Virginia Primary School Newsletter

Issue 4, 12/03/2020

From the Principal

Hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend.

We are looking forward to celebrating Harmony and Bullying No Way Day with you all at our next assembly which is scheduled for Friday 20th of March.

As last year, we will once again hold a morning tea out in the yard for all classes and families. We hope you are able to join us after the assembly. 

Here at VPS, we are always looking at ways to improve and better inform our families to ensure open communication. We welcome  any feedback or suggestions you may have. Please feel free to make contact with us if you have any new ideas. I am looking forward to continuing sharing  highlights and different learning taking place from around the school.

Hoping to see some of you at next week's assembly or at our annual Sports Day.

Assembly - Awards week 5. Congratulations to the following students for receiving awards for Striving for Accuracy and also Persisting

Reminders

Bullying NO WAY!!!

At Virginia Primary we aim to create a safe and supportive school community for everyone.

You are an important part of our work to prevent bullying and to respond effectively if it happens.  Stopping bullying involves everyone.

We are sending you a pocket card from Bullying. No Way! with tips on what to do if your child talks to you about bullying.  Parents know their children best and know the best way to tailor communication to their needs. Adapt these tips to what works for you and your child.

If your child talks to you about bullying:

1.    Listen calmly and get the full story. Your calm response is important to allow your child to tell you all about the situation.  After they’ve told you their story, ask questions to get more details if you need: who, what, where, when.  Although you may feel some strong emotions about your child’s experience, try to keep calm to avoid more distress to your child.

2.    Reassure your child they are not to blame. Many children blame themselves and this may make them feel even worse. You could say things like, ‘That sounds really hard to deal with. No one should have to put up with that.’ or ‘I’m so glad you told me. You should be able to feel safe at school; that’s not fair at all’.

3.    Ask your child what they want to do and what they want you to do. A critical part of your response is to avoid jumping in to solve the problem.  While it is natural to want to protect your child, helping them to find their own solution is a better option.  It helps them feel they have some power in the situation.

4.   Visit www.bullyingnoway.gov.au to find some strategies. The website has tips and ideas for different bullying situations. One idea is to practise strategies at home to help your child feel more confident

5.   Contact the school. Your child may be reluctant for you to do this, so discuss the idea and reassure them that the school would want to know and is able to help. Make an appointment to meet with your child’s teacher and, if you need to, ask to talk with the principal. Contact the school immediately if you have a concern about your child’s safety.  

6.    Check in regularly with your child.  Keep the conversation going. It can take time to resolve issues, so check in regularly with your child about their experiences and their feelings.  Your ongoing support is important. 

If you are looking for support for yourself to deal with a bullying situation, you will find ideas on the Bullying. No Way! website for parents.  As well, please feel free to contact the school if you would like to discuss any aspect of our approach to preventing bullying.

Thanks for your support to make Virginia Primary a great school for everyone

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Harmony Week

Harmony Week is a time to celebrate Australian multiculturalism, and the successful integration of migrants into our community.

 Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world and we should celebrate this and work to maintain it.

 Harmony Week is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values.

 Our school will be celebrating Harmony Week/ Day on Friday the 20th of March. Classes will share some of their learning around Harmony Week and  Say No To Bullying  on a whole school level at the assembly.

We invite and encourage as many families as possible to attend, and for children to wear orange on Friday the 20th of March. This IS NOT a casual clothes day, if children choose not to wear orange, normal school uniform applies. 

Why orange?

Orange is the colour chosen to represent Harmony Week. Traditionally, orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect. Australians can choose to wear something orange during 15-21st March to show their support for cultural diversity and an inclusive Australia.


Year 7 to High School

Did you know that if your child is in year 5 or 6 this year, they’ll be graduating from primary school next year.

Please read click on the download button to read more

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Social Media Fact Sheets - INSTAGRAM

Be Smart, Play Your Part!

As seen in our previous newsletters,  we  are sharing some insightful resources about social media apps. 

These fact sheets  about social media apps, online games and trending issues may help and inform discussions with your children. It is important that we as parents are aware of what our children are exposed to via social media & the internet.

Did you know most apps like Instagram, Facebook, Snap Chat, YouTube etc are not private unless selected in the settings?

Did you know that all apps have age restrictions?

Take a moment to have a look at the attached INSTAGRAM fact sheet. You might also be interested in the following Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/NationalOnlineSafety/

Health Hustle - what a fantastic moment watching all classes take part in our whole school health hustle. The atmosphere was positive and radiant with everyone supporting one another. A special shout out to our senior students who have made a positive start to the year, displaying high leadership qualities.

Volunteering

Can you help…? We are currently looking for volunteers for a range of different activities.

It has been a Department for Education (DfE) requirement that all parents and other volunteers who work with or in close proximity to children have Working With Children Check pursuant to the Children's Protection Act 2016

Last year the Department for Education updated its screening policy to make it easier for parents and guardians to volunteer their time.

Parents and guardians volunteering in schools and preschools to support their own child’s education no longer need to undertake relevant history screening.

Screening is still required for any parents/ volunteers attending any overnight camps or supporting other children within the school. Should you wish to obtain a Working With Children Check (WWCC) we are able to assist you. This process can be started at the school office.

Each WWCC lasts for five years so it is important that any expired ones are updated.

Please see Deb Smith at the front office to start this process which is now an online application. We will also be holding a volunteer induction session this term for all volunteers. 

We have attached forms here which you access through the download button or you can collect from the Front Office if you are willing to volunteer within our school.

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Pupil Free Days 2020

Pupil Free Dates & School Closures (approved by Governing Council) 

  • Term 2: Week 1  Monday 27th April - OSHC available 
  • Term 2: Week 10  Wednesday 1st July - OSHC available 
  • Term 3: Week 7  Friday 4th September - School closure Show Day - NO OSHC available
  • Term 4: Week 2 Wednesday 21st October - OSHC available  
  • Term 4: Week 7 Friday 27th November - OSHC available 

Parenting Ideas Articles - Respectfully breaking the masculinity strait jacket

Respectfully breaking the masculinity strait jacket

Respectful relationships between boys and girls are now part of modern school curricula. They also need to be reinforced by parents and other community members for lasting change. 

Click on the download button to read the full article

Get the latest on topics such as resilience, confidence, wellbeing and developing your children into the best they can be, through the following link https://www.parentingideas.com.au/parent-resources/

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SAPSASA Swimming Carnival 2020

On Friday 21st of February, six students from Virginia Primary (Ethan, Flynn, Grace, Imogen, Lily and Amelia) competed in the Playford District SAPSASA Swimming Carnival at the Aquadome.

Students swam in a number of 50M events including Freestyle, Breaststroke, Backstroke and Butterfly. Each student gave their very best efforts and represented Virginia PS proudly, both in the pool and out of the pool.

 Well done to all students that attended the carnival and a big thank you to the parents that assisted and supported the kids on the day.

Car park safety

Please help  by supporting us with the following;

- Reduce your speed, there have been some instances where we have had cars moving fairly quickly through this area.

- Never reverse more than you have to. Little people can be hard to see, we are yet to have any issues and want to keep it this way.

- DO NOT park in a disabled car park unless you have a permit!

- Make sure you park your car in an allocated space when picking or dropping off your children. Stopping in traffic zone areas is not permitted.

STUDENT SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY.

THANK YOU!

Term 1 Calendar 2020

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