School News

A Positive Start to the Year

Our students have made a wonderful start to the school year, and it has been a pleasure to see the calm, positive way classrooms have settled into learning. There is a real sense of excitement across the school as students reconnect with friends, build new routines, and dive into their learning.

We would especially like to acknowledge how well our Foundation students have begun their school journey. Starting school is a big milestone, and our youngest learners have shown great courage as they learn new routines, make friends, and explore their new environment. Smiles, curiosity, and growing confidence are already on display.

We also want to thank parents and carers for the way drop-offs and pick-ups have been managed. Quick, confident goodbyes at the gate have made a big difference in helping children settle smoothly into the day. These short separations support children to transition into classrooms calmly and join in the fun and learning straight away.

It’s important to reassure families that some separation anxiety is completely normal, particularly in the early weeks of school. A few tears or worries at drop-off do not mean a child is not coping. Often, children settle very quickly once they are engaged in classroom activities. Consistent routines, calm goodbyes, and positive messages about school all help build confidence over time.

At school, staff are using a range of strategies to support students who need a little extra help settling in. These include predictable routines, warm check-ins from teachers, buddy support, engaging learning activities, and close monitoring of how students are feeling throughout the day. If a child needs additional support, we work closely with families to ensure they feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.

School Crossings Reminder

Baw Baw Shire is committed to providing a safe environment for all students commuting to and from school. To help achieve this we need the community’s help.

The Role of School Crossing Supervisors

Crossing Supervisors are there to assist children cross the road in safety on their way to and from school. Children may not understand traffic laws or be aware of their surroundings, and small children may not be readily visible to drivers. In Baw Baw, we have over 33 school crossings where our supervisors attend to help kids cross the road safely.

Safety in School Zones

Due to an increase in traffic at drop off and pick up times, both traffic and parking issues can pose a risk to the safety of children. Educating kids and encouraging safe driving behaviour can help improve safety in the school zone.

Please make sure you are always looking out for Children around School Crossings and never stop on a school crossing (within the red and white posts) and never drive through a School Crossing whilst there are pedestrians on it.

Parking Signs and What They Mean

No parking signs

If there is a 'no parking' sign, you can stop for 2 minutes in that area:

• if you are picking up or dropping off passengers or goods
• you stay within 3 metres of your vehicle.

If you stop in, or partly in, an area showing a no parking sign and you are not picking up or dropping off passengers or goods, you are considered to be parked and can be fined. This is the case even if you stay with your vehicle.

No stopping signs

If there is a 'no stopping' sign, you are not allowed to stop or park your car in, or partly in, that area for any reason, including dropping off or picking up passengers

Bus Zone

A driver must not stop on a bus stop, or within 20m before the bus stop sign and within 10m after the sign.

Baw Baw Shire actively monitors school crossings to ensure the safety of pedestrians and students attending schools.

Trafalgar High School Bus Loop

Please note that the Trafalgar High School bus loop is reserved exclusively for school buses and is not a roundabout or general drop-off/pick-up zone.

The bus loop is off-limits to parent vehicles between 8:00–9:00am and 3:00–4:00pm.

This policy ensures the safety of all students using school bus transportation. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us maintain a safe environment for everyone.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

School Drop-Off and Early Pick-Up Reminders

Morning Drop-Off Times

A friendly reminder that students are not permitted on school grounds before 8.20am, as supervision is not available prior to this time. Our Breakfast Club opens at 8.20am each morning, and any students arriving at this time must go directly to the Breakfast Club to ensure they are supervised. For families requiring earlier drop-off, we offer Before and After School Care through TheirCare.

Late Arrivals

When your child receives a late pass from the office, we ask that they walk independently to their classroom. Parents are requested not to accompany their child to the classroom during this process.

Early Departures

To minimise disruption to classroom learning, please provide a note to your child's teacher in the morning if they need to leave early. This allows us to have your child ready at the office at the designated time. Please note that recess and lunchtime pick-ups without prior notice can result in significant delays, as locating students during this busy period can be challenging.

Meet The Teacher Evening

Thank you to all the families who attended our Meet the Teacher Evening on Tuesday, February 3rd. It was fantastic to see so many parents and carers engaging with their child’s teacher, exploring the classrooms, and learning more about the programs and routines in place for 2026.

Building strong relationships between home and school is key to student success, and this event provided a valuable opportunity for open communication. Teachers shared important information about classroom expectations, learning programs, and school routines, while parents had the chance to share insights about their child.

A special thank you to our staff for preparing their classrooms and being available to connect with families. We appreciate the time and effort you put into making the evening welcoming and informative.

If you were unable to attend or would like to discuss anything further, please reach out to your child’s teacher to arrange a suitable time.

