Chewton Primary School
Newsletter 27th November 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
Important Dates
Important Dates
Prep Transition Days
Tuesday 2nd December 9:00am - 12:30pm
Tuesday 9th December (Whole School Step Up Day) - 9:00am - 2:30pm
1 December Secret Santa/Kris Kringle notes go home
1, 2 December I am mindful Grade 5-6
3 December International Day of persons with disability
9 December Whole School Step Up Day
10 December Human Rights Day
12 December Kris Kingle presents due (hand in to office please)
16 December Xmas Carols, Yabbying
17 December Graduation/ End of year picnic 5:30pm
18 December Year 6 Big Day Out
19 December Pool Day 12-1:30 End of term pick up from the pool
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
1st December: you will find out who your child buys a small gift for
12 December: make sure you gift is in the office
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.
Help needed
Help needed
We are preparing for an OHS audit and want to do a clean up around the school.
Kate is working in the art room on Monday 1st December and would love one or two people to help sort some excess things in the store room.
We need people to take things to the tip shop, ewaste and the recycling area in Castlemaine.
Can you take our soft plastic to the Castlemaine Transfer station?
Can you take some ewaste to the Castlemaine Transfer station?
Can you take some textiles to the Castlemaine Transfer station?
We have a number of things we need help with over the next month. We understand how busy everyone is, but do ask you to give us a few hours where you can!
Weeding garden beds
Cleaning out the music end of the Art Room storage: Can you help Monday 1st December?
Raking leaves and leaf litter
Free to a good home
Free to a good home
On the outdoor kitchen table.
Free to a good home
Free to a good home
On the outdoor kitchen table.
Free to a good home
Free to a good home
On the outdoor kitchen table.
Free: bikes
Free: bikes
We have a number of used bikes which are surplus to our needs. We used to keep bikes as spares for our bike rides, but all of our riders now have them, so we are happy to give excess away. Please see Bernadette
Coloured sand update
Coloured sand update
All kinetic sand has been removed from classrooms and will be collected for disposal.
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
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Frog and yellow (flowering) time
Frog and yellow (flowering) time
September-mid-November – as the weather warms, the peak flowering season for many wildflowers begins. Frosts and rainy days are often still common.
As the water warms over spring, River Blackfish and Murray Cod become more active. These are caught in traps constructed along waterways using stone and woven baskets.
Watjarang (Platypus) along Campbells Creek breed and lay eggs. This is peak flowering season for many wildflowers, such as Murna (Yam Daisy), Gitjawil Matom (Chocolate Lily) and Bam (Bulbine Lily), which can be seen at the Muckleford Nature Conservation Reserve, Kalimna Park and Castlemaine Diggings National Heritage Park. Gurndi (Cranberry Heath) berries ripen and are ready to eat.
• This is peak flowering season for many wildflowers, such as Murna (Yam Daisy), Gitjawil Matom (Chocolate Lily), Bam (Bulbine Lily), Sticky Everlasting, Clustered Everlasting, Grey Everlasting and Orchids, as well as for shrubs such as Downy Grevillea, Rough Mint-bush, and Fairy Wax-flower.
• Watjarang (Platypus) breed and lay eggs
• Brushtail Possums carry their young from nests
• River Blackfish spawn
• The bush is bright with yellow daisies that provide a landing pad where insects can warm up on cold mornings
• Australian Reed-warblers begin calling along creeks and rivers
• Rainbow Bee-eaters arrive from northern Australia to nest along creek and river banks
• Large flocks of White-browed and Masked Woodswallow arrive from northern Australia and can be heard calling in the sky
• This is peak frog breeding season – large frog choruses can be heard in wetlands and along creeks and rivers
• Black Wattle and Red Box flower.
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