Cancellations:

Star Gazing night/ School sleep over under the stars: due to our ongoing wet weather we won't be able to have a sleep over under the stars. If the weather is ok on the night we may be able to have a late night stay and do some star gazing.

Grade 3-4 free camp postponed to Term 1 2023 due to illness

Bike Ride: we have been able to reschedule the Grade 3-6 bike ride to next Wednesday 7 December 9am sharp

Emergency Management

Lots of people went to the Chewton CFA last night to look at an evacuation scenario as well as to learn about being fire ready this summer. We will send home the new fire ratings from the CFA this week along with a print out of emergency information.

In the event of an emergency, we will evacuate by bus to Castlemaine Primary School (South school). Parents are asked not to collect their child until advised it is safe to do so.

If it is not safe to evacuate we will shelter in place in the multipurpose room. Parents are asked not to collect their child until advised it is safe to do so.

Please make a fire safety plan with your family. The clear advice from the meeting yesterday, is to leave early.

Parent Payments

If you are one of the 15 families that have not yet fully paid, please finalise your 2022 parent payments as soon as possible.

Outstanding Excursion Permissions and Payments

A reminder to return any permission notes and payments for past and upcoming excursions and incursions.

This includes the following excursions:

• P-2 Kickball - $5

• Y3-6 Cricket & Netball Carnival - $5

• Whole school Life Education Incursion - $16

Please follow up with Kitty if you are unsure if you have paid.

Carpark and access to the school

Great to see families using the bus zone. We have been waiting for Council to supply a new sign for many months. Hopefully it will be in place soon.

Election Day Fundraiser

Thanks to everyone for your support. We raised $1303.95 which will go towards new furniture for the library.

Special thanks to Chris, Mai and Shayne for set up

Damien, Kate, Emma, Sam, Kasey, Affrica, Nicole, Christiana, Michelle, Megan, Kez, Ryan and Katie for cooking up a storm

Special thanks to Ryan, Katie and Kez for pack up

Thanks to everyone who baked or contributed goods: Simon, Wendy, Belinda, Mai, Shu, Wendy, Kate, Leonie, Christiana, Orlo, Jo, sully, Leif, Jonquil and Aph for cooking or donating items. Thanks to everyone who came and supported us by buying goods.

Funds from this event will go towards furniture for the library!

Free things

We have shelves, pinboards and blackboards to give away. Must go! Are you able to help with taking items to the second hand shop at Castlemaine Tip on Friday or Saturday this week?

For Sale

We still have doors, windows and baltic pine lining boards for sale. Proceeds go towards new library furniture. Please see Bernadette

MARC Library Books

Dear parents

Library van visits for this year have finished and there are still outstanding overdue books. Overdue notices will be sent out to child/ren if they have any outstanding MARC van books. Please check at home for any library books and return them to school. I will be visiting your school Monday 12^th December to collect books.

Ms Russell

2023 Transition Dates

6th December 9-11:30am (Prep-1)

13th December 9-2:30pm (Whole school Step up day)

COVID INFORMATION

The following advice is from DET:

It is strongly recommended that students:

• who test positive to COVID-19 stay home and isolate for 5 days

• should not attend school after 5 days if still symptomatic

• who are symptomatic but have not tested positive should not attend school

• advise the school of the COVID-19 positive test result

Where students become symptomatic at school they should:

• be collected by their parents/carers

• undergo testing for COVID-19

Reporting positive COVID-19 test results

• The Department of Health recommends that a person who tests positive for COVID-19 should inform those with whom they have recently been in contact, including their workplace, schools and household.

• Parents and carers are asked to report positive student COVID-19 cases using the VicED COVID Tool.

Kimochi’s Choose helping words

Last week I worked with children to review the fourth Kimochi Key to Communication: Choose helping words. We discussed name calling and how hurtful it can be. We used the nesting heart in the photos to show a hurt heart. This key helps us to both think before we speak and consider our word choices. Typically, children acquire a basic ability to understand another's perspective. This allows them to become caring people. However, they will need modelling and practice to do so. In our lesson, we talked about words that make hearts feel good and words that hurt feelings and your hearts. Children know that everybody makes mistakes and can accidentally use words that hurt. Children learned to use the following communication tool when hurting words are used:

• show a gentle, but hurt facial expression.

• Place your hand over your heart.

