Chewton Primary School
Newsletter 14th August 2025
Newsletter 14th August 2025
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.
WARING (April-July) (Kulin seasons)
Misty mornings and cool rainy days.
Knorre Knorre (wombats) emerge when there is sun and eat the new shoots of grasses.
Read more here!
Term 3 21 July – 19 Sept
11-15 August National Week of Action: Bullying no way
15 August Meeting Place
15 August Music excursion CSC Grade 5-6
19 August Book Week Dress Up Day Book an Adventure Parade at 9am
20 August Curriculum Day SWPBS, English Curriculum No classes. Contact Kerrie for OSHC
25-27 August Grade 3-4 Swan Hill camp
29 August Wear it Purple Day: Rainbow young people
11-12 September Grade 2 Boomerang Camp
4 September Walk on Country with Kath
5 September Tennis Hot Shots3-6
11 September RUOK Day
18 September School Performance
19 September Footy Colours Day
Can you spend some time helping your child/ren practice their song for our performance?
Grade P-1 the Green grass grew all around
Grade 2-3-4 Count on me
Grade 5-6 Time in a bottle
There is a new electronic sign in on the shelf at school. It is very easy to use. If you are late dropping your child or early picking them up, please do this electronically. You are also able to do this from your Compass app.
CSC Acceptance Forms have been sent home with Year 6 children. Please complete and return to the office asap. Thank you to those that have already returned your forms.
The Castlemaine Secondary College Principal Team are offering Tours for any interested current Year 6 families and their students on the following dates:
Monday 18 August, 11:30am – 12:30pm
Monday 1 September, 11:30am – 12:30pm
Any families interested are welcome to attend by meeting at the General Office.
This term the Year 3/4 students are heading off to Swan Hill for camp on the 25th-27th of August. Consent and Medical forms have been sent home to families today. Please return these asap. Thank you to those that have already returned your forms.
The Year 2 students will attend Boomerang Camp on the 11th-12th of September. Forms will be sent home shortly.
All Year 2,3,4 families have School Savings Bonus to cover camp costs.
This week is Bullying No Way: National Week of Action. In Respectful Relationships classes students have been talking about Bullying, what it is, how to recognise it and what to do about it if it happens to them or a friend. In year 2/3/4 the students made posters. In year 5/6 the students made a banner. In F/1the students practiced kind words and actions.
Importantly all students thought about what actions they can take to prevent bullying in our school and the wider community.
What can we do about Bullying – some of the students’ ideas
- Include others
- Be kind
- Be a good friend
- Get help
- Be an upstander
Bullying is everyone's responsibility. It takes a community to be brave and address bullying behaviours, within and beyond the school gate.
In our community and in our school, we want a place where everyone can belong, a place that celebrates everyone, and where bullying is never accepted.
This Bullying No Way Week, we're asking students, schools, families and communities to be bold and say something, be kind and support someone, and be proud to take a stand against bullying.
Links for families
https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/responding-to-bullying/how-families-can-respond
Have you brought in your base layers for our performance yet?
Prep/1 News
It’s been a busy and exciting couple of weeks in Prep/1!
In Reading:
Our Preps have been practising reading longer words by adding an extra sound at the start or end – like crab, swim, wink, and jump. They’ve also started learning about the digraph /ck/, which often comes at the end of words like duck and luck. This week, they began bringing home Stage 5 readers – amazing progress!
Our Grade 1s have been learning about the split digraph /a-e/, which we see in words like cake, snake, and wave. We call the /e/ a “bossy letter” because it changes the way the vowel sounds. Even though English has some funny spelling rules, our Grade 1s have been doing a fantastic job!
In Writing:
We’ve continued to work on writing procedural texts – writing instructions step-by-step. Last week we followed a procedure to make parachutes, then had lots of fun building and testing them. We practised using “bossy words” in our instructions, like: Step 1: Tape the string to the paper.
This week, we listened to the story How to Wash a Woolly Mammoth and started learning the very silly steps you’d need to give one a bath!
Sustainability Fun:
Last Friday, we were lucky to have beautiful weather for a special Sustainability session with our Grade 5/6 buddies. Together we weeded the gardens, worked on our River Health posters, and made delicious damper and bush food dukkah, which we cooked over the campfire.
A big thank you to Serena and all our parent helpers for making the day so special.
From Erin, Sue & Luke
Sustainability with our buddies, 100 days of school with our buddies
This week in our Inquiry, students have dived into the exciting world of buoyancy and density through hands-on experiments that sparked curiosity and deep discussion. Here’s what we explored:
● Predict, Test, Observe: Students hypothesised which materials would float or sink, then tested their guesses in trays of water.
