Positive People Focus Week 9

Attendance

The Department of Education's current focus is on engagement and attendance for all students to maintain attendance levels of 90% or above.

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day. Attending and participating in school will help your child develop:

important skills and knowledge to help them learn
social and emotional skills such as good communication, resilience and team work.

The below table shows just how much school a child can miss by even just having one day off a fortnight.

It's important that Parents/Carers mark their child's absences on Compass or by contacting the school office. If your child will be away for more than 2 days please email your classroom teacher as work may be provided.

The school will be sending attendance letters home for any unexplained absences as it is your responsibility to inform the school. This is a Department of Education requirement for all schools and families.

Harmony week

This week we will be discussing Harmony Day which is a day of cultural respect for everyone who calls Australia home- from the traditional owners of this land to those who have come from many countries around the world.

Harmony Day is a time to celebrate Australia’s cultural diversity and promote inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging with its key message being ‘Everyone Belongs’.

To celebrate Harmony Day, our school will be having a whole school dress-up day where everybody is asked to wear a touch of orange. This could be an orange hair ribbon, an orange hat, orange socks, an orange T-shirt/ jumper, etc.

Introducing the Warrnambool Primary School Council Wellbeing Subcommittee 2023

Wellbeing Teacher - Tonya Ferguson

Days of work Monday to Thursday

The state government’s roll out of the school mental health menu funds have allowed us to employ a ‘wellbeing teacher’ in 2023 who will:

Promote Positive Mental Health within the entire school community.
Support the implementation of mental health and wellbeing, through face to face teaching of students in the classroom.
Enable schools to provide early intervention to support students who may be at risk or disengagement or mental health concerns, through individual or group work, guided by the need of the students.
Provide targeted and more individualised support for students who need it, through programs offered in school and referrals to services and supports available in our community.
Provide support to classroom teachers and school leadership in the development and management of required Individual Support Plans that promote both staff and student wellbeing.

Student Wellbeing and Counsellor- Jess White

Days of work Monday, Tuesday and Friday

Is a qualified social worker whose role at Warrnambool Primary School is varied, with an overall my aim to ensure every student’s wellbeing is supported and advocated for.

To do this Jess will;

Enhance the capacity to develop positive and engaging school culture and to support students who are at risk of disengagement and not achieve their educational potential.
Conduct one-on-one counselling for students for a variety of reasons, individual to student needs. These sessions promote positive mental health and wellbeing.
When required complete or support families with referrals to services including mental health services, CAMHS, DFFL, orange door, psychologists, family violence services and more.
To focus on priorities, particularly in tackling bullying and supporting students with mental health or welfare issues.
To support a case management approach to student interventions, including participating in student support groups and conduct follow ups.
To work in partnership with school and community-based and students support services and networks to develop programs that promote health and wellbeing.

Other representatives for the Wellbeing Sub-Committee 2023

Foundation- Julie Giblin

Grade 1/2- Edwina Medro

Grade 3/4 - TBC

Grade 5/6 - Lidia Allen

Koorie Engagement Officer- Gina Mills

First Aid- Gaye Welsh

The Wellbeing Committee hold monthly meetings and strive to support Warrnambool Primary School to be somewhere that every staff, student and community member can flourish, through inclusive education.

We can be contacted via the school office on (03) 5561 5955, if you would like to speak with a member of the Wellbeing Sub-Committee.

Every Day Counts

Going to school every day is the single most important part of your child’s education. Students learn new things at school every day – missing school puts them behind. Below is some information and tips on how to help your child.

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