Chewton Primary School
Newsletter 4th December 2025
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Chewton Primary School is situated on Djaara Country!
We acknowledge the Dja Dja Wurrung people, the custodians and caretakers of the land. We thank them for the care they have taken and continue to take of Country: the rivers, mountains, trees and animals. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
We follow Bunjil's teachings: Care for self , Care for others, Care for Country
We commit to Be Brave and Make Change.
We will be a voice for generations.
Now, more than ever.
Giranal (Perch) and Wirrap (Cod) Time (November to December) Djaara seasons
Buath Gurru grass flowering season, November Kulin seasons
Buath Gurru grass flowering season, November Kulin seasons
Water Safety Week.
Water Safety Week.
This week is Water Safety Week
VICSWIM program
VICSWIM program
VICSWIM is a 5-day intensive learn to swim and water safety program for children aged 4 to 12 years, run in the summer holidays. VICSWIM is particularly helpful for those who may not access swimming lessons regularly. The Victorian Government subsidises the program, which is run by Aquatics and Recreation Victoria.
Please share the program details below with your school community. You can also use VICSWIM resources, including social media tiles, newsletter banner images and printable files, to promote the program.
Program details
Program details
Dates: Monday 5 January to Friday 23 January 2026
Time: 5 lessons, 30 minutes each
Location: at 140 venues across the state. To find your nearest location, refer to VICSWIM 2026 venues
Cost: $43 per child for the week.
For more information and to book (log in required), refer to the VICSWIM website.
Important Dates
Important Dates
Prep Transition Days
9 December Whole School Step Up Day: 2026 preps 9-2:30 bring a teddy
9 December Apology to First Peoples: Victorian Parliament 11am Livestream
10 December Human Rights Day
12 December Kris Kingle presents due (hand in to office please)
12 December Treaty celebrations in Fed Square Melbourne for general public
16 December Xmas Carols 10am at Chewton GPO, Yabbying grade 2-6 11:30
17 December Graduation/ End of year picnic 5:30pm- 7:30pm
18 December Year 6 Big Day Out
19 December Pool Day 12-1:30 End of term pick up from the pool 1:30
Secret Santa
Secret Santa
Each year we have Secret Santa, otherwise know as Kris Kringle. Everyone in the school - staff and students - are given the name of a person they are asked to do kind things for and to buy a present for. We do this because we are a whole school community and because we want to reduce stress for families on buying staff presents. We encourage children to make something for their Secret Santa person, or to limit the cost to $5-$10. Please do not spend any more than this! Students are asked to bring their present to the office by Friday December 12th, with the name of their person clearly labelled. Please don't just drop off the presents - Eloise, Kahu, or Kitty will need to check off your name to ensure that no one misses out! Thanks for your support in continuing this much loved Chewton tradition. Presents will be given at our picnic (on Wednesday December 17th). If you are not going to be here, please let the office know!
December events
December events
Strap yourself in, December is full of lots of great things at Chewton
12 December: make sure Kris Kringle gift is in the office
12 December: Grade 5-6 Kangaroo Safety Posters on site in Main St Chewton 11:30am
15 December: School Captain speeches 2:30pm
16 December Xmas Carols outside the Chewton Post Office at 10am. Bring your camera and your singing voice!
17 December: Whole school picnic and Year 6 Graduation. 5:30pm-7:30pm
Commencing at 5:30pm sharp with Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony
Year 6 Graduation
Family picnic
Special visitor in a big red truck visiting!
Secret Santa/ Kris Kringle presents
19 December Pool party at the Chewton Pool 12-1:30pm Collect your child from the pool at 1:30pm. Please let Bernadette know if your child will be travelling home on the bus.
Huge thanks
Huge thanks
Thanks so much to Steve and Bindi for taking our old bikes to the Castlemaine Tip for resale, reuse and recycling!
Thanks so much to Gill for helping Kate in the art storeroom for a massive clean and recycling trip!
Thanks so much to Kate for sorting everything in the storeroom!
