werribee.ps@education.vic.gov.au

e-News

Term 1 - Week 3

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Event Calendar

	October 2021
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17	18	19	20	21	22	23
24	25	26	27	28	29	30
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School Vision

We are an inclusive community that strives for excellence

Our values guide the decisions and behaviours of all members of our school community

Respect: we care for ourselves, others and the environment
Responsibility: we are accountable for our actions and our learning
Resilience: we learn from our challenges and maintain a positive attitude

Victorian Chief Health Officer message to schools and their communities

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome back the Victorian school community in 2021.

Following an incredible effort by students, staff, teachers, parents and carers last year, Victorian schools are well placed to safely commence the new school year.

Schools will return to a largely normal program of activities, including welcoming parents and other vital members of the school community back into their grounds.

Throughout the pandemic, Victorian schools have rapidly adapted and successfully implemented measures to reduce the risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission in school environments. By embedding COVIDSafe principles in all its operations and reinforcing good behaviours throughout 2020, schools have created safe spaces, and are in a strong position to quickly respond to any coronavirus (COVID-19) risks that may emerge.

Given the current very low risk of coronavirus (COVID-19) transmission in the community, continued high rates of testing, wastewater monitoring, and continued observance of health and safety measures in schools; those with medical vulnerabilities or their carers can feel reassured that they can safely return to working and learning on site.

While we have seen outbreaks emerge over the summer break, we have also witnessed our capacity to respond quickly to limit the impact of these outbreaks. Should community cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) increase again, I am confident that with COVIDSafe plans in place, alongside our ability to quickly identify and respond to cases – schools remain safe places for all staff and students. I also continue to be reassured by evidence that children are less impacted by the virus and are less likely to develop severe illness.

It is crucial, however, for everyone to remain vigilant – to stay home when unwell, get tested, perform regular hand hygiene, wear a mask when required and maintain physical distancing from others when practical. Schools should consider how they can continue to pursue strategies that contribute to reduced transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Schools and parents continue to have an important role to promote and ensure testing when a child or staff member has any symptoms, no matter how mild, and then stay home. Getting tested and staying home until results are known, remains critical to limiting community transmission.

Adj Clin Prof Brett Sutton
Victorian Chief Health Officer

News from the Art Room

This semester students from Years 2, 3 and 5 have been having weekly Art specialist lessons. It has been challenging going from room to room to do Art because of the building works but I am happy to say we are back in the Art Room.

It is great to get back into clay modelling and painting, things that were difficult to do in the Art Room. Currently there are Year 2 works sitting in the kiln ready to fire but because the extractor fan is not working, this is on hold until the builder comes in to fix it. We have our fingers crossed that the Mothers Day gifts will be ready in time.

I have been asked recently about the circular weaving that this years 3s and 4s did last year. Now that we can use the Art Room, a group of students from those year levels can come to the Art Room Friday lunchtime to decorate the hoops and wheels for our yarn bombing display. I am joining all the individual weavings from the 7 grades together and when it is finished it will be on the fence for all to see. But it is a big project!

Helen Johnson

Art Teacher

Annual Privacy Reminder

Our school collects, uses, discloses and stores student and parent personal information for standard school functions or where permitted by law, as stated in the Schools’ Privacy Policy.

Please take time to remind yourself of the school’s collection statement, found on our website.

For more information about privacy, refer to: Schools’ Privacy Policy — information for parents. This information is also available in nine community languages:

Amharic
Arabic
Dari
Mandarin
Somali
Sudanese
Turkish
Urdu
Vietnamese.

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) applications close on 13th August 2021

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

Click here for 2021 Application Form

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund helps eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

If you have a valid means-tested concession card, such as a Veterans Affairs Gold Card, Centrelink Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card, or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible. There is also a special consideration category for asylum seeker and refugee families.

Payment amounts this year are $125 for eligible primary school students. Payments are made direct to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions and sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

If you applied for CSEF through our school last year, you do not need to complete an application form this year, unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.

If you would like to apply for the first time, please contact the school office on 9742 6659 and ask for an application form.

You can also download the form, and find out more about the program and eligibility, on the Department of Education and Training’s Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund web page.

Check with the school office if you are unsure, and please return completed forms to the school office as soon as possible.

The CSEF program for 2021 closes on Friday 13th August 2021.

For more information about the fund click here.

Health warning on mosquitoes and Ross River virus in south-west Victoria

Residents and visitors to the Surf Coast, Geelong and Bellarine Peninsula areas of Victoria are being warned to protect themselves against mosquito-borne diseases such as Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus.

