Filter Content
- PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
- CARMEN FARRELL'S SPECIAL BIRTHDAY
- ***CYBER SAFETY - URGENT WARNING ***
- COR0NAVIRUS UPDATE
- THE FRONT DOOR PROJECT
- WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH TO POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR (WSAPBS)
- JAPANESE
- BENDIGO BANK GRANT
- ONE GOOD COMMUNITY GRANT
- ACCELERATED ART PROGRAM
- VIRTUAL LITERACY PARENT INFORMATION SESSION
- LAST DAY OF TERM 3
- DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
R U OK? Day
Today is the National Day of Action dedicated to reminding everyone that every day is the day to ask, “Are you OK?” and support those struggling with life's ups and downs.
This year's message is 'There's more to say after R U OK?' 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone and circumstances have made it even more important for us all to stay connected and, for those who are able, be willing to support those around us.
Australians are encouraged to know what to say when someone says they’re not OK and guide them through how they can continue a conversation that could change a life.
People don’t have to be experts to keep the conversation going when someone says they’re not OK. By knowing what to say, people can help someone feel supported and access appropriate help long before they’re in crisis, which can make a really positive difference to their life.
Additional information can be accessed on the R U OK? Day website.
CARMEN FARRELL'S SPECIAL BIRTHDAY
Mrs Carmen Farrell celebrated a special birthday last week.
We had fun celebrating with her.
O tanjoubi omedetou gozaimasu (Happy Birthday)
***CYBER SAFETY - URGENT WARNING ***
The eSafety Commissioner on Tuesday confirmed distressing reports about an explicit video of a suicide circulating social media platforms. eSafety has contacted social media companies about the reports and will continue working with them to monitor the situation. Reports indicate that the video has been reshared on platforms including (but not limited to) Tik Tok, Snapchat Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. To increase the likelihood of children opening the link it has alarmingly also been edited and reshared to begin with general content (images of cats) before switching to the footage of a bearded man sitting in front of a computer.
What parents should be doing immediately?
- Increase supervision of all screen time
- Strictly no devices in bedrooms. It is safest to keep devices in communal areas.
- Open up a conversation to encourage your children to come to you if they see something “disturbing” online (see link below for ideas about what to say, particularly how to prepare kids before an issue occurs)
- Remind your children that they always have 24/7 access to support via Kids Helpline (www.kidshelpline.com.au)
- Don’t hesitate to seek advice from a professional (e.g. doctor, psychologist, school counsellor) should you have any concerns about your child's mental health, particularly with regard to suicide risk issues.
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Further information: What to do when your child sees something disturbing online
We are encouraging people who encounter this content to report it to the social media platform they’ve seen it on and to eSafety at www.esafety.gov.au/report/illegal-harmful-content.
Parents, please consider this current issue as further evidence as to why it is not appropriate or safe for primary school age children to be on social media.
As Victoria is experiencing significant community transmission of COVID-19, all parents, guardians, carers and students who are feeling unwell and displaying symptoms of COVID-19 should be encouraged to get tested. Children of parents, guardians or carers undergoing testing for COVID-19, should remain absent from school until the parent, guardian or carer receives a negative test result. Students who are unwell must not attend school. If your child is showing even mild symptoms of COVID-19 they must stay at home.
The symptoms to watch out for are: fever, chills or sweats, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, runny nose or loss of sense of smell.
Remember on the home page on our website www.trafalgar.catholic.edu.au we have an article entitled ‘Help Kids to Beat COVID Induced Anxiety’ by Michael Grose (Parenting Expert). You might find this article very helpful.
Please be reassured that SAFETY remains of paramount importance in our school. Personal hygiene processes are practised and reinforced continually.
Our Premier has instructed that next week and the first week back in Term 4 will continue to be remote learning. Then all going well, all our students will return to onsite schooling on the second Monday in Term 4 the 12th of October.
We are inviting you to take a photo of your family at your front door/gate in this lockdown time, and email it to school (office@trafalgar.catholic.edu.au or kbalfour@trafalgar.catholic.edu.au) . We ask that it is landscape setting and clear. It doesn’t have to be a professional photo, just a photo taken on your phone is fine.
