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

When the school renovations have been completed and the art room is fully accessible I will get a group together to finish our yarn bombing installation.  All the 2020 Y2 and Y3 students’ weaving is ready and we just need to finish the hoop and wheel decorations.

Footscray Art Prize – Young Artist category closes midday Monday 8 February.   If your child does art at home and you are interested in submitting it (online) please read the details on this site: www.footscrayartprize.com/youngartists Entry is free.

Helen Johnson

Art Teacher

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.

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 25 June, 2021.

For more information about the fund click here.

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.

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:  

Seven ways to be a positive influence on children and young people

How to better advocate for your child on the autism spectrum

10 confidence-building ideas - Here are 10 ways to build confidence in your kids so they can take their place in the world. 

Please click here to go to the Parenting Ideas Blog.

10 ways to get kids in a good mood - An underestimated feature of emotional intelligence is the ability to shift moods. An emotionally smart person consciously knows what to do to put him or herself in a better mood, or get themselves out of a frump. These are the types of empowering skills that we can teach kids. This poster features 10 healthy ways for kids (and adults) to put themselves into a better mood when the need arises.

Previous Insights:
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?
Leaving your fathering mark
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
Mum's the work
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

Kids need good men in their lives

How do you show up for your kids

Four critical tools for kids' anxiety management 

Overcoming the curse of perfectionism

Let consequences do the talking

Five forgotten skill sets that contribute to student success

Dealing with video game crazes: Fortnite and fanaticism

Developing your child's emotional intelligence

Using screen time to foster kids wellbeing and family fun

Four reasons why your child or teen may be anxious

Fostering healthy sibling relationships

Mother's Day Reflections

5 ways to validation: showing distressed kids you get it

Talking to kids makes them smart

What to say when kids become anxious
Helping children achieve sustained school success

Understanding your child's anxious behaviour using the ABC method

Getting the screentime balance right

Let kids off the leash for greater confidence and resilience

Working closely with your child's teacher this year
It's time to talk bullying and autism

Peer time counts big time towards your child's success

Exposing kids to challenges helps prevent anxiety in later life

Video Games: the good, the bad and getting the balance right

The power of gratitude for a happier life

Avoid the pitfalls of labelling kids

Parenting for Resilience

Managing Christmas Chaos as a Sole Parent

How independence-building is the pathway to your child's resilience

A parenting for independence audit 

Secrets of managing boys' behaviour

How to help kids when you think they are being bullied

Not in front of the children

Developing independence when it feels positvely risky 

The language of independence

Anxiety in Primary School Kids 

Staying relevant in a Digital World

Parenting kids through the challenges of change 

Parenting the in-between years 

Celebrate the marvel of motherhood, not parenthood! 

Fathering Daughters 

Consistency is the key

Wellbeing tips for primary school kids

What rules should you have around digital devices

Help kids change their perspective when things go wrong

How to get kids off to school on time without yelling, whining or constantly reminding

Developing independence in primary school

Top 10 parenting tips for school meetings

Moving beyond asking, "What did you do at school?"

Four parenting priorities for 2017

Making the most of these holidays

Digital Social Skills

What it means to be an emotionally intelligent parent

Earning the right

BFF Forever: when friendships go sour

Let the consequences do the teaching

Develop a resilience mindset

Talking to children about sex: when and how

Teach kids how to solve problems

15 Healthy ways to manage emotions

Just say no to sexting 

The pitfall of using other children as benchmarks

It starts with respect

Helping kids focus in the age of distraction

Raising Mighty Boys

When things go wrong at School

When kids bend the truth

Parents and kids sport - would you please behave!

The art of sparenting

Tolerance: a vital ingredient for your child's success

10 mindsets that will radically improve your parenting

Five ways to know you are over-parenting 

Helping kids deal with rejection 

Why effective learning starts with a good night's sleep

Bully-proofing kids 

Parenting in the digital age

It's not okay to be away...nor to be late to school

Developing your child's social media scripts

How to move your child from worrier to warrior

The trick to being at your parenting best

Easing children's anxiety

Don't threaten, bribe or deal - breathe and act

Why is it valuable to make teens feel older?

Online Flaming 

Creating Creative Kids 

Is your Teenager Sleep Deprived

Social Skills for Children

Teen Time

10 Confidence Building Strategies every parent and teacher should know

Creating good study and work habits in secondary school

Teasing Versus Bullying 

Fathering Teenagers 

Stay sane when travelling with kids

Parents using kids as bargaining chips

Respectful Relationsips- what do you need to teach your children

Manage like a cat, nurture like a dog

The many faces of independence  

How to raise a child to be a giver

Which subjects should I choose? 

Exploring the New Frontier in Parenting

Maintain a strong relationships with your teen

Build up Frequent Father points

It's time for dads to Speak Up

Do you let your kids amaze you

Raising a critical generation

Keep children safe in public

Teach your kids about time and place