Wellbeing & Partnerships
Lunch Clubs
We've had sun, we've had rain, we've had windy days and even hail! Nevertheless, our lunch clubs have continued to be sought out and enjoyed by many. With only three weeks remaining of the term, it’s wonderful to see how enthusiastically the children at St Augustine’s are still taking part in our lunchtime clubs. Their energy, friendships and commitment have truly brightened these final weeks.
The sunnier days have brought a lovely buzz to Colouring Club, which has been enjoying a cosy new home in Fiona’s place. Many children have been making the most of the sunshine while relaxing with friends and getting creative with colours.
Meanwhile, Chess Club and Knitting Club continue to be strong favourites. Whether they’re mastering new strategies over the chessboard or working on their latest knitted creations, pupils are showing fantastic concentration, teamwork, and perseverance.
It has been a joy to see so many children engaging so positively during lunchtimes, and we look forward to celebrating all their creativity and enthusiasm as we head towards the end of term.
Happy Families – new for Weeks 6 & 7
We’re pleased to share two great new articles from Happy Families that many parents and carers may find helpful.
The first article, “When Kids Talk Back,” explores why children sometimes push back—often a sign of feeling over-controlled, overwhelmed, or disconnected. It offers practical ideas on how adults can respond with understanding, strengthen communication, and rebuild connection during challenging moments.
The second article, “Your Child Needs Community – Here’s How to Create It,” reflects on the days when families relied more heavily on their communities for support and guidance. While those traditional “villages” weren’t perfect, they offered children a variety of role models and sources of learning. This piece encourages us to think about how we can intentionally rebuild supportive networks around our young people today.
We hope you find these articles thought-provoking and supportive as you navigate family life.
Support for Families
Monkey Minds is an organisation that supports families of children with all abilities in many different ways. Below is a flyer with additional information and a QR code to enroll in the 2026 School Readiness program.
We have been given a wonderful opportunity to access psychological support through assessments at a discounted rate! Iain Davis at 'Let's Be Honest' is a respected psychologist who has previously worked with families at our school and comes highly recommended. We thank Iain for providing this opportunity to members of our community.
Playgroup in Term 4
We’re excited to welcome all families with children to join us each Thursday from 2:00–3:00 pm in the hall.It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet new people, connect with other families, and enjoy a friendly, engaging environment where the little ones can play and interact.
Come along and be part of the fun — everyone is welcome!
Health and Wellness
This week another wonderful parent from our school community delivered some health and wellbeing sessions to our Preps, Grade 2s, 4s and 6s. Dr Orly is an experienced chiropractor who is extremely passionate about healthy living. Orly presented engaging and interactive sessions which had a theme of 'eat well, think well, sleep well, move well'. The students were all very interested and had many questions and ideas to share. Thanks Dr Orly!
Community Involvement at St Augustine’s
We love having all members of our community actively involved in school life, and we are grateful for the wonderful support offered throughout the year. Our many school events—whether cooking and gardening sessions, excursions, or sporting activities—simply wouldn’t be the same without our fantastic helpers.
A reminder that all volunteers aged 18 and over must hold a current Working With Children Check (WWCC) to assist at school. If you’re keen to be more hands-on and support our community in 2026, please send a copy of your WWCC to the office.
Thank you for helping make St Augustine’s a vibrant, supportive place for all our students. Working With Children Check.
Savers Plus
About Saver Plus:
Saver Plus is a free community program where participants can get up to $500 in matched funding for education costs.
There are three parts to the program:
- SAVING – ANZ bank will match what participants save up to $50 a month to a total of $500 over 10 months
- WORKSHOPS - fun workshops where participants build on their money management skills and we share practical resources. These are held on Zoom and have never been more flexible to attend.
- CLAIMING - In the 11th month of the program participants claim their matched funding.
Eligibility:
Participants MUST:
1. Be 18+ years old and doing the program for the first time
2. Have Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card
3. Have a Centrelink payment
4. Be studying themselves or have a child that is studying
5. Have some money from work – includes cash in hand work, child support payments, partner’s work and carer payments.
Online Safety Hacks (for Apple devices)
Over the next few newsletters, we will be sharing some practical hacks to keep children safe while using Apple Devices
Before getting started
Before diving into these hacks, you’ll need to set up a separate Apple Account for your child. This prevents them from accessing your personal data while giving them their own safe space to explore.
Then you can easily set age-based parental controls, and they can use Family Sharing.
- On your iPhone or iPad
- Go to Settings > Family
- Tap the Add Member button
- Tap Create Child Account, then tap Continue.
EXPERT TIP: Never share the ‘Screen Time’ password with your child; this will null and void the safety features as they will be able to override them. This is a parent or carer, ‘family circle only’ level of trust.
TIP 2: Ask to Buy: Your digital wallet guardian
This setting is to ensure that you are never caught off guard by app or in-app purchases. Plus, it helps to ensure all app purchases (even free ones) or anything else that can be purchased through the Apple Store are appropriate for your child.
The ‘Ask to Buy’ feature will send you a request that requires your approval every time your child tries to make a purchase. This means no more unexpected bills, and you can ensure the purchases are age-appropriate.
How to activate the Ask To Buy function:
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Family in iOS 16 or above
- In iOS 16 or above, tap your family member’s name, then tap Ask to Buy
- In iOS 15 or earlier, tap Ask to Buy, then tap your family member’s name
Article sourced from Mama Mia and originally published on 14/4/25
NCCD Information & Application