Thanks to Shirley Anderson for her volunteer work in the library doing a stocktake and packing our library so we can have the room as the 1-2 classroom next year.
Help still needed:
Can you take our soft plastic to the Castlemaine Transfer station?
Weeding garden beds
Raking leaves and leaf litter
Moving boxes to the container when the stocktake is complete
eSmart-Social-Media-Delay-Parent-Resource.pdfStarting-primary-school-fact-sheet.pdfOutside School Hours Care
Outside School Hours Care
Monday- Friday 7am-9am
Monday- Friday 3:30pm-6pm
contact Kerrie 0410 734 733
Available for our Curriculum Days
Read more here!
Community Notices
Community Notices
Soft Plastic and Textile recycling trial in Castlemaine
Soft Plastic and Textile recycling trial in Castlemaine
Mount Alexander Shire Council is trialling a soft plastics and textile recycling service.
Residents are now able to drop off soft plastics and textiles at the Castlemaine Transfer Station.
These recycling services will be available to households free of charge during the six-month trial. The goal of the trial is to gauge the level of community uptake and the costs involved. The outcome will determine whether fees will be required or whether council can absorb the costs and subsidise the service.
Soft plastics will be sent in bulk to APR Chemcycle on the outskirts of Melbourne and turned into a recycled plastic resin, which will be used to make new food-grade packaging.
From a chip packet, back to a chip packet, this is a circular solution for soft plastics.
Soft plastics recycling reduces reliance on fossil fuels and helps to address the global plastic waste crisis.
Mount Alexander Shire’s Mayor, Cr Rosie Annear, said that the soft plastics and textile recycling trial is the next step in Council’s commitment to sustainability and climate action.
“Reducing waste and protecting our environment is something our community cares deeply about," said Mayor Annear.
“This trial gives residents an easy way to recycle textiles and soft plastics that often end up in landfill.
“By working together to recycle more and waste less, we’re creating a sustainable future for our shire.”
The Castlemaine Transfer Station will accept plastics that can be scrunched up into a ball in your hand, such as bread bags, food packaging and bubble wrap.
Residents’ damaged textiles will be sent to Textile Recyclers Group where it will be sorted by fibres and colour, baled, shredded and spun back into yarn.
The recycled yarn is used to make tote bags, cushions, gloves, socks, rugs, throws, blankets, felts, underlay, insulation and furniture filler.
On average, Australians create around 27 kilograms of textile waste each year and 93 per cent ends up in landfill. That's more than 100 t-shirts per person.
Textiles accepted include:
clean clothing such as pants, skirts, jackets etc. that are not fit for op shops
linen items such as sheets, pillow-cases blankets, towels, cushions and pillows, doonas
pairs of shoes
fabric and yarn off-cuts.
Textiles not accepted include:
swim wear and underwear
backpacks
mattresses and mattress protectors
curtains with hooks and eyelets
re-useable shopping bags.
The number of transactions, kilograms recycled and all costs will be recorded.
Learn about soft plastics recycling at www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/Recycle-soft-plastics.
Learn about textile recycling at www.mountalexander.vic.gov.au/Recycle-textiles.
Songlines and Seasons Exhibition
Dumawul, Hargreaves Mall, Bendigo
A4 poster - Community Walk against violence - 16 Days of Activism - October 2025.pdf
The Castlemaine Rocky Riders Mountain Bike Club, Dirt Crits Series starts Thursday 6th November and registrations are now open! Dirt Crits is a junior cross country mountain bike event series, consisting of 10 rounds of mountain biking fun (5 in Nov-Dec 2025, 5 in Feb-Mar 2026) at the Walmer Forest trailhead, Daltons Road Castlemaine.
Dirt Crits are run as a handicapped format, with individual start times and laps to complete calculated week-to-week, based on lap times. So on any given week, anyone can win!
