Principal's update

Hello everyone,

Here is the newsletter for week three of term four.

Please note the school will be closed on Monday the 4th and Tuesday the 5th of November for report writing day and the Melbourne Cup Public holiday

Smile Squad - starting tomorrow

The Smile Squad will be visiting our school from the 24th to the 29th of October to provide free dental checks for students. Smile Squad is funded by the Dept. of Education.

All students are eligible to attend. If you haven't registered for the free dental visit, there is still time to do so:

The Smile Squad free school dental programme is coming to our school

The Smile Squad team from Bendigo Health are coming to our school soon.

Smile Squad is the Victorian Government free school dental programme.

This means ALL students can get a free dental check-up, preventive services, and treatment at school.

How to access free dental care

We need your consent before we can provide services. Consent is usually provided by a parent or guardian.

Paper copies of the consent form are available. Please contact the school office if you would like to request one.

Do I need to attend my child’s appointment?

No, you do not need to attend your child’s appointment. You can attend if you would like to, and you can take your child to the community dental clinic if you prefer.

Castlemaine Food Pantry

See the community update page for details of the community food pantry at Castlemaine Community House. Access to the pantry is free and anyone is welcome to use it.

Halloween dress up

I have received many requests from students asking if they can dress up for Halloween next Thursday the 31st. Yes, students are welcome to dress up and be creative. Nothing too gory that might upset or frighten other children please! Hannah has kindly agreed to be our face painter for the day. Hannah will be stationed near the gate before school for any children who like a flower etc. painted on the cheek or hand.

Student disco

All students are invited to attend The Taradale PS disco on Friday 08 November 5.00-8.00 at The Taradale Hall. As this not a school event, all children will need to be accompanied by an adult. A big thank you to the Parents and Friends Group for organising this fun event.

2025 prep transition

Yesterday we held our second 2025 prep sandpit play session, its was wonderful to see preps and families getting to know each other more as we played in the sand and in the playground..

The sand pit play sessions are followed by the more formal in class transition sessions in November and December.

The remaining sandpit play sessions will be held on:

Tuesday 29 October 1.15-2.15

We will then hold four formal transition sessions. During these sessions, students will spend time in the classroom without parents familiarising themselves with the school routine. I will talk in more detail about what these sessions look like when I see you at the sandpit play sessions.

The dates for the formal transition sessions are:

Wednesday 20 November 9.00-11.00
Wednesday 27 November 9.00-11.00
Tuesday 03 December 9.00-11.30
Tuesday 10 December 9.00-1.00

I apologise if people aren’t available for all dates. If you would like to visit on other days, let me know and we can sort something else.

For the first three formal sessions students will need to bring a hat, fruit snack and play lunch. For the fourth session they will need to bring lunch in addition to the other items.

For those who can attend, I look forward to seeing you at the final sandpit play session next Tuesday – feel free to bring along your favourite sand toy!

Please share this transition information with anyone you know who may still be undecided about prep for 2025.

Breakfast Club - term four roster

The link to the term four roster is below if you are able to assist:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lpb0Xy9bmjXjt-wPEwoyi4xl7_c1A4lkowDNP-YqIJc/edit

All dates for helping at Breakfast Club are currently available

upcoming dates

year 2 camp 17-18 October
Monday 04 November pupil free day - school closed
Tuesday 05 November Public Holiday - school closed
year 5/6 camp 06-08 November
Friday 20 December end of term four 1.00pm
other dates to be added soon

Chris

Christopher Burgess

Principal