Ross River virus has been detected in mosquitoes in Anglesea.

These viruses can cause symptoms including joint pain and stiffness, headache, fever, rash and fatigue.

The best protection from these diseases is to avoid mosquito bites. Protective measures include:

regularly using mosquito repellent containing picaridin or N,N-Diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) on all exposed skin (for children it’s safer to spray or rub insect repellents on their clothes rather than directly onto their skin)
wearing long, loose-fitting clothes when outside
ensuring accommodation, including tents, are properly fitted with mosquito nettings or screens
limiting outdoor activity at dusk and dawn when mosquitos are most active
removing stagnant water from around your property at least every week. This includes in flowerpots, pet bowls, bird baths and buckets.

A range of information about protecting against mosquito bites is available on the Better Health Channel’s Beat the Bite web page.

Every Day Counts

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. School is better when your child is there.

Parenting Ideas

Parentingideas offer positive parenting tips on child development for raising children & teenagers to be happy and resilient and building strong families. This week's Insights articles are:

Helping you family manage uncertainty
How to manage stress caused by exams and upcoming events

12 Essential Coping Strategies (Booklet)
10 confidence-building ideas
10 ways to get kids in a good mood

Please click here to go to the Parenting Ideas Blog.

Previous Insights:
Everyday resilience lessons for kids
In praise of fathers: the place of the modern dad
Building resilience during the COVID pandemic
Prioritising mental health in the digital world
The language of respectful relationships
Nurturing young boys' friendships
The perks and pitfalls of being born first
Riding the COVID Waves
Use your words Dad
Establishing digital boundaries for a good night's sleep
Anxiety requires understanding
Common sense strategies for raising girls
On time, every time
Why family rituals really matter
Parenting for emotionally healthy kids
Teaching consent to children and teenagers
What it means to be an emotionally intelligent parent
Help kids tap into their inner resources
How to better advocate for your child on the autism spectrum
Managing anxiety before it becomes a problem
Establishing digital boundries for the screen generation
That's leadership thinking
Grandparents as carers
Supporting boys in upper primary
Seven ways to be a positive influence on children and young people
Helping your child become the best student they can be
Making new friends and staying in touch with old classmates
When kids experience problems at school
Building deep emotional connections with kids
Managing the Mother Load
Modelling self-kindness
The power of sorry
A flexible approach to raising kids
Give kids a thumbs up for the right things
Parenting in challenging times
Goodbye Primary School hello Sec School
Hopeful kids are happy kids
Helping your child avoid being cyber bullied
Wellbeing strategies for parents
A topic you can't ignore
Help kids tap into their inner resources
Encourage kids to occupy themselves
Staying the course in COVID times
Maintaining strong family traditions
Standing behind difficult decisions
When kids experience problems at school
Giving kids scripts for social and school success
There are better questions than how much screen-time
What kids learn from their dads
What content are children watching
Collaborative parenting style wins the day during COVID-19
Conquering kids' techno-tantrums
Successfully transitioning students back to school
Charting a new course for kids post COVID-19
Establishing a personal learning centre at home
Expect more from kids in these difficult times
Successful close quarter living
Helping siblings resolve their fights
Leading the way for children during the Coronavirus pandemic
Going beyond the fishbowl
Respectfully breaking the masculinity strait jacket
Parenting in the age of disruption
Managing separation anxiety at school drop offs
Spending time with kids: How much is enough?
Why validation is the best parenting skill of all
A taste of falafel and independence
Strengthening kids' self-esteem in a digital world
Are you asking your kids to step up?
When relationships go wrong for girls
Protecting your child's online privacy
The loss of healthy rites of passage
Refining your parenting style
Developing leadership skills in your child
How much is too much to tell our kids
Helping kids tolerate discomfort
Managing your child's anxiety
Encouraging healthy attitudes towards women
Creating healthy digital habits in kids
6 tips for parenting anxious kids
Helping children make and keep friends
Helping kids feel good by doing good
The messages all boys need to hear
Responding constructively to the Christchurch shooting
Balancing extra-curricular activities for flourishing kids
Daily lessons in resilience
Unearthing Kids Strengths
Top five strategies to improve your parenting this year
Preventing childhood bullying
Technology holiday guide for parents
Deveoping a resilience mindset
Making a smooth transition to secondary school
Why developing empathy in your child matters
Be careful who you take parenting advice from
How to stop your children from swearing
Help kids develop impulse control