Welcome to our new students

Wow!

Have you come in to look at the renovations? They are nearly complete and the learning spaces look amazing!

Handover should be in mid February and the 3-4-5 class will move into their new room. The P-2 class will wait until the dividing door is in place. New furniture will arrive mid to late term to make our spaces complete.

We will need parents to help move furniture and boxes from Clare's place back to the school in late February. Stay tuned!

2023 Parent Payment information

Payment information was sent out this week. If you did not receive it, please contact Bernadette or Graeme. Kitty is on leave for the first few weeks of school and Graeme is stepping in to assist. Thanks to the early birds who have already paid!

Kimochis 2023 at Chewton Primary School

When it comes to academic success, studies show that students with a higher emotional intelligence tend to gain higher grades and better manage the social world around them, thus forming more positive relationships. To promote your child’s academic success and overall wellbeing our school is continuing to implement a schoolwide tool called, Kimochis Social Emotional Learning Program.

Our new families this year will be asking what is Kimochis? (KEY.Mo.CHEEZ), means feeling in Japanese. Feelings fuel behaviours that can either help us or keep us from reaching our goals. We want to ensure your children reach their academic potential and make healthy and happy friendships.

Teaming with parents is our mission as together we can help your students come back to school with more positivity and have a successful school year. Below you will find our schoolwide message and 4 powerful communication tools your children will be learning and using to manage emotions in positive ways. We hope you will join us in using these helpful emotion regulation tools in your home.

The Schoolwide message:

All feelings are okay. All behaviours are not.

(This means you can be MAD, but you can’t be mean with your words or actions)

4 Powerful Communication Tools will continue to be taught and used throughout our school

to help decrease challenging behaviours that are fuelled by BIG feelings and promote wellbeing

and a happy school year. Please join us in using these tools at home.

Name It: The “Name it” tool allows everyone to name what they are feeling rather than “Acting- Out” or “Acting-In.”

Calm-Down Breath: The calm-down breath tool helps reduce the size of feelings so people are better able to choose a positive response rather than default to challenging behaviours such a yelling.

Redo Tool The redo tool allows everyone to have a “second chance” after making mistakes and redo a hurtful moment in a kinder way. 

Go to a Trusted Person: The Go to a Trusted Person tool helps all know it is strong and brave to ask for help with our feelings. No one should be alone with feelings in challenging times.

The 4 Communication Tools in Action

• I feel mad so I NAME IT verbally or point to, hold, or show the feeling that is

obstructing learning and/or positive interactions with peers.

• I take a calm-down breath to make my mad feeling smaller, so I don’t yell, hit,

push, or hurt myself or others.

• If I yell or do the wrong thing, I take a redo and try again in a positive

way to express my feeling.

• If I need more help with my BIG mad feeling I turn to a trusted person because I am strong and brave and ask for help when needed.

The Schoolwide process:

• Feeling charts and feeling bowls are used throughout the school day to create

a positive learning environment and as a shame-free, effective way to respond

to challenging behaviours.

Feeling Charts for the Home

• I have attached a feeling chart you can put in a high traffic area in your home to help

build your child’s emotional vocabulary and awareness. Please don’t hesitate to see your child’s teacher or myself (Linda- Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader) for more information if needed.

Students in the 3-4-5 class this week exploring feelings and friendship in Kimochis as part of our start up program

Happy to be back at school again and learning with our new classmates

For Sale

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

School Council news

At our last School council meeting, the data on the school uniform surveys was discussed. 

School Council have decided to have a trial in Term 1.

First 4 weeks of school: Full school uniform

Week 5 and 6: School top/jumper and choice of pants/shorts

Week 7 and 8: Optional- choice of wearing uniform or casual clothes

Week 9 and 10: Survey of school community- students, parents and staff to find out views on uniforms.

School Council to review survey data at 30th March 2023 Meeting and decide next course of action

Next meeting: Thursday 23rd February 6:30pm

Are you interested in joining School Council? We are looking for new members this year. We meet on the last Thursday of each month at 6:30pm

Free things

There are still a few things to give away. They are located by the skip in the main car park.

Community Notices

Dja Dja Wurrung websites

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

DJAARA - Home | Facebook 

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

Fire Danger Ratings

We are in the North Central District

On Extreme Fire Danger days we relocate to Castlemaine Primary

Please read our emergency information carefully

Every term we have a drill to practice what we do in case of an emergency. Our school is in a bushfire zone and plan accordingly. In the case of an emergency we may have to evacuate. We will evacuate to Castlemaine Primary School. Parents are asked not to collect children until advised it is safe to do so. Our roads are narrow and we need to keep them as open as possible for emergency vehicles. 

In the event that we need to shelter in place, we go to our Multipurpose Room. It has a solar system with battery back up, sprinklers, and will soon have shutters on the windows. We have satellite communication back up and a kit containing first aid and water. 

We work closely with the Chewton CFA to make sure our planning and practice drills are best practice.

In the case of an emergency, parents will receive a text from our school mobile phone. You will need to respond with a YES to let us know you have received the message. If you do not respond we will attempt to ring you. This phone is not monitored except in emergencies, so it is not a daily form of school communication. Please make sure you put the number into  your contact list.