Principal's Report

A reminder to all families that to celebrate the end of term, tomorrow is a casual dress day. Please also note that school will finish at the earlier time of 2.30pm.

This week of term has provided plenty of fun and drama, of the good sort! 

On Monday, students in Year 5 participated in their final skateboarding session, this time at Al's Skate Co., in Wodonga.  After enjoying the opportunity to practice their skills on the large indoor course and to try out the scooters, they finished the session with a certificate presentation.  A big thank you again to Al, Will and the School Focussed Youth Service for providing our students with this great opportunity.

Tuesday, brought plenty of laughter as students in 3/4 and 4/5 put their dramatic skills to work, with Claire, from Drama Victoria. As well as providing two face-to face lessons, over the last two terms, Claire has been working with Kathryn and Kim to deliver weekly drama lessons. During these lessons, students have explored themes such as confidence, connection and communication.  They have learned to work in different groupings and have practised skills to help them problem solve and work effectively as a team.  They have also had a lot of fun, playing different games and exploring short scripts and skits.

On Wednesday, the entertainment continued, as the 5/6 class treated us all to a performance of Alice in Wonderland.  Congratulations to Hayley and students on their production and delivery of the play, and many thanks to families for their support on the evening and with your help with props and costumes.  Both performances highlighted the amount of work that students have put into learning their lines and developing their characters, and left us with no doubt that there are many budding actors in our midst! 

Today, the last of the concrete was poured, completing our new paths.  By the end of the holidays, this project should be complete. Many thanks to everyone for their flexibility during this time, particularly with the ever-changing access routes.  The final result will definitely be worth it, and we are all feeling very grateful for our new and upgraded buildings and grounds.  A massive thank you to Midson Construction, and particularly our site manager, Pete, for the way the project has been managed.  The communication and accommodation of the needs of the school has been really appreciated.

As we finish up the term, I would also like to extend my thanks to our families for your continued support, communication and engagement in school activities, over the term.  A big thank you also to our volunteers, who have assisted with activities such as skiing, camps and breakfast club as without this assistance, we would not be able to offer these activities.  

I would also like to thank and acknowledge our wonderful staff for all their efforts over this term, particularly their collegiality and tireless and ongoing efforts to provide our students with the best learning opportunities we can.  It has been another busy term and I am sure they will all be grateful for an opportunity to recharge their batteries and have a well-earned break.

We wish you all a safe and happy holiday period and look foward to seeing everyone again in Term 4.  Please note that OSHC will be running throughout the holidays, to provide families access to childcare services.  If you have any questions or would like to make a booking, please contact Kath on 0418399861.

Reminders:

Tomorrow, Landcare will be visiting, to speak with students about our local platypus, and what we can all do to protect this very special animal.  Families are also invited to attend and information session on how you can become involved in monitoring the local population, on Saturday, from 10am-1pm.  Please refer to the flyer for more information.

Public Health Notice - Whooping Cough

The Ovens Murray Public Health Unit, have asked schools to alert families to a significant increase in the number of Whooping Cough cases in our region.  This contagious respiratory infection can cause very serious illness.  If your child is unwell, please do not send them to school and consult a doctor.  Children diagnosed with Whooping Cough, cannot attend school until they have completed antibiotic treatment and/or are no longer infectious.

The Schools Saving Bonus

Families are reminded to please check your junk mail regularly, to make sure you do not miss an important email.  the Department of Education will email you:

• in October, to verify your email address
• in November, with your $400 School Saving Bonus. 

To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, download the School Saving Bonus Information sheet for government school parents and carers from vic.gov.au/school-saving-bonus.