• Make eye contact with the person who hurt you.

• Say, "Ouch" in a soft, but hurt tone.

Common Language we use

Helping words: Positive words that resolve feelings and conflicts

Hurting words: Negative or loaded words that create upset feelings

"Ouch": Said in a soft voice with hurt facial expression to let the person know in a gentle, shame-free way that they hurt your feelings

Coach Key 4 During Daily Activities at home

Guide your child to use helping words in challenging situations. For example, if your child is frustrated because you can't say yes to a request, say, "Lena, you can tell Mummy, 'I feel frustrated.' Acknowledge children's attempts to use helping words: "I hear Sissy using helping words!"

Before an activity that might create upset feelings, remind your child how they can use "Ouch" to let their friends or siblings know that a moment was hurtful. Predict what might happen that would make play not so much fun. Then create a communication script for that specific moment. For example, if you predict that turn-taking and sharing will be challenging, remind your child that they can say, "Remember, we take turns."

Be mindful to choose helping words yourself. When you can see, hear, and feel that your word choice was hurtful, be brave and apologize and start again. "Oops, I want to try again and use my helping words."

Family Fun: Playful Ways to Practice

SILLY WORDS. It can be fun for families to make up words that only your family knows. For example, "jumpy" could be your family's way of saying, "This is so fun!"

FAVORITE EXPRESSIONS. Children benefit from learning helpful proverbs that you might have learned as a child. For example, "Two wrongs don't make a right." One has to regulate emotions with positive communication tools when someone wrongs you. For example, if someone grabs from you (wrong), you can use the Talking Hand (right)!

OFF-LIMIT WORDS. Young children go through a developmentally normal period when they use "bad" words. Discuss as a family how to think before speaking and make sure to avoid hurtful words. Name words that are off-limits. Explain that if you hear these words, you will make eye contact and shake your head to say, "No, we don't say these words."

Kimochis raffle tickets

We are focusing on using our Keys to Communication in the playground. Staff are giving out raffle tickets when they see students using one of the keys during play times. Tickets go into a draw in the classroom and each day one student's name is drawn out. They can choose one of the class rewards: eg 5 minutes extra outdoor time, choice of class game, 10 minute partner game.

It has been fantastic to see everyone using helping words, talking voices to solve problems and serious eyes when needed. Ask your child how to share what each of the keys looks like and look at the SEL (Social Emotional Learning) tools together. It's great to celebrate positive social interactions!

Abbi Time!

Responsible Pet Ownership incursion

Community Notices

REMEMBER THE DIGGERS’ 1851 MONSTER MEETING

CELEBRATE THE 20 BIRTHDAY OF THE CASTLEMAINE DIGGINGS NATIONAL HERITAGE PARK.

SUNDAY 11 DECEMBER @ CHEWTON

MONSTER MEETING SITE GOLDEN PT RD

1.30 JUNIOR RANGERS PROGRAM

3.00 TRADITIONAL WELCOME & MUSIC & WORDS FROM THE DRAY

Again we will are gather at the Monster Meeting site in the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park to remember the Diggers who began a democratic protest movement that spread across the goldfields and kick-started the development of parliamentary democracy in Victoria . Their Meeting is a part of the Park’s unique history.

The Park, on DjaDja Wurrung land, is the largest historic mining landscape in Australia, and 20 years ago, in December 2003, it was listed in the Victorian Heritage Register . It uniquely still shows authentic traces of the tens of thousands who came to find gold at Forest Creek, the richest shallow alluvial goldfield ever discovered, and changed the land of the Djaara people who lived there for thousands of years and left the gold unwanted in the ground.

At 1.30 we will there will be some gold panning organised by Parks Victoria for Junior Rangers – pans will be provided.

At 3 pm there will be a traditional Welcome and then we will celebrate the Diggers’ Meeting with music from the Brasselmania Brass Band, including some of the music that the Saxe Horn Band played to the Diggers in 1851. And speakers will tell the Diggers’ story from the dray, including with the words from 1851.

Remember. Bring a hat ,water & a chair if you don’t want to sit on the grass.

Organised by Chewton Domain Society & Parks Victoria.

Dja Dja Wurrung websites

Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation https://djadjawurrung.com.au/

Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation https://nalderun.net.au/

Fire Danger Ratings

We are in the North Central District