There are two categories: Dirt Cubs (age 3-7 ) & Dirt Masters (ages 8-14 )
Dirt Crits are all about fun. We encourage riders of all abilities to come and have a go, either to compete, or to just roll around and enjoy our local trails in a friendly and inclusive environment.
Cost of entry for each week of racing is just a gold coin donation.
To register: https://events.auscycling.org.au/.../individual/events/2529
First Peoples connections and information
Djaara (Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal Corporation) https://djadjawurrung.com.au/ DJAARA - Home | Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DjaDjaWurrung/ Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation https://nalderun.net.au/ Anti-racism https://racismnoway.com.au/ https://alltogethernow.org.au/racism/racism-in-schools/how-to-discuss-racism-with-children/ Treaty https://www.firstpeoplesrelations.vic.gov.au/treaty First Peoples connections and information
You can find out more about Yoorrook here
https://yoorrookjusticecommission.org.au/ and Four Corners have an excellent program on Yoorrook.
https://iview.abc.net.au/show/four-corners/series/2025/video/NC2503H008S00
You may have heard that Djaara have begun Treaty negotiations with the Victorian government.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-28/djaara-treaty-first-nations-state-australia-victoria/105337078First Nations Days of Significance:
Term 1
February 13th: Anniversary of Apology to Stolen Generations
February 13-26 Anniversary of the 1967 Freedom Ride
March 21 National Close the Gap day
April 5th: Anniversary of Bringing them home report
April 15th anniversary of the Royal commission into Aboriginal Deaths in custody
April 25th ANZAC Day
Term 2
May 26th: Sorry Day
May 27th - June 3rd: Reconciliation Week
May 30th: Reconciliation Walk
July 7th -14th: NAIDOC Week
Term 3
August 4th: National Aboriginal and Islander Children's Day
August 9th: International Day of the World's Indigenous People
August 13th: Anniversary of the Yirrkala bark petitions
august 23: Anniversary of the Gurindji Wave Hill Walk off
September 7: Indigenous Literacy Day
Term 4
October 26: Anniversary of the Uluru handback
December 10: Human rights day
Meeting Place Dates 2025
TERM 1 - 21 February, March 7, April 4
TERM 2 - 9 May, 23 May, 13 June, 27 June
TERM 3 - 25 July, 15 August, 29 August, 12 September
TERM 4 - 24 October, 7 November, 28 November
Long-necked turtle and seed time
Long-necked turtle and seed time
Mid-November-December – increasing warmer weather brings out many reptiles and insects, while grasses flower and set seed. Creeks and rivers begin to dry and the bushfire season may commence in drier years.
The seed of some wattle species is collected to grind up into flour using stone mortars. Berries of Dhurunguk Gurrka (Flax-lily), Kangaroo Apple and Apple-berry are ready to be eaten, while turtle eggs can be collected. Native grass seeds ripen and is ground into flour.
Wurrumuk (Long-necked Turtle) lays eggs near Forest Creek, while young Brush-tailed Phascogale leave the nest at Kalimna Park. Common Reed flowers and seeds along the Loddon River.
• Peak flowering for Darrk (Yellow Box)
• Berries of Bulotj (Cherry Ballart) ripen
• Insects are most active – butterflies, cicadas, moths, dragonflies
• Berries of Dhurunguk Gurrka (Flax-lily), Kangaroo Apple and Apple-berry ripen, and Wattle Pods go brown and split open, releasing their hard, black seeds.
• Bluebells, Sweet Bursaria and Mistletoes flower, providing a valuable source of nectar
• Wurrumuk (Long-necked Turtles) lay eggs
• Young Brush-tailed Phascogales begin to leave their nests
• Native grass-seeds ripen including Kangaroo, Wallaby, Buwatj (Tussock) and Spear Grasses – providing food for ants and finches
• Koala breeding season
• Sand Goanna and Lace Monitor lay eggs
• White-throated Nightjar heard calling at dusk and dawn
• Common Reed flowers along creeks and rivers
• Native bees are active in flowering eucalypts
• Lorikeets arrive to feed on flowering eucalypts.
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