluntary work at Billanook. This means anyone working in the school canteen, helpers in the classroom, school camps, computer lab etc.

Holding a Police Check is not enough. WWC is ongoing monitoring of the criminal records of those who hold a WWC Card. Since the 30th June 2008 it is compulsory for all volunteers to provide a current WWC.

To obtain a Working With Children Check you must now apply online at https://www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au/

To complete the application form you must have:

an email address, so you can contacted
the address of every place you have lived in the last 5 years in Australia
the name, postal address and phone number in Australia for each organisation you will be doing paid or volunteer child-related work for
a printer that will print a legible copy of the Application summary.

After filling in the online form, finalise your application at a participating Australia Post retail outlet, by presenting your application summary, proof of identity documents and a passport quality photo. Employee WWC Check applicants need to also pay a fee. Fees are non-refundable.

Education Week