Chewton Primary School
Newsletter 12/02/2026
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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.
Barramal (emu) and MilakukTime (January- March) Djaara seasons
Important Dates
Important Dates
13th February Anniversary of Apology to Stolen Generations
13th February- Swimming Carnival 1pm-3:30pm please join us!
16th February Volunteer Induction 9am, 3pm
17 February Volunteer Induction 9am, 3pm
18th February Parent/Teacher/ student learning conferences. No classes. OHSC available
19th February Welcome Picnic 5:30-7pm at the Outdoor stage
20th February Meeting Place
24 February Volunteer Inductions 9am 3pm
6th March- Meeting Place
9th March: Labour Day public Holiday
16-20 March Neurodiversity week
20th March Castlemaine State Festival opens (Schools are partnering with Nalderun for an amazing opening performance-Choir 3-6 students)
23rd March Harmony Day
25th March Castlemaine State Festival excursion grade 1-6
27th February Sushi
27th March Sushi
2nd April- Easter Hat parade 9am
Swimming Carnival Tomorrow 1-3:30pm
Swimming Carnival Tomorrow 1-3:30pm
Join us at the pool tomorrow from 1pm. If you can help Frog and Rachel scoring or Margot judging the places, we'l love some assistance.
Students come wearing their house colours.
wurru yaluk baring yarram yarram
Please pick your child up from the pool at 3:30. If your child is in OSHC or on the bus, please contact the school tomorrow
Parent/ Teacher/ Student Learning conferences
Parent/ Teacher/ Student Learning conferences
Next Wednesday 18th February 12pm-6pm we have parent/ teacher/ student learning conferences for students in
Prep Grade 3-4 Grade 5-6
Bookings can be made on Compass from Friday 13th at 4pm. Interview times are 15 minutes. These are a great opportunity at the beginning of the year to connect with your child's teacher and for students to share their learning goals. If you are having trouble booking, please ring the school on Monday. We ask parents to do their best to make time on this date.
There is no school classes on this date. Outside School Hours Care is available. Please contact Kerrie if you would like to use this fantastic service.
Families with students in Grade 1-2 will have learning conferences on Wednesday 25th February. Your child will attend school on that day and join you for the interview.
Welcome Picnic
Welcome Picnic
We have our welcome picnic on Thursday 19th February 5:30-7pm
Our Acknowledgement of Country will start at 5:30pm sharp!
Uncle Rick is working with Djaara and cannot give us his usual Welcome to Country. We will have First Nations giving an Acknowledgement.
Bring some food and picnic rug.
School and House Captains will be presented with their badges!
Our picnics are always a special time to welcome our new families and to come together to celebrate our wonderful community!
Some lovely news
Some lovely news
We have just received the news that we will get a mod unit this year so we will have a library again! This is fantastic news and we are so excited! Lots of great infrastructure upgrades thanks to student council members, Dan Nixon (past Grounds and Buildings member), Kitty (in her previous role as business manager), Amelia Wallin (grant writer) and our school council! We need one or two parents to join Bernadette in the Grounds and Buildings sub-committee this year.
Bullying Prevention Policy
Bullying Prevention Policy
We are updating our Bullying Prevention policy at our next school council meeting. We would love your input into the policy. Bernadette is working with students next week to get their suggestions and areas that may be of concern to them. The 5-6 class discussed the idea of help seeking today and how important it is to let a teacher or adult know when things are happening so students can be supported. Please email Bernadette if you have suggestions.
Our current policy can be found on our website: Bullying Prevention Policy
Bushfire Risk Rating and school relocation information
Bushfire Risk Rating and school relocation information
The relocation to Winters Flat went very smoothly on Thursday.
Bell time at Winters Flat 8:55am, 3:15pm
Chewton teachers are on duty from 8:45am
Thanks to staff, students, families and Winters Flat for making the day a success.
Outside 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
This is a fantastic service and we need to make sure we use it in order to keep it!
Read more here!
2025 Winner Lynette Russell History prize Teaching First Nations History
2025 Winner Lynette Russell History prize Teaching First Nations History
History Council of Victoria
Sushi
Sushi
Register for Sushi https://schoollunchonline.com.au/
We have sushi 3 Fridays each term.
Orders must be placed by Thursday 5pm.
Community Notices
Community Notices
Songlines and Seasons Exhibition
Dumawul, Hargreaves Mall, Bendigo
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 29th: 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 - 20 February
06 March
20 March
Dja Dja Wurrung Seasons
Dja Dja Wurrung Seasons
Fire and snake time
Fire and snake time
January-mid-March. The warmest and driest time of year, many plants become dormant but animal activity is still high, as the young of many species disperse. This is peak bushfire season. Occasional La Nina years bring heavy summer rains.
The bark of Biyal (River Red Gum) is used to make canoes, shields and other tools, the leaves have medicinal properties, while the seeds can be eaten.
Berries of Dhurunguk Gurrka (Flax Lily), Kangaroo Apple and Apple Berry are ready to be eaten.
As the water recedes, Old Man Sneezeweed grows with other small herbs on the mudflats of Bells Swamp and other local wetlands. Tiger Snakes hunt for frogs along the Loddon River.
• Cicada calls can be heard throughout the bush
• Old Man Sneezeweed grows with other small herbs on the floors of drying wetlands
• Tiger Snakes hunt for frogs along creeks, rivers and wetlands
• Geckoes and Blind-snakes hunt on warm humid nights
• White-striped Freetail Bats can be heard in the sky on warm nights
• Jewel Spiders spin their webs between shrubs and trees
• Biyal (River Red Gum) and Lightwood flower
• Yabbies dig deep tunnels as waterholes dry
• Nomadic, dry-country birds such as Black Honeyeater and Yellow-plumed Honeyeater can appear in some years
• Male butterflies congregate at high points in the landscape – this is called ‘hill-topping’
• Red-browed Finches feed on fallen grass seeds
• Wasps feed on nectar produced by mealy bugs on Wattles
• Furry caterpillar trains march across the forest floor in search of new feeding sites
• Dodder Laurels fruit.
• Lorikeets arrive to feed on flowering eucalypts.
Ways to be involved at Chewton
Ways to be involved at Chewton
All volunteers at Chewton Primary School must have a current Working with Children check and complete a Volunteer induction prior to starting.
See our Volunteer Policy for more information.
Garden Club: Friday mornings with Serena from 8:30am
Classroom reading: see your child's teacher if you are able to help listen to children read
Breakfast Club: parents volunteer a morning a week or fortnight from 8:30am-9am at the outdoor kitchen. Please contact Bernadette if you would like to do this.
One parent has volunteered to run a bird watching club. If you have any other ideas for clubs that you can run once a week during lunchtimes get in touch!
We regularly ask volunteers for special occasions such as excursions and fundraising. We have our school fair this year, we have a stall at Wesley Hill market each term and locals have been begging for another music trivia night...
School Council: We have two vacancies this year. More information in next week's newsletter
Grounds and Buildings: we need one or two parents who can meet with Bernadette once a month to discuss maintenance and projects. This year we will be looking at putting in a gaga pit, upgrading the outdoor kitchen area and our new playground. The role does not involve you doing all the work, but discussing what is needed and assisting in getting volunteers where required.
Grant writing: a big thanks to Amelia who worked with Bernadette on the successful grant application for a playground upgrade! If you are able to write grants we are currently looking at one to assist schools to take part in First Nations activities, including our annual Reconciliation walk.
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