Wellbeing Report 

Hi everyone, we have a fantastic Wellbeing Team with me, Sally and Libby. We can help with any parenting worries or support your family with home or family concerns. The Wellbeing Team are on before and after school duty and we can help with any questions or queries you may have. 

If parents are looking to purchase school uniform, we sell second hand school uniforms.  This  week, Sally and some parents helped run a stall afterschool. Please keep in mind, parents can email the Wellbeing Team for requests for second hand uniform.  We do make up bags for children to take home and then parents can decide which items to keep. 

We accept donations from families, and we often need spare socks and boys’ and girls’ underwear to change children. If parents have any spare clothes they no longer need, we are desperate for boys’ shorts size 4-8 and socks.  When a child has a toileting accident or gets wet, having a supply of spare clothes. This means there’s no disruption to a parent’s day where you would get a phone call to come down to the school with a change of clothes. 

Also, when families are feeling financial strain and hardship we can apply to State School Relief for school uniform, underwear, socks and school shoes and runners. Keep in mind that State School Relief can also help families replace eyeglasses. Students can get one free voucher per year which is particularly handy when a child breaks or loses their glasses.   

For any enquiries, please email the Wellbeing Team at-

Andre.Campbell@education.vic.gov.au

Sally.Marshall@education.vic.gov.au

elizabeth.martin3@education.vic.gov.au

An initiative of the Alannah & Madeline Foundation is eSmart which is one of Australia’s trusted provider’s of online safety education. eSmart gives schools, teachers and parents the tools they need to help keep students safe, smart and responsible in a digital world. The National eSmart Week has just wrapped up for 2026. This special week is celebrated every year to showcase the work that eSmart schools and libraries do across Australia. This year’s theme was, “Be Connected. Be eSmart” and it was about encouraging healthy connections and habits between people and technologies.  If you are interested to learn more, please go to the following link-

https://www.alannahandmadeline.org.au/what-we-do/prevention-programs/esmart/esmart-parents

For parents who don’t know, when children use the school's internet connection there are several safeguards in place to ensure that inappropriate material is not allowed through, so that the children can enjoy using the internet safely.

We all know that the Internet is a wonderful place for children to learn and have fun, but there are also dangers, and it is important that children are safe while online.  Here at Woori Yallock Primary School, we are committed to on-going education about safe and responsible online behaviours. It helps everyone that we work together with teachers, parents and guardians. 

If your child has access to the internet at home, we’d encourage you to take a look at the link to the eSmart website, which offers advice, information and resources to help you find out more about how to keep your child safe online. It is important for parents and carers to be aware of checking their privacy settings especially when using social networking sites. The eSmart website has a number of education resources for use in schools and at home. There are a range of topics that may interest you including their “Top 10 Safety Cyber Tips and “How to Develop Healthy Gaming Habits”. Please go to-https://www.esmart.org.au/

The Alannah & Madeline Foundation has developed a new and innovative online learning experience that builds digital intelligence in students aged 10-14, giving them the knowledge and skills they need to harness the opportunities and deal with the challenges of the digital world. This tool is being rolled across Australia later this year. For more information, please check out- https://www.esmart.org.au/news/digital-literacy-launch/

Lunches

We have some children complaining that they are starving at break times. If children are hungry this really impacts on their concentration, moods and their learning. My advice is to always send extra food and then parents can monitor hunger levels and have conversations about nutrition.  Pack food which is easy for kids to open and eat and also speak to them about your expectations. 

Head Lice 

This term it’s been fantastic that we have had only small number of head lice in the school. We ask parents to work with us to keep our reports low and to continue to treat and monitor your children’s hair. Please notify the office or tell your child’s teacher when you treat your child so lice alert notes can be issued on COMPASS. Reminder-any child found with live lice will be excluded from school until they are treated. 

