SCHOOL COUNCIL MEMBERS 2024

School Principal: Greg Sampson   President: Jenny Hauselberger 

 Vice President: Chris Avery  Treasurer: Isaac Eldridge  DET Rep: Kelly Henderson  & Erin Mitchell Secretary: Duanne Corbett 

Parent Reps:  Ashlee Baker, Erin Wallace, Andrew Heatley.

Dimboola Primary School would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the Wimmera Mallee area:

the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagalk peoples, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

On Friday students and staff dressed in bookweek costumes. Students had a book week parade at the start of the day and then rotated through a range of classrooms completing a book week activity. They were accompanied by special guest who then joined us for morning tea in the staff room. There were some amazing outfits with Junior School Council Representatives selecting the two best dressed participants from each class (not an easy job).

31 athletes competed at Warracknabeal on Wednesday 21st August in surprisingly mild conditions. Of particular note was Scarlette Williams breaking the record for the 10 year old 1500 metres (Scarlette is still in the 9 year old category). The new record is 6:32.50, beating the 2006 record of 6:38.38. Congratulations Scarlette!

All students acquitted themselves well on the day with the following students qualifying for the next stage of competition at Stawell on 12th September:

Xavier Clugston – 2nd 10 yrs boys long jump and 2nd triple jump.

Billy Dench – 2nd 10 yrs boys 100 m and 200 m.

The 10 yrs boys 4 x 100 m relay team came second (Only the first placed relay team continues on to Stawell).

Alfie Greig – 2nd 11 yrs boys discus.

Ryan Williams – 1st 800 m and 1500 m 12 years and over boys.

Laci Redden – 2nd 10 yrs girls discus and 1st 100 m.

Scarlette Williams – 1st 75 m 9 yrs girls, 1st 200 m 9 yrs girls, 2nd 9 yrs girls long jump, 1st 10 yrs girls 1500m (Scarlette needs to select a maximum of two events to compete in at Stawell).

Charley-Mae Eldridge – 2nd 12 yrs and over girls discus

Amelia Pretorius – 1st 12 yrs and over shot-put, 2nd triple jump, 100 m and 800 m. (Amelia needs to select a maximum of two events to compete in at Stawell)

Further details will follow regarding the next stage of competition in due course.

I would like to acknowledge the support of staff member Jodie Lehmann and volunteers Kate Schorback, Breanna Eldridge and Pamela Pretorius for enabling us to proceed with the day.

School council met last Wednesday, with topics discussed including:

· Bryni Myers was appointed to a casual vacancy in the parent representative category. Bryni was voted in for the vacant School Council President position.

· Ratification of the minutes from the previous meeting

· Financial reports

· Principal, Teacher, Parents and Buildings and Grounds reports.

· The upcoming school fete

· Policy – Photographing, Filming and Recording Policy.

The Dimboola Primary School Cookbook is about to arrive! This book has 20 pages with 40 recipes provided by members of our school community and is a must for all culinary bookshelves. The book will be available for purchase at the school fete, and we encourage all families to purchase a copy one of the 100 available. It is a real collector’s item.

The school fete is fast approaching on Friday 13th September. Attractions include:

· Climbing wall

· Class activities – Dimboola Primary School Cookbook, secret jars, minute to win it activities, show bags, haunted house, beauty salon – hair and nails, bracelets, games, art activities, busking, slime making and body butters.

· Spinning wheel

· Outside vendors

· Raffle – 1st prize 5 x $50 traders’ voucher, 2nd prize a family pass to the Ballarat Wildlife Park, 3rd prize – Horsham Lanes and Games and Inflatable World vouchers.

· Traders section

· Spinning wheel

· The Dimmy Dash

· School Council Barbeque

· Tiny Goats

· Young Expressions

COVID and sickness has hit Dimboola Primary School with lots of student and staff absences. On Monday was perhaps one of the more difficult days to navigate as there were six staff members away and every Casual Relief Teacher I tried (at least eight) were unavailable. I encourage students and staff to remember good hygiene protocols; wash your hands in warm soapy water, cough and sneeze into your elbow, wear a mask if able to try to limit the transmission of the germs. I know that school encourage students to attend school, however if your child is sick, please allow them time to recuperate prior to returning to school.

The parent opinion survey link will be distributed to a percentage of families in the coming days. It will provide parents with an opportunity to reflect on the school and provide us with feedback on what we are doing well along with suggestions on areas for improvement. I encourage all families who receive a letter for the survey to spend approximately 20 minutes completing this.

