Principal's Report 

Dear Parents and Carers,

This is my final newsletter for term 1, as next week is the final week for this term. It has been a busy term one filled with fun, learning and generally a settled environment. This term finishes on Friday 4th April at 2.10 pm, with the start of term 2 on Tuesday 22nd April. We look forward to seeing everyone on that day, after a restful break.

Long Service Leave:

I am taking the opportunity to extend my holiday by taking the first week of Long Service Leave as I head to the Gold Coast for a short break with friends and family.

Fire Drill:

The fire drill we practiced today went very well, with all classes out safely within 15 minutes. We had a Senior OHS Service Officer come as an independent observer, to provide feedback on areas we could improve. Overall, he thought it went very smoothly, however he did have some great ideas to improve for next time. I am hoping our prior communication to families also assisted in reassuring you that it is part of something we should do on a regular basis, to ensure we are fully prepared in case of a real emergency. 

Sausage Sizzle Thank-You:

A huge thank you to the admin team, Mr Alec, and Tolley who lead a large contingent of parents and carers to cook and distribute sausages for our much-loved Sausage Sizzle, which we hold each term. The children thoroughly enjoy the opportunity to purchase these, and it is a fantastic fundraiser for the school.

Vaping:

Please find a link that provides information and resources to support parents and carers around vaping. Whenever we become aware of a child who is suspected of vaping, or we have been told by another child they have seen a child vape, we will always contact the child’s family, so they can have a follow-up conversation at home. I hope this resource will help. We have not had any issues this term but it is  What can I do as a parent or carer? | Quit Vaping Facts

Head Lice:

Head lice are common in all school. They do not transmit infectious diseases and are transmitted by having head-to-head contact with someone who has head lice. Head lice are common in school-aged children and are the most adaptable of creatures. They have survived living solely on humans for 10,000 years! To limit the transmission of Head Lice it is important that parents and carers regularly check their child’s hair and inform the school if you find any. When head lice or eggs are found, it is IMPORTANT that your child’s hair is treated with safe products. Children can return to school once treatment has begun. 

It takes a commitment from all to ensure we overcome this ongoing problem. Many families do the right thing and treat their children thoroughly when they have been identified as having lice, however, this will not stop the problem unless everyone is committed to ensuring they treat their children effectively. A trick I used when my daughter was young was to smother cheap conditioner onto her dry hair and combing through with a special nit comb, as she was watching her favourite video. The conditioner helped the comb move through the hair effortlessly and seemed to stun the lice, that then got caught between the prongs of the comb. This turned out to be an effective way for us to manage lice and nits when we repeated this on a weekly basis over a few weeks.

For advice on finding, treating and preventing head lice please visit: 

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/head-lice-nits. 

High Levels of Learning for All

Michelle Costa

Principal