The only way to stop lice from reinfesting is to stop their cycles, so repeat treatment and removal of the eggs is your only option. One popular treatment method is-

• Smother dry hair with conditioner.
• Leave for 20 minutes-this apparently stuns live lice.
• Comb through hair from the scalp to the hair ends with a fine-toothed comb and wipe on paper towel to remove lice and eggs. Do this thoroughly and repeat procedure until no lice or eggs are detected. 
• Following this treatment, daily check hair carefully.
• Treat and check your child 7 days later, however, get into the habit of screening your child every week.  

Remember, if you find head lice in your family, please tell anyone who has had head to head contact with the family member. 

Activities Breaktimes-

This term, our activities at recess and lunchtime have been extremely popular.  Children have been making friends having some fun and learning to be creative.  In craft club, students have been making monster stickers and dog bookmarks using diamond art. Now that the weather is getting cooler, we will be making items from wool including finger knitting, woollen dolls and friendship bracelets. Lego Club is always popular, and I love overhearing the children’s conversations about their projects.  For children who can’t go outside for any health reason, we do offer supervision at recess including colouring. 

Attendance & Absences

We encourage parents and carers to refer to COMPASS for information happening at school. Schools are required to work towards IMPROVING THE ATTENDANCE and PUNCTUALITY RATES of our students. When your child is going to be away parents and carers need to notify the school through COMPASS. This really helps us as we are able to communicate effectively with all relevant staff early in the school day. 

Attendance Data-It’s Cool to be at School!      

When your child comes to school and it’s their birthday, we are bringing the buzz to make their day even more special. This past fortnight, we have celebrated 12 out of 13 students who came to school on their special day.  When they arrive at school in the mornings, we are presenting them with a special birthday sticker badge.  I must say the kids are really loving this!

Over the time a child attends school, having 1- or 2-days absence does not seem like much but it does add up and can impact on missed learning opportunities.

Chaplain Roundup

Dr Justin Coulson wrote a message to help us create an environment where children can feel genuine belonging:

We know that children thrive when they feel a sense of genuine belonging. Here's how you can create this in your family.

Imagine your relationship with your child is a bucket. Water in the bucket is connection: feeling seen, heard, valued, accepted. Air is correction and direction.

When things get hard, our natural impulse is to go straight to command and control. That tips water out.

A tougher - but more effective - approach is to connect first. Say, "This is pretty tough right now, huh?" and let it sit. Promise your child you're in this together. That tips water in.

No one wants to carry a bucket full of air. It gets left behind. Fill the bucket - especially when it's hard - and the real solutions follow.

Second hand uniform:

Available, contact the Wellbeing team to access free second hand uniform. Thanks to all those who attended the uniform sale. We hope that you are now feeling fully stocked and ready to face the cooler months. Thanks to our grandparents helper Heidi, for volunteering for the afternoon.

Breakfast Club

Was a bit different this week. Monday the power was off, which changed the menu from toast to bread. Wednesday we enjoyed pancakes for breakfast. If you would like your child to make use of our yummy breakfast foods, send them to school that bit earlier so they will have time to eat and enjoy their food. We serve toast until the music is playing for the start of the school day. Please remind your child that if they want to have something to eat before school that they need to head straight down to the German Room. While the music for the bell is playing there are only fruit cups and milk drinks available.

Food Pantry

The food pantry is open on Wednesday and Friday afternoons between 2:30 and 3:30pm. We have a range of foods, including gluten and lactose free items and on Wednesday’s we have fresh carrots and fruit, apples, pears and oranges. If you are in need of a pantry top up please stop by and pick something up.

Vehicle Registration Rebate

Apply for 20% off vehicle registration from Monday June 1st and Friday July 31st. Visit service.vic.gov.au/rego-rebate for more information.

Chaplaincy

Sally Marshall – Chaplain: is happy to catch up with your child if you feel they need that extra emotional support during school hours. Sally is available on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and can be contacted via email 

sally.marshall@education.vic.gov.au or by phone call 5964 7258.