We look forward to a fantastic year ahead, working together to support every student’s learning journey!

Annual Privacy Reminder for our School Community

Our school collects and uses student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ privacy policy and the Schools’ privacy collection notice.

Our Photographing, Filming and Recording Students policy, describes how we collect and use photographs, video and recordings of students. The policy also explains when parent consent is required and how it can be provided and withdrawn. 

We ask parents to also review the guidance we provide on how we use Google Workspace for Education safely at the school and what parents can do to further protect their child’s information. If after reviewing the guidance, you have any questions or concerns regarding your child using [Microsoft 365/Google Workspace for Education], please contact the school.

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ privacy policy: information for parents. This information is also available in eleven community languages:

• Amharic
• Arabic
• Chinese
• Dari
• Gujarati
• Mandarin
• Somali
• Sudanese
• Turkish
• Urdu
• Vietnamese

Whole School Assemblies on Friday Afternoon

Whole School Assemblies commence Friday afternoon at 3pm, unless otherwise advised. Our whole-school assemblies are an important part of life at Trafalgar Primary School. They are a time to share key messages, celebrate student achievements, and strengthen our sense of belonging as a school community. We greatly value the presence of parents and carers at assemblies and welcome families to attend.

As part of our ongoing work to build a calm, orderly and inclusive environment, we have refreshed our assembly expectations for 2026. One small but important change this year is how students enter the gym for assembly.

The gym can be a large, echoey space, and when it is full it can become quite loud. For some students, this can be overwhelming. To help make assemblies comfortable and accessible for all students, we have asked that students enter the gym quietly, without speaking. This calm entry sets the tone for the assembly and helps everyone feel settled and ready to listen.

To support this expectation, we kindly ask parents and carers to model the behaviour we want to see. We understand that assemblies are also a chance for end-of-week catch-ups, and we value the strong sense of community this reflects. However, when students begin entering the gym, we ask that adults also pause conversations and help maintain a quiet atmosphere. This shared approach makes a big difference for our students.

Once assemblies are underway, students are expected to sit attentively, listen respectfully to speakers and performers, and celebrate the achievements of others in a positive way. These expectations are explicitly taught and reinforced, helping students learn how to be a respectful audience which is an important life skill.

Consequence Time – What Parents Need to Know

This week, we are introducing Consequence Time as part of our school-wide behaviour approach. Consequence Time is a calm, supervised process that supports students to reflect on their behaviour and return to learning positively.

What is Consequence Time?

Consequence Time is a structured response used when a student’s behaviour disrupts learning or safety and cannot be resolved quickly in the classroom or playground. It helps ensure expectations are clear, fair, and consistently applied across the school.

How does it work?

Most behaviour issues are managed by the classroom or yard duty teacher through reminders, redirection, or support. If further follow-up is required, a student may be directed to the Consequence Room.

When a student attends Consequence Time:

• They are greeted calmly by a supervising staff member.
• If needed, support is provided to help the student settle before the consequence begins.
• Time in the room is quiet, focused, and supervised.
• Students complete a short reflection about what happened and how they can make better choices next time.
• Any classroom work provided is completed, along with a brief developmentally appropriate handwriting task.
• The time spent is approximately 15 minutes (or slightly longer if tasks are not completed).

What happens next?

Once Consequence Time is completed, students return to class or the playground with a clean slate, ready to re-engage positively with learning.

Parent communication

If your child attends Consequence Time, you will be notified by phone. This ensures families are informed and can support positive behaviour conversations at home.

Why this matters

Clear, predictable consequences help students feel safe and supported. This approach benefits all students, particularly those who find school challenging, by reducing uncertainty and protecting learning time for everyone.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE - CAMPS, SPORTS and EXCURSIONS FUND (CSEF)

Uniform Policy (Updated for 2026)

Our School Uniform Policy was reviewed late 2025 for implementation this year.  School Uniform is a proud and distinctive part of the Trafalgar Primary School identity. It is a practical dress code which has Parents and Friends Association support and has been made compulsory by School Council.

The following list will be of assistance to you when purchasing items for school wear.

Our school colours are red, white and black. 

Continue reading the full policy here...

Uniform items supplied by, and for purchase from, the school’s nominated point of sale only:

• School uniform hat with logo
• School polo shirt with logo
• Red hooded jumper with logo

• Red zip up jacket with logo

   

Custom Order Items:

These items are special order only; families will be advised when orders open for these items.

