General School Information

Teaching Opportunity

Medical Alert - Chicken Pox

We advise there has been a reported case of Chicken Pox in the school community (sibling of a student). For your information please note the following:

Primary school exclusion for chickenpox

Primary school and children’s services centre exclusion differs according to case or contact status:

· Cases should be excluded until all blisters have dried. This is usually at least 5 days after the rash appears in unimmunised children but may be less in previously immunised children.

· Any child with an immune deficiency or receiving chemotherapy should be excluded for their own protection. Otherwise, contacts are not excluded.

Identification of chickenpox or shingles - Clinical features

· Chickenpox generally presents with a low-grade fever, malaise and a rash. The rash is firstly maculopapular, then becomes vesicular (blistered) and progresses to crusted lesions over about 5 days. Lesions appear in three or four crops. They are most numerous on the trunk and less so on the face, scalp, limbs and mucous membranes of the mouth. Some cases (about 5 per cent) are subclinical or exceedingly mild in nature.

· Adults tend to suffer with more severe disease than children. Rarely, the disease may be fatal.

· As vaccination rates have increased, an increasing number of varicella cases now occur among vaccinated persons. Cases of varicella in vaccinated persons (that is, breakthrough cases) are generally much milder, with a lower fever and more rapid recovery. Vaccinated cases often have fewer than 50 rash lesions and fewer vesicles compared with 300 or more lesions and many vesicles in unvaccinated persons.

· Complications include secondary bacterial infection of the skin lesions, primary varicella pneumonia, aseptic meningitis, encephalitis and Reye syndrome (acute encephalopathy with fatty infiltration and dysfunction of the liver).

· Newborns and immunosuppressed patients are at greatly increased risk of severe chickenpox.

Head Lice

Some cases of Head Lice have been reported in recent days. Head lice are very common, so there is no need to be alarmed. However, children should be treated quickly to prevent lice from spreading. We are asking that all parents examine their child/ren’s hair and look for the following signs:

Persistent scratching, particularly behind the ears and the nape of the neck, accompanied by a red rash.
Tiny silver white eggs at the base of the hair shaft.
Small pale brown lice. You may wish to use a magnifying glass and a fine tooth comb under strong light to help identify lice.

Head lice can be treated quickly and effectively by simply following these steps:

Purchase a specialist head lice treatment and apply it according to the directions on the pack.
Examine all family members’ hair and treat everyone found to have head lice.
Wash out the treatment and use a fine tooth comb to remove the dead lice and eggs.
Repeat the treatment: in 7-10 days

Please note that children are able to attend school once they have been treated.

Parking Information

FROM CITY OF GREATER BENDIGO

Parking Services from the City of Greater Bendigo have contacted our school to request that we share the following important information with our school community.

The illegal parking of vehicles near our school poses a significant safety risk to children, pedestrians, and other road users. Parents are reminded to follow all parking restrictions when dropping off and collecting children to help ensure a safe environment for everyone.

Motorists must:

Not stop in "No Stopping" areas, even briefly, regardless of whether the engine is running.
Not park next to a continuous yellow edge line, on nature strips, over driveways, too close to school crossings, or double park.
Observe time-restricted parking zones, such as 2-minute pick-up/drop-off areas, which are in place to maintain traffic flow and safety near schools.
Not perform U-turns over an unbroken or continuous dividing line.

Regarding children’s crossings, the law requires drivers to approach at a speed that allows them to stop safely if needed. Please slow down and take extra care when driving in school zones.

City of Greater Bendigo Parking Officers and Bendigo Police conduct random patrols throughout the school year at various locations to ensure compliance with Road Safety Road Rules.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school community safe.

NAPLAN 2025

Important Dates

*** Additional Pupil Free Day ***

Tuesday, April 1, 2025 - Professional Learning on Behaviour Curriculum

Catholic Education Sandhurst Ltd is pleased to offer our staff the opportunity to collaborate with the Knowledge Society on Classroom Management and Behaviour. Please note that this day will be an additional pupil-free day for our students.

PUPIL FREE DAYS 2025

Term Two 2025: (Note: Students will have three weeks holiday)

Tuesday 1st April: Professional Learning on Behaviour Curriculum

Monday 21st April: Easter Monday Public Holiday

Tuesday 22-24th April: Staff Professional Learning Days (Student Free Days)

Friday 25th April: ANZAC Day Public Holiday

Monday 28th April: Students commence Term 2

Term Three 2025:

Wednesday 13th August: CESL Staff Spirituality Day

Term Four 2025:

Friday 28th November: Report Writing Day

Monday 15th December: Students Last Day