From the Principal

Working Bee: Huge Thank you

What an incredible morning we had at our recent Working Bee! A heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful families who came along, bringing their tools, wheelbarrows, enthusiasm and plenty of community spirit!

The amount of work achieved was simply amazing and far beyond our expectations! From our wheelbarrow warriors moving mountains of mulch to our expert mulch spreaders, painters, weed pullers, gardeners, trimmers and planters – everyone rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in! We suspect there may have been a few sore muscles the following day!

It was a fantastic morning filled with hard work, laughter, teamwork and a wonderful sense of community. Our school grounds are looking fabulous, and we are incredibly grateful for the time, energy and effort everyone contributed.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make the morning such a success. It was a wonderful reminder of what makes the Heany Park community so special. We certainly couldn't have achieved so much without you!

Family Thrive

Over a period of six weeks, six parents have participated in the Family Thrive course. Subjects covered were: Introduction to Thrive; The Relational Stance; The Developmental Model – Behaviours We Might See; The Developmental Model – The Adult’s Role; Exploring Emotions and Everyday Strategies, Lasting Change.

Throughout the course parents learnt about the triune brain and the stress regulation system which included learning strategies to empower a parent to manage their distressed child’s emotions in a clam, regulated manner. We investigated the “Behaviour Iceberg” which encouraged parents to be curious about the difference between the behaviours you can see and the emotions that the child might be feeling at the time and also explored what might have triggered those emotions. Parents were encouraged to be curious about what parenting style they adapt in different situations by using the Nurture Structure Highway and what helps them “stay on the highway.” Parents were introduced to the approach across the whole school, which is PACE (Playfulness; Acceptance; Curiosity and Empathy). Participants were able to explore the Thrive room and experiment with different activities and resources and link them to what they think would benefit their child. This is just a very small snippet of what was covered in the course, if you want to find out more come along to next year’s Family Thrive sessions.

Participants participated in a variety of hands on activities and engaged in lots of enthusiastic and animated conversations, supporting each other through challenges that they had been experiencing, with their children. There was a lot of fun and laughter throughout the sessions with a few tears as well.

Parents Feed-back

Thank you Sue for your kind, caring nature. This session has been very helpful for me to help with my grandson …... and husband. Lots of strategies for me to work with.

Would recommend this course to any parent or caregiver with a neurodivergent child.

I really enjoyed this course! I have learnt so many new strategies/activities to try with my kids. It was very reassuring to realise other parents struggle with their children’s behaviour too. It was interesting to learn the physiological reasons behind their behaviour and why they act that way. I am noticing more how I feel and how I react to my children’s behaviour and how I can use the road map (Nurture Structure Highway) to be assertive and supportive when dealing with them.

I have benefitted lots from this program. I find myself thinking back to the information provided and using their tips and strategies in my everyday parenting. I have also learned that while I strive to be a better person for my child to take it easy on myself and be more able to repair those dysregulated moments.

Really looked forward to sessions each week, having a safe space to share and reflect on situations, knowing others are going through it too. A lot of learning opportunities on how to manage my own emotions as a parent, to best support my children. A big thank you to Sue.

Sporting News

Division Volleyball

Congratulations to our Senior Boys Volleyball team, who competed in the Knox Division Volleyball Finals at Maroondah Nets in Heathmont! The boys won 2 out of their 4 games, finishing 4th overall in the Knox Division — a fantastic effort!A big thank you to Ms Williams for coaching and supporting the boys on the day, and to Ms Jorgic for coaching the team throughout the year. We are very proud of the boys and their efforts in representing our school!

Divsion Girls Volleyball

Our Senior Girls Cricket Team competed in the Knox Division Cricket Finals. The girls faced some fierce competition and did our school proud, finishing 5th overall in the Knox Division — what a fantastic result!

A big thank you to our parent helpers and families who came along to support the team.

Well done, girls! We’re so proud of you!

Senior Hoop Time

Congratulations to our Senior Hoop Time Boys Team, who competed at the Regional Hoop Time Finals at the State Basketball Centre yesterday! Mason, Nash, Brody, Oliver, James, Kobe, Hudson and Avery, you were all amazing!! We are so proud of you all.

The boys played exceptionally well, showing fantastic teamwork, determination and sportsmanship. They won their final and have secured their place at the STATE FINALS in December! So exciting.

A huge thank you to our coach, Tyler, and to the families who came along to score and cheer the boys on. Your support is greatly appreciated and helped make the day such a success.

PJ Day

House Athletics

Our House Athletics Day is coming up on Thursday 12th November, and we would love to have some parent helpers join us for the day!

We’re looking for parents who can lend a hand with events, recording results, and helping the day run smoothly.

Please note that all parent helpers must have a current Working with Children Check (WWCC).

If you’re available to lend a hand, we would really appreciate it!

Please email kate.draper@education.vic.gov.au as soon as you can.

Thanks so much for your support – it makes a big difference to our students and helps make the day fun for everyone!

Go Heany Park! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

Smile Squad Dental Program is coming to Heany Park

The Smile Squad team from EACH will be at our school from Monday 19th October.

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

A parent or guardian needs to give consent before we can provide services.

OR use the below QR code:

Wellbeing

Please make sure you are paying attention to your own well-being and getting support if need be.

We hope your child has an amazing year at Heany Park PS. Please always let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We are only a phone call or email away.

Phone 9764 5533

Email: kym.ryan@education.vic.gov.au

Kind regards

Kym Ryan

Principal