• Red wet weather jacket with logo
• Red and white beanie with logo

• Commemorative senior jacket and/or top with logo (Grade 6 students only)

   

Uniform items available for purchase from any supplier:

External School Sports Uniform

• School sports shirt - supplied by the School when students are representing the School
• Black shorts – as detailed in Daily Uniform (above)
• Activewear - as detailed in Daily Uniform (above)

• Black netball skirt

   

Please note: the External School Sports Uniform is to be worn when students are representing the School at events held offsite. For programmed sports curriculum at the School, the Daily Uniform is to be worn.

Term 1 Lunch Order Information

Pie Warmer Donation

A big thank you to Fowlers Asphalting for generously donating a pie warmer to our school kitchen! 

Breakfast Club

The Breakfast Club at Traf Primary School is off to an incredible start this year! Our kitchen has been buzzing with activity as we prepare hot, fresh toast and delicious cheese toasties alongside yummy Milo's and cereal, ensuring every student begins their day with a nutritious breakfast!

Due to our generous sponsors, Breakfast Club continues to be able to support our students with breakfast and also provide Care Packages for families.  We would like to personally thank IGA Trafalgar, Gracie's Bakery, Baker's Delight Mid Valley and Foodbank for their generous donations and support again this year. 

If you or a family you know could benefit from a free Care Package, please visit our School Office or see Mrs Marslen. We'd also be grateful for any donations of Milo or jam!

Looking forward to seeing you all for Brekky!

Mrs Marslen 

Brekky Club MasterChef

Parents & Friends Committee News

Tea & Tears

On Thursday 29th January we welcomed parents of Foundation students to the school after their first drop-off, with morning tea, hot cuppas and tissues provided. We had an excellent turnout, and the scones were a hit!  Thanks to Gracie's Bakery and Trafalgar IGA for supplying our morning tea. A great opportunity for parents to shake off the nerves after getting through the first morning of school and simply have a chat with other parents for a while. We look forward to running it again next year.

Swimming BBQ

We would like to thank those that purchased a hot lunch from our BBQ at the recent senior swimming carnival. A total of 232 sausages were sold, and we raised a total of $474 for our school which is a fantastic outcome.

Thank you to Bakers Delight, Gippsland Pure and Trafalgar IGA for providing us with meat, bread and other items for this event.

Pizza Rolls for Athletics Day

The Parents & Friends Association are working with Bakers Delight Mid Valley to provide pizza rolls for lunch during the Whole School Athletics Day on Thursday 5th March.

All rolls are $6.00, varieties are Hawaiian, BBQ and Margarita. Ordering is open NOW - use the Canteen menu on Compass! Orders close Saturday 28th February 11.45pm.

P&F - Survey

We opened a survey last year to help us plan our events and fundraisers for 2026. Please click HERE to open the Google Form and complete the questions to let us know your thoughts. 

We have a $25 VISA gift card to be given to one lucky person - complete the survey to go into the draw! The winner will be contacted directly and announced in the school newsletter at the end of Term 1.

2026 Membership & Parent Helpers - Registrations Now Open

We have a total of 16 committee members as we head into Term 1. New members are always welcome - membership is free and you choose how involved you'd like to be. Reach out to us if you'd like to join and be a part of the fun this year.

We also have a growing list of Parent Helpers who don't wish to be involved in planning our events and fundraisers but would still like to help when they can. Please email us to be added to the list. We can assist with Working With Children Check applications if needed.

Friday Funnies

• What did the buffalo say at school drop-off?     ... Bison.
• Where do writing utensils go for holidays?       ... Pencil-vania.
• What is the smartest bug?                                ... A spelling bee.
• Why don't fish go on vacation?                         ... Because they're always in a school.

Get to know your Committee:

Each newsletter we will introduce someone on our committee, starting with our wonderful President, Sarah Nash.

Hi everyone, I’m delighted to be the Parents & Friends President again this year.

I’m a mum of eight, with five children attending the school, and a proud Mee-maw to a nearly three-year-old grandson. I also work within the school as an Education Support staff member, giving me a strong connection to both school and family life.

Alongside this, I’m currently studying a Bachelor of Education and completing a dual Certificate in Fitness, reflecting my passion for education, wellbeing, and community. I’m looking forward to working with families and staff to build a positive, inclusive school community and encourage involvement in whatever way suits you — big or small.

Please feel free to say hello or have a chat anytime.

Next Meeting

Our next meeting is as follows.

Date: Tuesday 28th April

Time: 7 - 8pm

Location: Adult Learning Centre, Trafalgar Primary School, opposite the office with a Zoom                    link also available upon request.

Please come along and learn about how we plan to support the school, our students and their families this year. Our meetings are approximately once a term, with virtual chat in between as needed.

If you have any feedback, questions, would like to be added to our Parent Helper List, or would like to join P&F for 2026, please contact us:

• via email - TPSpandfSecretary@gmail.com 
• or via our Google Contact form - link HERE.

THEIRCARE News