Student safety at Dimboola Primary School is our highest priority and the safe and appropriate supervision of students is an important element of our duty of care to students. Part of this duty is ensuring parents and students are aware of our student supervision arrangements before and after school.

Before school: School grounds are supervised at 8:30 am

After school: School grounds are supervised 3:25 pm.

Students on school grounds outside these times will not be supervised (unless they are attending a before or after school care program or supervised extracurricular activity).

Parents/carers are requested to ensure that students do not attend school outside of these supervised times unless they are attending before or after school care, or a pre-arranged supervised activity (i.e. sports practice).

For a copy of our school’s Yard Duty and Supervision Policy through the Dimboola Primary School Website or contact the school office. This policy includes Dimboola Primary School’s student supervision arrangements across the school day, including before and after school.

A reminder about the importance of safety around students who have severe food allergies. We currently have one student who has anaphylaxis to nuts. This student is in Grade 2/3 so we ask parents to be mindful of lunches and snacks that contain nuts particularly in this classroom. Students are reminded not to share food with classmates.

Please refer to our Anaphylaxis Policy attached to this newsletter for further information.

Please remember on lunch order days, to either use the app or place your lunch orders in the class room tub on a Tuesday morning.

Make sure your childs year level is correct on the bag so DMSC know which tub they go in .

If this helps you can also put lunch orders through the app for a fortnight as we are all busy sometimes we forget, so this can be very useful.

Thank you 

Orders must be completed before 8.40 each Tuesday morning.

Please remember to bring the lunch wallets in on the Tuesday. If YOU have ordered on line using the QKR APP - You only need to write the CHILDS NAME ON THE LUNCH BAG. (Not the order)

If you are still paying CASH please Have the order written on the lunch wallet.

Thank you 

School fees for 2024 for essential education items are to be $125. This pays for your son/daughter to have books, pencils, glue sticks, scissors, photocopying. This is a voluntary payment

A $40 cultural performance fee, per child, for 2024 is required for your child to participate in the performance. Those that do not pay up front will be asked to pay per performance of $10.00. Those who do not pay will not attend.

Payment Policy below - 

The Victorian Government has announced new Child Safe Standards to further strengthen child safety across organisations, including schools. The new standards recognise the critical importance of families and the broader school community in maintaining and promoting child safety and wellbeing.

Dimboola Primary School has reviewed and updated our child safety policies and procedures to ensure they meet the requirements of the new standards. These are available to view on the Dimboola Primary School website or available at the front office

We are committed to continuous improvement in our approach to child safety and wellbeing and welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on ways we can further strengthen our child safety policies, procedures and practices.

If you have any suggestions, comments or questions,

please contact Greg Sampson, principal.

With school returning it would be a timely reminder to all that:

o Drivers need to give way at school crossings until the pedestrians are well clear of the crossing

o Park in designated spots so as not to create ‘black spots’ for other drivers

o The ‘Kiss and Drop Zone’ at the front of the school is for a quick drop off or pick up.

o Obey the 40kmh speed limits around the school.

o There is a large ‘drop off’ zone in Wimmera Street that has a gate to allow children to walk across the big oval if it is too congested at the front or back of school.

o Bike riders will dismount from their bikes at the front gate (Hindmarsh Street) or the back gate (Church St) and wheel their bikes to the racks.

o Please assist with the education of your child by using the school crossing. Near misses have occurred due to people taking short cuts.

o Bike/scooter riders are to dismount prior to using the school crossings.

Please call into the office if you require a form to fill out

Thank you 

Parents club will be holding an end of term 3 lunch for all students. 

Yellow slips will be heading home this week with an order form.

It would be appreciated if we could get some volunteers on the last day to help with the lunches.

Thank you

Wednesday 28th August – Grade 1 and 2/3s swimming at Horsham swimming at Horsham

Thursday 29th August – Cultural Performance “Sussing out our Solar System”.

Wednesday 4th September – Grade 1 and 2/3s swimming at Horsham swimming at Horsham

Thursday 5th and Friday 6th September – Grade 3 and 4s camp to the Little Desert.

Thursday 12th September – Little Desert Athletics in Stawell

Friday 13th September – Dimboola Primary School Fete.

 Friday 20th September – Last day of Term 3 – 2:15 pm finish.