● Density Detective Work: We investigated why some objects—including massive ships—float: often because their overall density, including air in their structure, is less than water.
● Gas Experiments: Using the classic bicarbonate and vinegar reaction, students filled balloons with carbon dioxide, observing how gas production can inflate balloons and create lift.
● How do the properties of materials affect whether they float or sink?
● What roles do density and air volume play in buoyancy?
● How can we use science to understand real-world phenomena like floating ships or rising balloons?
By participating in these investigations, students are:
● Strengthening their understanding of materials science and physical properties
● Practicing scientific prediction, testing, and reflection as part of their inquiry process
We invite you to explore the photos capturing their investigative spirit, lively predictions, and thoughtful conclusions. Stay tuned for future updates on how matter changes state—and the magic that happens when heat is added or removed!
Hands on Learning
Our semester two students started last week with great enthusiasm. Beginning in the shed we went through the four pillars of the Hands-on Learning program (HOL).
- A place to belong
- People to belong to
- Real things to do
- A chance to give back
It was then to the kitchen to make and knead our pizza dough. Along with the cooking of pizzas all students had the opportunity to use some important tools including hand saws and clamps.
We finished the day back in the shed with a hot cuppa. There were smiles all around.
Helpers needed. Our Student Council members sent out a survey and got fantastic response from parents. They are keen to get the Friday food happening but we need at least 2 adults who can take this on together. The most popular options are pizza and toasties to start with…
Monday- Friday 7am-9am
Monday- Friday 3:30pm-6pm
contact Kerrie 0410 734 733
Available for our Curriculum Days
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
We also heard about the current Treaty work being undertaken in Victoria. 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
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
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, 12 December.
(hiSilver wattle and magpie time
July-August – the cool weather continues but some warmer days arrive. The bush comes alive with the sight and smell of flowering wattles and the call of many birds.
Gurruk (Australian Magpie) begin to construct nests for raising young. Water Ribbon tubers are roasted and eaten. Flowering Early Nancy signal that the eggs of Black Swans are ready for collection. The wood from some wattle species can be used for making tools.
Early Nancy and Scented Sundews form white carpets on slopes and hilltops at places like Kalimna Park, the Muckleford Nature Conservation Reserve and the Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. Wararak (Silver Wattle) bursts into flower along the Loddon River and Campbells and Forest Creeks.
• Water Ribbon tubers flower and seed along rivers and creeks
• Migratory Cuckoos (Fan-tailed, Pallid, Shining Bronze and Horsfield’s Bronze) arrive and begin calling for the breeding season
• Many Acacia species burst into flower including Wayi-Galk (Golden), Wararak (Silver), Rough and Woolly Wattles
• Rakali (Water-rat) mate
• Early Nancy and Scented Sundews form white carpets on slopes and hilltops.
http://www.schoollunchonline.com.au
14/2
14/3
16/5
13/6
8/8
12/9
24/10
14/11
12/12
Term 4 6 Oct – 19 Dec
7-15 October Somers Camp selected 5-6 students
10 October World Mental Health Day
10 October Goldfields Team Tennis/ softball (9/10-12/13 YO) TBC
17 October Goldfields Cricket Blast/ Basketball (9/10-12/13 YO) TBC
Tuesday 21 October at 2.30pm Vaping prevention session for Grade 5-6 students
Wednesday October 22 + Thursday October 23 I Am Mindful (I.A.M) program yr 5/6 students in 2 x 2hr sessions, Teacher PD 3.30-4.30 and Parent education workshop on Zoom 7.30pm-8.30pm
Wednesday 29th October Vaping prevention session with Bron Grieves 2:30pm
Preparation for Puberty grade 5-6
Tuesday 28th Oct 9:30-11am
Friday 7th November 2.30- 3.30
Thursday 13th November 9.30- 11am
Tuesday 18th Nov at 9,30 a- 11
Tuesday 25th November 9:30-11am
4 November Curriculum Day
10-12 November Grade 5-6 Anglesea
7 November Kickball P-2 (change of location to Maldon)
11 November Remembrance Day
Bike Ride 3-6 Date TBC
Halloween dress up (week of 31st)
18, 25 November, 2 Dec Prep Transition
3 December International Day of persons with disability
9 December Whole School Step Up Day
10 December Human Rights Day
16 December Xmas Carols, Yabbying
17 December Graduation/ End of year picnic 5-7:30pm
18 December Year 6 Big Day Out
19 December Pool Day 12-2:30