Wellbeing Report 

Woori Wallabies Playgroup –Starting Tuesday 3rd March 1:30-3:00pm in the Multi-purpose room .

Breakfast Club Tuesday & Thursday-cooking room 8:00am onwards.

We’ve had a great start back to school. It has been heart-warming to watch smiling faces and friendly waves as parents and carers wish their children a great day at school.  There has been some tears and it’s a normal reaction for some parents to feel nervous about a new school year. Some children may experience separation anxiety and so will parents.  Speak to them about their worries and listen with empathy. Always acknowledge their feelings as this will give them a sense of control. Predictability is important for children to feel confident from the beginning so please be punctual at drop off and pick up time at the end of the day. Children pick up on what is being modelled so showing them that you are calm, supportive and positive will help your child feel confident and competent.  Following a routine, getting plenty of sleep and eating healthily supports good physical and mental health and promote a successful school experience.  

Health

This week we have had a report of gastro  in our school community.  Please continue to encourage your child to practice good personal hygiene by washing their hands regularly.  All the classrooms have hand sanitizer available for children to use in the classrooms.   It isn’t fun to be sick at school and there are exclusion periods for some health conditions.  Don’t forget to tell us of any phone or emergency contact changes so we can reduce your child’s concern if they need to be picked up.  In case of a toileting accident please supply a change of underwear in your child’s bag.

While summer has been relatively cool compared to past seasons, freezing cold drinks and adding them to your child’s school bag will help keep lunchboxes fresh longer. A reminder that school hats are compulsory and I would like parents to be active with encouraging children to wear sunscreen on hot days. 

Head lice will be a problem from time to time at Woori Yallock Primary School and it is important to work together as a school community to minimise the frustration caused by the problem. I ask all parents/carers to regularly screen your child and please keep us informed if your child has lice.

Attendance & Absences

We encourage parents and carers to refer to COMPASS for information happening at school. Schools are required to work towards IMPROVING THE ATTENDANCE and PUNCTUALITY RATES of our students. We encourage all parents to call the office when your child is going to be away and to notify the school through COMPASS. This really helps us as we are able to communicate effectively with all relevant staff early in the school day.

Second Hand Uniform

Thank you families for the donations of second hand uniform,  we have been receiving lots since we started back.  If you are looking to buy second hand uniform please let Veronica or myself know. Our prices are low and money received helps run our school Breakfast Club program.  Parents can enquire with Veronica on Tuesdays & Thursdays.  If you are experiencing any financial hardship please speak to us,  as we can apply to State School Relief for new uniform. 

Free Happy Families Membership

For new families to the school, you can access a free parenting membership through Happy Families. Last year our school received a grant which means all our parents, carers and teaching staff can access current and evidenced based information and advice. Many families have already signed up and if you haven’t got around to joining, it’s not too late. The Happy Families membership gives you access to a number of resources which will help families, staff and students to thrive.  Every member will receive a weekly "Lighten the Load" email, which includes a quick, easy to apply tip from Dr Justin, as well as some updates about other features in the membership. There is a library of parenting resources which offers calm assurance, direction and solutions you can try out on your families. 

Click on the link to join -https://members.happyfamilies.com.au/woori-yallock-primary-school

Supports

We promote many opportunities for families and students to be an active part of our local community and encourage parents to be a part of our extra-curricular activities.  Our welfare team are available to support families in times of need as we have established partnerships with a number of services. 

• Students can be referred to DET psychologist or speech therapist.
• Primary School Nursing Program –families can refer to the DET school nurse for general health checks including vision and hearing. This term Sarah Torsello will run the Prep health screening program for our Prep students.  Parents are required to complete a health questionnaire called the School Entrant Health Questionnaire (SEHQ). Please speak to your Prep teacher or myself if you have any questions.
• Student counselling-students can access counselling via a mental health care plan referral from a GP. Shine Bright Psychology-counselling service for students with clinical  psychologist Simone Turner (Tuesdays and Wednesdays).
• Strong Minds Psychology - Amy Syer-Tuesdays.
• Eastern Health-Nutrition and Health support.
• School Chaplain-Veronica Tirchett (Mon, Tues & Thurs).
• Inspiro Dental Program-dates yet to be confirmed.
• Shire of Yarra Ranges Head Lice Program-whole school screening once per term screened by the Shire nurse.

Programs

Breakfast club (Tuesdays & Thursdays 8:00am onwards).

EACH/Inspiro Health Promotion programs. 

Woori Wallabies Playgroup (Tuesdays 1:30pm-3:00pm).

Eastern Health Parent Forums-healthy lunchboxes & strengthening families. 

Gender programs including:

• 5/6 Girls Mother/Daughter event
• 5/6 Boys Father/Son event
• 5/6 Sexuality Program
• Social skills programs to small groups

We offer playgroup on Tuesday afternoons, student mentors, weekly parent coffee catch ups, parent forums, LEGO club at lunchtime, social skills groups at recess/or lunch breaks, holiday camps for students, and many other activities throughout the year.   We would love to meet you so see myself or Veronica for further information. 

Intervention Programs

We offer a number of programs that help strengthen student learning outcomes-

• LLI
• Pre-Lit & Multi-Lit literacy support
• Quick Smart Literacy
• Quick Smart Numeracy

Back to School Tips 

• Support your child with schoolwork and school life. Show interest by asking what your child has done during the day, what learning they are working on and whether they need any help.
• Get involved in school life, through parent-teacher interviews, helping out in the classroom, or volunteering in the many projects and activities running at school.
• Focus on your child’s strengths and the effort they put in. Praise your child for what they’re good at, and let them know you’re proud of them for trying things they find difficult.
• Talk with the teacher/staff to find out how your child is going. A good relationship between school and home will ensure the best outcomes for your child.

Have a fantastic week.

Primary Wellbeing Officer,

Andre Campbell