Child Safe & Wellbeing
Safety, Respect and Learning
St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Primary School
Diet & Nutrition
We all know that diet and nutrition is vital to your child’s development and growth, but are you aware of the effects it has on your child’s brain development and how it can impact their academic achievement?
In this era of convenience, it is easy to reach for pre-packaged and processed foods to cope with busy schedules. However, these foods are usually packed full of sugar and salt which can have adverse health effects. Making a habit of reading food labels can help reduce the risks. It can also help to stabilise your child’s energy, improve their mood, maintain a healthy weight and improve their general wellbeing.
Please open our link to SchoolTV to watch the informative videos on this topic:
https://cranbourneeast.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/diet-nutrition
Upstanding U — Have the POWER
At St Thomas the Apostle, students are continuing to build their understanding of our whole-school bullying prevention initiative, “Upstanding U have the POWER.”
This week, the focus is on the next letter of the POWER framework: W - Whistleblow
Whistleblow means speaking up when something is unsafe, unfair, unkind or harmful.
Students learn that being an upstander sometimes requires courage to name what is happening, support the person affected and seek help when needed.
Across the year levels, students will explore Whistleblow through age-appropriate classroom discussions, practical scenarios, role-play and reflection. Younger students may practise using simple, clear words such as, “That is not kind. Please stop.”
Older students will consider how to identify bullying, exclusion and unsafe behaviour, and how to respond calmly without making the situation worse.
Students will learn that whistleblowing is not about blaming, embarrassing or getting someone into trouble. It is about protecting others, preventing further harm and making sure that unsafe or unkind behaviour is addressed. They will practise naming the behaviour rather than attacking the person and will be encouraged to seek support from a trusted adult when required.
Our learning will continue to be explored through a Catholic lens. Students will reflect on Mark 10:13–16, where Jesus speaks up when children are being excluded:
“Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them.”
This Scripture reminds us that Jesus welcomed, protected and valued those who were being pushed aside. When students whistleblow respectfully, they follow Jesus’ example by standing against exclusion, protecting the dignity of others and helping to create a safe and inclusive community.
Families can support this learning by discussing what children can say or do when they notice someone being treated unfairly, and by reminding them that speaking up respectfully is a brave and responsible choice.
We look forward to continuing to support our students as they develop the courage, compassion and confidence to be active upstanders within our school community.
Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD)
