Thursday 7th March

• Year Prep - 3 Parent Teacher meet & greets 3:30pm - 6:30pm - bookings through XUNO or talk to your child's teacher.

Monday 11th March

• Labour Day public holiday - no students at school

Tuesday 12th - Thursday 14th March

• Naplan testing

Wednesday 13th March

• School photo day - full school uniform required

Sunday 17th March

• Working Bee 9:30am - 11:30am

Monday 18th - Friday 22nd March

• Whole school swimming lessons - see XUNO

Friday 22nd March

• Harmony Day

Thursday 28th March

• Last day of Term One - 2:30pm finish

Monday 15th April

• First day of Term Two

Friday 19th April

• P-2 Tabloid Sports Day (Grade 6s will also attend as helpers)

BACK TO SCHOOL PICNIC

Thanks to all who came to the picnic. Lots of smiling faces and fun!

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WELCOME TO COUNTRY

Once again we had a fantastic Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony with Uncle Rick Nelson, and thank him for making the time to visit. I’m sure all who attended appreciated the opportunity to take part. Read more about the Welcome to Country and Leadership ceremony later in the newsletter!

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REMINDER MEET AND GREET INTERVIEWS THIS WEEK

This is an opportunity for parents and carers to provide information to teachers about their children that they may not know about. Children are welcome to attend. Sessions will be 10 minutes in the junior school (P-3) and 15 minutes in the senior learning community. Bookings via Xuno or contact your child’s teacher if booked out.

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NAPLAN REMINDER

Testing for students in Year 3 and Year 5 commences next week Wednesday 13^th March. All NAPLAN testing is online via a locked-down browser, with the exception of Year 3 Writing which is pen and paper.

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SCHOOL COUNCIL

Nominations close today at 4:00pm!

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VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers are welcome in every classroom as well as the Kitchen/Garden and specialist areas.

If you have the time and inclination, please let us know. Volunteers at school must have a Working with Children Check and sign in and out at the office.

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BIRTHDAYS

Pez - 10 in the first week of March

Heidi – 9 in the second week of March

Brody – 12 in the second week of March

Ivy – 7 in the second week of March

Zoe – 7 in the second week of March

Hip Hip: Hooray

Hip Hip: Hooray

Hooray: Hip Hip

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COVID SCHOOL PROCEDURES

According to the Department of Health community transmission of COVID-19 is currently decreasing across Victoria.

Schools will make sure your child is as safe as possible and will focus on:

• washing hands
• physical distancing
• rapid antigen testing
• Outdoors when practical
• Air purifiers indoors
• mask wearing – recommended but not mandatory

Free rapid antigen tests

Free rapid antigen tests are available from the office.

Testing is strongly recommended for students and staff who are symptomatic.

After doing the tests at home, if it is positive, you are advised to:

• let the school know
• keep your child at home for 7 days
• contact the Department of Health via the COVID-19 Positive Rapid Antigen Test Self-Reporting Form or call centre on 1800 675 398.

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Suzanne Kinnersly
Principal.

XUNO

XUNO is the school’s main channel for communicating important information to parents. We encourage all families to be regularly logging into XUNO, either via the website or the app.

Each time an event/fees/interviews are added, XUNO will send an email alerting you they are in the app needing to be actioned. At the beginning of the year and each term, you will receive many emails as we add items to the calendar to communicate important dates to parents ahead of time.

We will also send out occasional emails with information that needs to be communicated outside of a newsletter week.

Currently, Xuno gives you access to: 

• Messages (to communicate with your child’s teachers)
• Timetable
• Calendar
• News
• Attendance (to provide a reason for a student absence, either on the day or afterwards)
• Events, Camps & Excursions (to approve events)
• Payments (to pay for any camps/excursions)
• Parent Teacher Interview Bookings (to book interviews)

If families are having any issues with logging onto XUNO, or trouble navigating the app, please contact the office.

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Volunteering at school in 2024

Sushi on Fridays

We are continuing Sushi on Fridays again this year!

Please make sure you update your child's class to assist with the distribution of the sushi at school.

Here is a reminder of the steps you need to do to order Sushi.

1. Go to www.schoollunchonline.com.au to register your family.
2. Choose ‘My orders’ and select ‘Create order‘.
3. Select the date of the Friday you wish to order for.
4. Add items to order by clicking on the ‘tick’.
5. Select ‘add to bag’.
6. Review order and check it is all correct, then click ‘next’.
7. Choose how you want to pay and then select ‘submit’.

