MISSION: RESPECT – Information Night for Parents organised by OPS

As you are aware, we have been rolling out the Respectful Relationships program at Oakleigh Primary since the beginning of this year.

The Royal Commission into Family Violence identified the critical role that schools and early childhood education have in creating a culture of respect. In 2016, Respectful Relationships education became a core component of the Victorian Curriculum from Prep to Year 12, and is being taught in all government and Catholic schools and many independent schools.

Respectful Relationships is about embedding a culture of respect and equality across our entire community. It teaches our children how to build healthy relationships, resilience and confidence.

The Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships teaching and learning materials were developed by leading education experts, who tailored the materials to each year level from Foundation (Prep) to Year 12 and made sure all information is age-appropriate and grounded in evidence.

Last term grades across the school completed units on Stress Management and Help Seeking. Students have responded very positively to the activities, and demonstrated maturity in their engagement. If sensitive individual circumstances arise, they are not discussed as a class, but referred to classroom teachers or myself if further support is required. Starting next week, we will be beginning the Gender and Identity unit and later in Term 4, the focus will be on Positive Gender Relationships.

The following outline of activities is provided as a guide so that you can follow up by discussing topics with your child at home. There may be some new terminology that is new to you or your child, and it’s really important that we embrace this learning as a community.

Gender and identity

Positive Gender Relationships

Foundation Lesson Topics

Exploring gender: boys and girls can be the same and different
Everyone can be strong and gentle

Foundation Lesson Topics

What is fair? What is violent/too rough?
What are clothes for?

Year 1 Lesson Topics

Identity: comparing personal preferences
Labels are for jars, not people

Year 1/2 Lesson Topics

What is fair play?
Creating a gender-friendly classroom

Year 2 Lesson Topics

Inclusive gender stories
Using personal strengths to resist gender stereotyping

Year 2 Lesson Topics

What is gender-based violence? (Year 2 appropriate level)
The opposite of violence is respect
Respect my space, respect my body

Year 3/4 Lesson Topics

My individuality: The many facets of me
Exploring gender norms through literacy

Year 3/4 Lesson Topics

What is violence? (Year 3/4 appropriate level)
What is gender-based violence? (Year 3/4 appropriate level)
Rights and Responsibilities

Year 5/6 Lesson Topics

Born or made? Thinking about gender
From words to actions (respecting differences)
Gender norms in early adolescence

Year 5/6 Lesson Topics

What is violence? (Year 5/6 appropriate level)
What is gender-based violence? (Year 5/6 appropriate level)
Understanding power relations

To complement our Respectful Relationships Program and the content we will be delivering, Adele Cuff, our Wellbeing team Leader, has arranged a free education program for parents on the Respectful Relationships program being delivered.

The Mission Respect Workshop is open for all Oakleigh PS parents from Foundation - Year 6. It is an online event via Zoom that is delivered by Monash University Medical students.

The Mission: Respect Information Evening is on Tuesday, 18th October, from 7.00-8:30pm. Prior registration is required as a Zoom link will be shared prior to the event. A hard copy flyer of this event will be sent home today.

Adele and I hope to seen many of our families attend. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to get in contact with us or your child’s class teacher.

You may also like to look at the link explaining more about what Respectful Relationships is about. https://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/programs/pages/respectfulrelationships.aspx#link4

Thunderstorm Asthma — be prepared this pollen season

Grass pollen season, which runs from October to December each year, brings an increase in asthma and hay fever symptoms. It also increases the risk of thunderstorm asthma. For people with asthma or hay fever, especially those who experience wheezing or coughing with their hay fever, thunderstorm asthma can be sudden, serious and even life threatening.

Oakleigh Primary School will implement a range of measures to keep our school community safe when the risk of thunderstorm asthma increases.

Many of our staff are trained in asthma first aid, and we will monitor thunderstorm warnings and, where appropriate, keep students indoors when weather forecasts identify greater level of risk.

How you can prepare?

During pollen season, there are some things you can do to prepare and protect yourself and your family:

If your child has ever had asthma: talk to your doctor about what you can do to help protect your child from the risk of thunderstorm asthma, including updating your Asthma Action Plan. Taking an asthma preventer properly and regularly is key to preventing asthma, including thunderstorm asthma.
If your child has hay fever: see your pharmacist or doctor for a hay fever treatment plan and check if you should have an asthma reliever puffer. These are available from a pharmacy without a prescription.
If your child has hay fever and experiences wheezing and coughing: it is important to make sure they don’t also have asthma. Speak to your doctor about an asthma action plan.
Where possible, avoid being outside during thunderstorms from October to December, especially during the wind gusts that come before the storm. Go inside and close your doors and windows. If you have your air conditioning on, turn it to ‘recirculate’.

Protect yourself this pollen season – managing asthma and allergies matters.

Remain vigilant for COVID-19

It is important for students to manage any hay fever or asthma symptoms, as these conditions can produce symptoms such as fever, chills, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose, and loss or change to sense of smell or taste, which are similar to COVID-19 symptoms.

If your child experiences these symptoms in different or worse ways to their usual hay fever or asthma symptoms, medical advice should be sought.

Find out more

For more information, visit your general practitioner (GP) or visit the Better Health Channel.

Bronwyn Orr

Assistant Principal

bronwyn.orr@education.vic.gov.au

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