Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to week 7 of term 1. The term is certainly flying past quickly, with only 2 weeks before the end of the term. We finish on THURSDAY 28th March, at 2.10pm. Friday 29th is Good Friday. Term 2 starts on the 15th April.

Other School Term Dates for 2024 are:

Term 2 starts – Monday 15th April; ends Friday 28th June @ 2.10 pm
Term 3 starts – Monday 15th July; ends Friday 20th September @ 2.10 pm
Term 4 starts – Monday 7th October; ends Friday 20th December @ 1.30 pm

Please plan your family holidays within these times so that children can be at school at all times they are well.

NAPLAN: On Wednesday 13th, Friday 15th, Monday 18th and Wednesday 20th all Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 students across Australia are sitting the annual NAPLAN tests. We started the process well, with the Writing Test held on Wednesday 13th. The year 3 students did a written test, with pencil and the test booklet whilst the Year 5s completed the test online. All other tests, on the other days will be via the iPad. Students in these year levels have been practising using the tools on functions on the iPad over the past few weeks to ensure they know how to answer the questions, use the ruler, pause and other functions. We are very proud of the efforts of the children’s effort and resilience during this time.

Schools Privacy Collection Notice: The Department of Education (the department) values your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal and health information that schools collect. All school staff must comply with Victorian privacy law and the Schools' privacy policy. This notice explains how the department, including Victorian government schools (schools), handles personal and health information. On occasion, specific consent will be sought for the collection and use of information, for example, for a student to receive a health service. Our schools are also required by legislation, such as the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, to collect some of this information.

Schools’ privacy collection notice | vic.gov.au (www.vic.gov.au)

School Council: Our first School Council meeting for 2024 will be held on Monday 18th March. I ‘d like to thank those parents and staff who have nominated themselves to be part of this important role of the school. We still have a casual vacancy to fill. Please contact the office to make an appointment with me if you would like to find out more information.

Side of School Landscaping: We are very happy with the landscaping works along West Melton Drive. This is part of the long term plan we started in 2022 which includes the yarning circle along Rathdowne Circuit, the sandpit, the sensory garden and making the area around the steps to the BER safe. The final element will be rejuvenating the pergola area. As part of the current works, the Bricks people bought as part of our 50th Anniversary Celebration will be attached to the wall for people to see.

Message from Recreational fishing in Victoria: The Victorian Government is proactive in encouraging all Victorians to fish, specifically focusing on the involvement of women, children, and people from diverse backgrounds. We educate fishers and the community about responsible fishing practices and promote stewardship of our precious aquatic and animal resources via our Marine and Freshwater Discovery Centre, Education and Engagement Unit and funding of Fishcare Victoria Inc. Recreational fishing offers terrific opportunities for people of all ages, skills, abilities, and backgrounds to enjoy a fun and healthy activity and build social connections. Our aboriginal heritage is also deeply linked to fishing, with thousands of years of indigenous fishing history in Victoria. The VFA run a range of free community fishing festivals across the State, stock 10 million fish into Victoria’s waterways each year, including a range of threatened species, install fishing and boating infrastructure to improve access, install recreational fishing reefs and improve habitat and undertake important research into Victoria’s many different species of seafood. For more information about the VFA, recreational fishing opportunities in Victoria and/or a potential future career in natural resource management for your students, please visit www.vfa.vic.gov.au.

Little Anglers Hub: The VFA has created the kid-friendly Little Anglers Hub website (www.vfa.vic.gov.au/littleanglerkit), written specifically for children with useful information, instructional videos about how to safely set up and use the kits, being safe around the water, as well as advice on where to go fishing in Victoria. There is an electronic copy of the Kids Guide to fishing that was included in the kits available on this site, both in English and five other languages.

Key Safety Messages: Going fishing is awesome and so much fun! When it comes to fishing, it’s important to stay safe, especially around water!

Students can keep their fishing safe by:

• going with a friend;

• being careful with hooks and lures;

• looking behind before casting;

• handling fish carefully;

• being conscious of the dangers associated with water;

• protecting yourself against the elements (sunscreen, drinking water);

• letting someone know before you go; and

• washing your hands after handling lead sinkers, especially before eating or drinking.

The link below is to a short safety video that is posted on the Little Anglers hub website, reinforcing the above safety messages to students. https://youtu.be/drPLpKXpC3w

Please note that fishing equipment is not for human consumption. If swallowed, hooks can cause serious harm and lead sinkers can be toxic. Young children and those with some disabilities including pica disorder are especially vulnerable and should be supervised whilst fishing. If a child does swallow a hook or lead sinker, seek medical assistance immediately - don’t wait for it to pass. If you would like any additional information about this exciting commitment, please visit the Victorian Fishing Authority’s Little Angler Kits FAQs for parents, located on the VFA’s website (www.vfa.vic.gov.au ).

High Levels of Learning for All

Michelle Costa

Principal

School Policies