Maramba Vision

Providing a caring environment where aspirations are nurtured, positive relationships grow, success is celebrated and a passion for lifelong learning is ignited.

Nurture. Innovate. Celebrate.

Dear Students, Parents, Carers and Families,

On all levels it certainly has been a strange year. In one respect the days and weeks have been long with many of our usual routines gone but it is Term 4 with the end of the year just around the corner. It has been a wonderful feeling, knowing that families are now able to reconnect with those that are nearest and dearest to them with the easing of restrictions. It has also been fun watching children arrive with their fresh haircuts and greater confidence that school is hopefully here to stay.

Thank you for your support in transitioning our students back to onsite learning. Watching our children reconnect with their friends and settle to classroom learning has warmed the soul. This pandemic has certainly made us grateful for the simplest of pleasures – that picnic in the park, seeing your family and traveling just a little further from home this week. We still have to follow the restrictions if we are to keep one another safe and well but seize what each new day brings – be kind to yourself, care for one another and stay grateful for the positive aspect of your day.

Thunderstorm Asthma Information

During summer and spring season people may notice an increase in asthma and hay fever due to a high grass pollen count. This also brings the chance of thunderstorm asthma.

Thunderstorm asthma is thought to be triggered by a unique combination of high grass pollen counts and a certain type of thunderstorm. This occurs when pollen grains from grasses get swept up in the wind and carried for long distances. Just before the storm, some burst open and release tiny particles that are concentrated in the wind, and blown down to ground, where people can breathe them in. They are small enough to go deep into the lungs. For people who have asthma or hay fever this can cause severe asthma symptoms, making it difficult to breathe.

When a large number of people develop asthma symptoms over a short period of time, this is known as epidemic thunderstorm asthma. These epidemic thunderstorm asthma events do not happen every year but when they do, they can happen during grass pollen season, which is normally from October through February.

We saw this happen on November 21st 2016 during spring with record numbers of people requiring treatment for thunderstorm asthma. As a result, the following apps have been developed to help you manage asthma.

The Asthma First Aid app covers first aid in the event of an asthma emergency and ability to review each of the four first aid steps in training mode.

https://www.asthmaaustralia.org.au/sa/about-asthma/resources/onair/2017/august/asthma-first-aid-app

The Melbourne Pollen Count App provides real-world pollen count data during the Melbourne grass pollen season (October 1 to December 31)

http://www.melbournepollen.com.au/mobile-app/

What can you do to help your child manage their asthma or hay fever?

· Notify the school if your child has asthma or hay fever.

· Make sure you have given the school an up to date Asthma Action Plan or Allergic Rhinitis (hay fever) Treatment Plan for your child.

· Ensure your child has their reliever medication and spacer at school.

· Ensure prevention medication is taken at home as prescribed.

· Ensure your child has regular check-ups with your doctor.

· If asthma or hay fever gets worse during thunderstorms try to stay indoors.

Need more help?

If you would like further support with managing your asthma during the high pollen season, please ask your pharmacist, doctor or contact the Asthma Info Line on 1800 ASTHMA (1800 278 462)

or visit www.asthmaaustralia.org.au

2021 ENROLMENTS

I would like to remind families, if you are not returning to Maramba next year, as we are beginning the class placement process. As the number of children attending the school is crucial in our planning, notice of student transfers is important. This determines our ability to staff our school and plan for the required number of classes. If you have any plans to relocate from our area and/ or enroll your children at another school, please let Darren or myself know this week.

Kind regards,

Diane Morwood

Assistant Principal

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