We aim to put the family photos altogether in a poster or a book to show our unity to each other and to create a great keepsake for this unprecedented time. We feel sure that you will support this project.
Arigato (Thank you).
WHOLE SCHOOL APPROACH TO POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR (WSAPBS)
This is an evidence-based framework that outlines our school wide system of social and behavioural expectations as well as providing explicit teaching to support the development of key relationship skills.
We have been working through our School Wide Expectations (SWE).
1. Respect
2. Resilience
3. Inclusiveness
4. Teamwork.
We have just released a video clip about Resilience which includes a number of our parents and students talking about the importance of resilience in our school and living. The video clip is available on our facebook page. I’d like to encourage you to share the video. You can also view it on our website www.trafalgar.catholic.edu.au The staff felt that it was really important to include our parents in this whole school approach and we thought the video was a great way of including you in this remote learning environment. Thank you so much to the parents who put videos in. Arigato (Thank you).
We are very proud of our Japanese program at school. Everyone is trying really hard to use Japanese more each day. The research shows us clearly that when classroom teachers try to incorporate Japanese words in their daily talk, that this makes a tremendous difference in the students learning the language. Parents please know that included in your child’s weekly learning plan on Google Classroom, there is also a Japanese activity. We don’t want to put extra pressure or stress on families at this time, so that if this activity is simply too much for you now, then please don’t do it. But if you’re looking for something else to do then why not have a go at the Japanese activity. Remember Taylor Sensei is here to support you and give feedback to you. Arigato.
You will remember that our P&F were successful last year in obtaining a Bendigo Bank Grant to build a number of cubbies in our yard. Roman Cathomen has started the project and Ben Plozza and Jason Blackshaw have been helping him. Lucy and Aidan Cathomen and Matt Balfour have also been part of the working team. They have built a gaga pit and today are working on one of the cubbies. I am sure that you will be impressed when you see what they’ve done. Arigato (thank you) Roman and your team of helpers.
I am very excited to announce that we have been successful in obtaining a $23,000 grant from the Australian Government to specially address mental health in our school. Taryn carefully prepared the submission and we were thrilled with the outcome.
We have successfully trialled an Accelerated Art Program to specifically address the individual and social needs of our students and now I can announce that this program will be made available to many more students because of this grant.
We are extremely proud of this program. Students who display artistic strengths are invited to participate in 5 one hour art sessions over 5 weeks. Students are given an opportunity to explore different artistic ideas whilst using a variety of materials. They are able to choose what they would like to investigate and research in each session. Students can choose to create in 2D or 3D with the use of technology incorporated into each session and they can choose to work collaboratively or individually. The teacher acts as a facilitator and mentor to the students and at the end of the 5 weeks students reflect on their learning.
VIRTUAL LITERACY PARENT INFORMATION SESSION
How do schools teach students to read and write? Our infant teachers are running an information session that will explain how we teach reading, writing and spelling on Thursday 17th September 2.15 to 3.00pm.
The link is meet.google.com/cfh-jwcy-ysj (alternatively ring School 5633 1151 and supply your email address and we’ll send you an invitation).
We hope this session gives you information and also helps you to know how you can help your child. The target audience is the parents of the F/1 students but of course, all parents are welcome to attend virtually. We have also invited parents with kinder age children.
Friday next week the 18th of September is the last day of term.
Dismissal is 1pm. We hope everyone has a restful and energising break from remote learning. Happy holidays!
May God continue to bless and guide us in our learning.
Trish Mulqueen
Principal
SEPTEMBER
18th Last Day of term (1pm dismissal)
OCTOBER
12th Return to onsite schooling for all grades
16th Virtual Grandparents Liturgy in classrooms
19th School Advisory Committee Virtual Meeting 4.30pm
23rd Grand final Eve Public Holiday
30th Japanese Day (rescheduled)
NOVEMBER
2nd Pupil Free Day (Assessment Day for teachers)
3rd Melbourne Cup Holiday
6th School Photos