Hello, from Carolyn.

Hello everyone,

School Council.

We held our first school council meeting on Monday evening with our new school council members. Our first item of business was to elect our office bearers. Thank you, and congratulations, to the following school councillors-

President: Greg Stehle

Vice President: Brooke Bennett

Treasurer: Michelle Baker

Secretary: Sara Hill and Jaclyn McEwan

We also have a small number of sub-committees that assist school council to perform their duties and functions. Sub-committees are open to non-school council members. This year our sub-committees are:

Finance, Curriculum and Buildings & Grounds. Let me know if you are interested in joining any of these.

Student free dates to note.

School Council has approved the following student free days. Our OSHC service will operate on these days.

• Monday 22 May Literacy
• Wed 7 June Assessment focus (Professional Practice Day) 
• Tuesday 10 October Maths

Bendigo Primary School uses Sentral as our whole school management system. When a child enrols at our school, families are given a Sentral access key so that they can access their child's information, communicate with us and receive messages from us. Once you have downloaded the Sentral app on to your smart phone and set up your account, you will be able to-

*enter absences for your child/ren, 

*see your child/ren's attendance rates,  

*access your child's reports, 

*book a parent teacher interview when it is interview time, 

*access the newsletter and 

*receive messages and notifcations from us.

If you don't know how to use Sentral or have lost your access key, please get in touch so we can help you get connected again.

Getting a good sleep.

While we know sleep is essential for good health, research shows that many children and young people are not getting enough sleep on school nights. This can affect thinking, concentration, memory, reaction times and mood.

Research shows about 12% of primary school-aged children, a quarter of 12- to 15-year-olds and half of 16- to 17-year-olds don’t get enough sleep on school nights. The recommended amount of time to sleep for primary school-aged children is 9 to 11 hours. For teenagers, it’s 8 to 10 hours.

Signs that your child is not getting enough sleep can include:

· low mood and irritability during social interactions

· reluctance or arguing about getting off devices and going to bed

· falling asleep during the day

· difficulties waking up for school and sleeping in late on weekends to catch up

· changes to communicating or interacting at home.

You can help your child to improve their sleep by:

· establishing a regular sleep pattern and consistent bedtime routine

· supporting them to avoid using electronic devices such as smartphones before going to bed and in bed

· encouraging your child to exercise and spend time outside in daylight, steering clear of vigorous activity in the hour before sleep

· encouraging them to wind down and relax before going to bed.

If your child is still having trouble sleeping, has persistent problems with low mood, excessive daytime sleepiness, restlessness in bed, severe snoring or wakening unrefreshed, despite getting adequate length sleep, they should see a doctor.

For more information on sleep health, you can refer to: 

· Sleep tips for children and Facts about sleep for parents and school staff, from the Sleep Health Foundation 

· Why sleep is so important, from the Kids Helpline’s 

· Sleep explained, from the Better Health Channel.

School banking details.

Westpac.

Bendigo Violet Street Primary

BSB: 033-688

Account number: 93-1292

Payment reference: use your surname and fees.