Principal Report
Dear families,
A big reminder that we are actively enrolling for Prep 2025 now with tours happening every week.
We already have 60 applications for 63 places before we host our Prep Information Session for new families on Tuesday 7th May.
If you are one of our existing families with siblings coming next year, please can you make it a priority to add your application to the portal.
We really do not want to get to a spot where another family have been offered a place and we have missed you. That would be a very sad day!
Kindness
I recently sent a compass post discussing kindness and respect, especially in the online world.
You can never be too curious about what your child is accessing, even the most trusted children can make mistakes online or say mean things. Well, let's be honest so can adults!
There are few helpful posters that can be shared with children that are easy to remember or can be printed and stuck on the fridge.
Managing little people with devices is difficult. The training starts early so that the harder chats later can be a little easier....although still not easy. I can empathise with you all and I am by no means the expert on offering parent advice. The one hour my kids get on devices is called the 'golden hour' for a reason!
From a parenting perspective I have always limited time on electronic devices at home. It is non-negotiable, it is losable, it includes all electronic devices (ipad, switch, xbox....they pick), it is always in a common area, it is consistent every day.
My youngest two in grade 56 do not have phones. My eldest has a phone for school and she has limits attached and is in year 9. Florence received a phone when she started high school. Is she prone to pushing boundaries? She is 14. Old enough for snap chat and tik tok but 'as far as I know' respected the rules and not installed them. Whatsapp is her go to and for the twins, Facebook kids messenger.
Here are some tips to go through with your child in a language that they will be able to understand.
These tips will help your child stay safe online.
Explore together — ask your mum, dad, carer or a trusted adult to play new games or apps with you at first.
Stay close by — when you use a phone, tablet or computer by yourself, make sure your mum, dad or carer is nearby so you can get help if you need it.
Bonus tip — don’t use your device alone in your bedroom.
Ask before you download, install or buy anything — check with your mum, dad or carer first.
Keep your personal information private — don’t give out your address, which school you go to, phone number or passwords.
Check your privacy settings and talk about what to share — make your online accounts private and talk to your mum, dad or carer about the kinds of photos and information it is OK for you to share online.
Find out more in The eSafety Guide.
Cyberbullying — if you receive a mean message, or a message that is mean about someone else, try not to respond and don’t forward it.
Tell an adult you trust about it and read our tips on what to do.
If you see something online you don’t like — show your mum, dad, carer or a trusted adult immediately. Find out more.
If someone you don’t know sends you a message or you receive a message that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe — tell your mum, dad, carer or an adult you trust straight away. Find out more.
Only ‘friend’ or add people you know in real life — remember that not everyone online is who they say they are, so don’t accept friend requests or followers you don’t know.
Don’t meet up with online friends — It is best to keep ‘online friends’ online, so if you do chat to other kids in online games don’t meet up with them in person.
Source: Being safe online | eSafety Commissioner
Working Bee
We will be hosting two working bees prior to the Prep Information Session.
Working Bee 1 will be on Friday 3rd May at 3:40-5:00pm with the focus on cleaning and tidying the school grounds.
Big cleanup of our beautiful leaves. It would be great if you brought along some garden leave rakes. We have hand scoopers, but we are short on rakes.
We will provide the bags to collect the leaves.
We plan to collect as many leaves as possible turning them into mulch. We then hope to mulch some of our areas that often become muddy and wet during winter.
We hope you can make it. Don't worry.....the leaves are always present!
Working Bee 2 will be on Saturday 4th May at 9:30-11:00am with the focus on weeding and planting the garden beds in the quad area.
We plan to plant out the new garden beds. We have ordered Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus' x 18, Carex appressa x 48, Ficinia nodosa x 24 Goodenia ovata 'prostrate' x 30. (Sounds like a Harry Potter magic class!)
Our suggested planting plan is to put taller grasses at back of beds, sedges in foreground and ground cover at front (looking towards embankment from class rooms).
This one is for the creatives amongst our community.
We would love to see you and your children at the school supporting our community.
Note: as I finish this newsletter the preps have returned and are 'roaring' like lions. ☺️
What is coming up this term?
- Grade 12 fun night and sleepover (21st June)
- Grade 34 Camp to Camp Adanac (5-7 June)
- Grade 56 camp to Phillip Island (27-29 May)
- Grade 34 Art excursion to TarraWarra
- Grade 34 Science excursion to Quantum
- STOMP dance event and performance for Prep, Grade 1 and Grade 2 students. (week 3-8)
We also have
- Mothers Day stall (8th May)
- School Disco (27th June)
And sport we have:
- Grade 56 Girls AFL Gala Day
- School Cross Country
- Grade 56 Winter Sports Day
What an amazing term of exciting events for every level!
Craig