Chewton Primary School
Newsletter 29/01/2026
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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
2nd February- 13th February Swimming program at the Chewton Pool
6th February Sushi
6th February: Victorian High Achievers program commences (grade 5-6 students)
13th February- Swimming Carnival 1pm-3:30pm please join us!
13th February Anniversary of Apology to Stolen Generations
18th February Parent/Teacher/ student learning conferences. No classes. OHSC available
20th February Meeting Place
6th March- Meeting Place
9th March: Labour Day public Holiday
20th March Castlemaine State Festival opens (Schools are partnering with Nalderun for an amazing opening performance- stay tuned!)
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
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
Thanks to Polly for getting the yard looking fantastic for school!
Thanks to all the parents who helped water over the holidays. Lovely to see the veggie gardent thrive!
Please return your swimming notes and other permissions on Monday to assist us with our 2026 admin!
New school policies
New school policies
Please visit our website to find our new Child Safety policies
Sushi
Sushi
Register for Sushi https://schoollunchonline.com.au/
We have sushi 3 times each term.
Next Friday is our first one for the year.
Orders must be placed by Thursday 5pm.
Bushfire relocation information
Bushfire relocation information
Chewton Primary School is a Bushfire at Risk Rating (BARR) 2 school. This means that if our local government area (Mt Alexander Shire Council) is given an extreme fire danger rating, we are required to relocate to Winters Flat Primary School for the day.
Communications are sent out to parents as soon as we know we will have to move, via text, Compass and email, with instructions and information.
Parents drop off and pick up their children at Winters Flat Primary School.
Teachers meet the children at the front of the school.
We will use the art room and a spare room in the main building.
Bernadette and the DET Student Support Services psychologist have prepared a Relocation booklet for children to assist with the relocation process.
Teachers have made workbooks that we will use at Winters Flat on relocation days. Students who are unable to attend and are supported at home by their families will also recieve this workbook to complete. We are hoping that this will assist with continuity of learning, reduce stress on our staff, students and families and build resilience.
A big thanks to school council for their work in lobbying the DET and government, which resulted in a fuel assessment being undertaken in our LGA.
Parents will receive a text message from our school emergency mobile. Please put it into your contacts. We use this in case of an emergency, during our emergency drills and on camps and excursions. It is not used as a general communication tool except in these instances.
If you wish to contact the school, please ring the office or send an email.
2025 Winner Lynette Russell History prize Teaching First Nations History
2025 Winner Lynette Russell History prize Teaching First Nations History
History Council of Victoria
Read more here!
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.
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