*Update your billing details under the tab ‘my account’.

*Pay as you go or top up your account regularly.

*No minimum order or long term commitment.

*Order ahead up to any time within the current term.

Orders need to be made by 5pm on Thursday to ensure order is placed for Sushi at lunchtime on Friday.

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SAKG Laundry Roster

If you are able to help with the SAKG laundry, please contact us in the office.

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School Photo Day – March 13^th

Our school photo day is NEXT Wednesday 13^th March. Photo forms have been sent home, and spare forms and sibling photo forms are available in the office. Please ensure you have returned your child/children’s forms to the office, and have paid online or provided cash with your returned form.

For photos, students will need to be in full uniform.

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Whole School Swimming Program 2024 – 18^th - 22^nd March (inclusive)

Our annual swimming program begins soon! Swimming is part of our curriculum, and all students are encouraged to participate. The program will run every day during the week of March 18^th - 22^nd, so students will need their bathers and towel every day. 

There is no cost for the program, but students need parent/carer approval to participate. Permission forms have been sent home with students, and families can also approve via Xuno.

Additionally, students need to be “graded” by families, based on their existing swimming skills, to ensure they are put into the appropriate swim level.

Please complete the survey to ASAP, if you haven’t already.

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Camps!

2024 is a camp year at Winters Flat and all grade levels will get to experience going on camp, except for Preps and Grade Ones who will have a school-based experience.

Grade 2/3s will attend Campaspe Downs camp, near Kyneton. This is an adventure camp, so students will participate in outdoor learning activities which encourage friendships and co-operation in a group setting. The date for this camp is 13^th - 14^th May in Term 2. More information will follow soon.

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Grade 4/5/6s will attend Lady Northcote Discovery Camp, near Bacchus Marsh. This is a bush adventure camp, with extensive indoor and outdoor activities, designed to encourage participants to experience personal growth, appreciate the natural environment, and foster group cohesiveness.

Camp notes went home with all Grade 4/5/6 today, and all details are also available on Xuno. 

A deposit of $100 is due by Friday 28^th March 2024 to ensure your child's place, so we can finalise our bookings and costs.

Approval and payment can also be made via cash or card in the office.

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Kitty Ward & Rosie Annear

Office

We are running a bulb fundraiser this term! 

To view the catalogue, and order and pay for your bulbs, please visit https://www.bulbfundraiser.com.au/WINTERS or use the QR code on the below flyer. And don't forget to share with friends and family!

Limited hardcopy catalogues will arrive soon and be available in the office.

This is one of our school's main fundraisers, and also a lovely way to prepare for a colourful spring garden with your budding gardeners!

AT SCHOOL

In the Easter school holidays, join us on the oval (in the gym if weather isn’t great) for an awesome Silent Disco! This is an all-ages, all neurotypes event where you can pop on some headphones and move how you choose to some stigma smashing hits from the world’s most neurodivergent musicians.

Over the next few weeks the school is holding the teacher Meet and Greet sessions for families as well as Student Support Group Meetings (SSGs) for diverse learners, those at risk of disengaging, students with a disability and/or for children in Out of Home Care. Here are some handy articles for families about how to make the most of these opportunities:

https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/school-learning/working-with-schools-teachers/parent-teacher-interviews-primary

https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/school-learning/working-with-schools-teachers/problem-solving-for-parents-teachers

https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/student-support-groups/policy

https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/school-learning/working-with-schools-teachers/being-an-advocate

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Lunch Clubs

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AT HOME

If your child is still having trouble settling in to the school day and/or adjusting to school by the end of Term 1 then it is important to share this with your child’s teacher. As a team, we can support your child to feel safe and confident when they get here and can plan activities or tasks to help them adjust to the transition of arriving and separating from their care giver. Here are two articles to get you thinking about this:

https://earlytraumagrief.anu.edu.au/files/Supporting-your-child-when-they-start-school.pdf

https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/how-to-ask-kids-about-day-at-school/101990370

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IN THE COMMUNITY

Here are some important and awesome events being held for families and young people in our community over the next month.

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Until next time!

