SCHOOL COUNCIL MEMBERS 2024

School Principal: Greg Sampson   President: Bree Myers 

 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.

Students from the Kindergarten visited today to have a go a being a big kid at Dimboola Primary School.

On Friday students will participate in a role play with parliamentary officers who will present students with the rituals and routines occurring at state parliament. Students will have the opportunity to debate using one of three scripts for a new bill that will be voted on. The scripts are:

The Electric Scooter Bill This Bill proposes lower the age that people can ride E-scooters and making them available near schools.

The Gambling Advertising Bill This Bill proposes a ban on all advertising of gambling on television.

The Video Game Curfew Bill This Bill proposes a curfew of 10pm for young people playing video games.

Roles:

The Speaker,

The Clerk

The Serjeant at Arms,

All other students will be encouraged to participate in the debate after the scripted section, by giving their own ‘on-the-spot’ speech on the bill, as well as in encouraging other students and voting on the bill.

Thank you to the bus driver, Ms Mitchell, Miss Morrish and Chris Avery for a wonderful camp 

I trust that people were able to enjoy the sunshine and attend the Dimboola Show on a glorious day. While I didn’t attend the show, I took some time showcasing Dimboola to friends on Saturday, who were visiting from Ocean Grove. They commented on the wonderful shops and the feel of the town. It made me reflect on how lucky we are to live in the Wimmera and enjoy everything that it holds. I also appreciated the work of the students in getting their artwork together for the show. In particular the wonderful efforts of Mrs French who again took time on a non-workday to get all the pieces together, take them to the showgrounds and put them on display. Mrs French – you are a gem! We are so lucky to have you.

Students in Grade 2 and 3 were presented with a rich maths problem. The problem was around Eric the sheep who was waiting to be shorn. Unfortunately, Eric was at the end of the line of sheep waiting to be shorn. Eric was impatient, so each time a sheep was taken by the shearer from the front of the line, Eric jumped ahead two places in the line. Students role played what this looked like using people initially. Then they worked in pairs and used counters to try to discover how many sheep would get shorn before Eric as he “waited in line”. This is what the students found:

Grass pollen season brings an increase in asthma and hay fever. It also brings the chance of thunderstorm asthma. For people with asthma or hay fever, especially those who experience wheezing or coughing with their hay fever, thunderstorm asthma can be sudden, serious and even life threatening.

In Victoria, the grass pollen season runs from October through December. As the season approaches, there are some things you can do to prepare and protect yourself and those in your care:

– If you’ve ever had asthma – talk to your doctor about what you can do to help protect yourself from the risk of thunderstorm asthma this pollen season, including updating your asthma action plan. Remember, taking an asthma preventer properly and regularly is key to preventing asthma, including thunderstorm asthma.

– If you have hay fever – see your pharmacist or doctor for a hay fever treatment plan and check if you should have an asthma reliever puffer – which is available from a pharmacy without a prescription.

– If you have hay fever, and especially if you experience wheezing and coughing with your hay fever, it is important to make sure you don’t also have asthma. Speak to your doctor today about whether you might have asthma, and if you do, get an asthma action plan.

– It’s important for everyone in the community to know the four steps of asthma first aid so they know what to do if they or someone is having an asthma attack.

– And finally, where possible, avoid being outside during thunderstorms from October through December – especially in the wind gusts that come before the storm. Go inside and close your doors and windows. If you have your air conditioning on, turn it onto recirculate.

Protect yourself this pollen season – managing asthma and allergies matters. For more information visit the Better Health Channel www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/thunderstormasthma

Dear parents and carers,

In Term 4, 2024, families with a child enrolled in a government school from Prep to Year 12 in 2025 will receive the one-off $400 School Saving Bonus.

The $400 School Saving Bonus provides families with support for education-related costs, such as school activities and/or school uniforms and textbooks.

The School Saving Bonus is not available for full-fee international students, home schooled students, TAFE students and students attending kindergarten in 2025.

Actions for parents and carers

Before 18 October 2024, the Department of Education is asking parents and carers to:

- Complete enrolment: If your child, or children are changing government school for Term 1 2025, or starting Prep or Year 7 in 2025. For more information, read about Enrolling in School.

- Check your contact information: Ensure your email address and phone number is up to date with us. You can check this information by contacting us directly.

We need to ensure your contact information is up to date as the Department of Education will email you twice:

- in October, to verify your email address

- in November, with your $400 School Saving Bonus.

Please check your junk mail regularly to make sure you do not miss an important email. To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, download the School Saving Bonus Information sheet for government school parents and carers or visit vic.gov.au/school-saving-bonus.

 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.

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 

Wednesday 23rd October – School Council 6:30 pm start – please note the new date due to absences last week

Friday 25th October – students in Grade 5/6 will be involved in a mock parliamentary session

Monday 4th November – Report Writing Day – Student free

Tuesday 5th November – Melbourne Cup Public Holiday

 Monday 11th November – House Public Speaking Commences (the topic this year will be science) students in Grade 3, 4, 5 and 6 involved.

Monday 25th November – Primary Swimming Program commences

 Friday 6th December – Swimming Carnival

Monday 9th December – House Public Speaking – Grade 5/6 children present to their House Groups

Tuesday 10th December – Statewide Transition – Year 7 to attend DMSC or other school of choice.

Wednesday 11th December -  - House Public Speaking – Grade 3/4 children present to their House Groups & Grade 6 Graduation

Friday 13th December – House Public Speaking Final