Hannah O’Keefe

My work hours are Mondays and Tuesdays from 8:30-4:30. Write me an email (hannah.okeefe@education.vic.gov.au) or give me a call via the school office or on 0475 800 377.

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RESOURCES

Please find a list of Wellbeing helplines and support services on the Winters Flat website.

https://www.winters-flat-ps.vic.edu.au/resources

This week in the Kitchen and Garden..........

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What we're cooking in the kitchen this fortnight...

• Zucchini Rosti with Horseradish Cream
• Pizza - Pesto and Tomato, Fig and Feta
• Tomato, Quinoa and Herb Salad
• Peach Clafoutis with Ice Cream

Remember all the recipes are available on our school website, so you can try them at home.

Chefs of the week:

4/5/6C: Lily, Hayley, and Makenna

4/5/6B: Bonnie, Ripley, Lucinda, and Michael

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Kitchen volunteers:

We would love some kitchen helpers in our cooking classes!

They are held fortnightly on Mondays (even weeks - 4/5/6C), and every Wednesday (even weeks - 4/5/6B; odd weeks - 2/3H), between 11:25am & 1:25pm.

The Prep/1 classes will have a special cooking class each term.

What you can expect from a class:

Students work in groups to make seasonal dishes, using produce from our garden. Once a group finishes preparing their dish, they clean up their bench, do dishes, and set the tables. Around 1:00pm, we all sit down together and share the meal.

Volunteers will need to sign in via the visitors log in the office and show their WWCC. Please contact the office if you have any questions or would like to volunteer! 

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In the Garden:

Cath & Terry
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden

Each year, Winters Flat hosts a special Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony to welcome students, teachers, and families to (or back to) our school, and to acknowledge that we live, work, learn, and play on Jaara Country. As in previous years, Dja Dja Wurrung Elder, Uncle Rick Nelson, performed the Welcome to Country and smoking ceremony, with student leaders running the rest of the event. 

Traditionally, before setting foot on another's Country, aboriginal people would first seek permission from the Elders, seeking safe passage through their lands. The Dja Dja Wurrung welcomed others to their Country with a smoking ceremony, a gesture of good intentions and respect, that cleansed visitors of bad spirits and opened them up to good spirits.

During the smoking ceremony, Dja Dja Wurrung women and girls would wave the leaves of the Cherry Bullart, Manna Gum, and Black Wattle, to cleanse the air of bad feelings and spirits, while the men and boys performed the "shaky knees" dance. The leaves would then be put into a fire, creating lots of smoke. Visitors passed through the smoke to cleanse themselves, particularly focusing on the soles of their feet.

The three types of leaves used during these ceremonies are symbolic in Dja Dja Wurrung culture. 

• The Cherry Bullart represents Community. When young, the seed of the Cherry Bullart has to attach to and grow on the roots of another tree, usually the Manna Gum, symbolising that we rely on others to grow. 
• The Manna Gum represents the wisdom of the Elders. It is the largest tree in the bush so "sees all". 
• The Black Wattle represents the produce of Country. It is used for food, soap, medicine, tea, bandages, rope, shoes, glue, weapons, tools, and fire. Waving the leaves of the Black Wattle gives visitors permission to use the produce of the land.

As everyone walked through the smoke from the fire, Uncle Rick played his clap sticks, and welcomed us to his homeland, asking that we "go with good spirit". 

After the smoking ceremony, Suzanne, Uncle Rick, and Rosie (representing Mount Alexander Shire Council as Deputy Mayor) presented leadership badges to this year's student leaders. We are really proud of all of them!

Our 2024 School Leader are:

School Captains:

• Freya Brennand
• Jasmine Williams

School Vice Captains:

• Aurora Annear-Foster
• Ava Marshall
• Ginger Rasmussen

Care for Self Leaders:

• Leo Swarris (2/3H)
• Evie Mountford (4/6B)
• Makenna Hughes (4/6C)

Care for Others Leaders:

• Isobel Quast (2/3H)
• Lucinda Kaptein-Gringell (4/6B)
• Annabelle Brown (4/6C)

Care for the Environment Leaders:

• Heidi Tunley (2/3H)
• Ripley Rasmussen (4/6B)
• Jaya Nascimento (4/6C)

School Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) Leaders:

• Lenny Prior (2/3H)
• Louisa Sesso-Hull (4/6B)
• Eisa Pfeil (4/6C)