Child Safe Standards

In last weeks newsletter, we provided information about the new Child Safe Standards which came into effect on the 1st of July 2022.

Throughout Term 3, we will provide information through the newsletter outlining what each Child Safe Standard means and what we are doing at school to meet the standard and to help keep children safe from abuse.

Child Safe Standard 1: Culturally Safe Environments

This is a new standard that requires schools to make sure Aboriginal children and young people feel safe. The term ‘Aboriginal’ includes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Cultural safety includes being provided with a safe, nurturing and positive environment where Aboriginal children:

· feel comfortable being themselves

· feel comfortable expressing their culture, including their spiritual and belief systems

· are supported by carers who respect their Aboriginality and encourage their sense of self and identity.

Being able to express their culture makes Aboriginal children stronger and safer. Aboriginal children and young people who don’t feel safe being themselves and expressing their individuality may be less willing to report abuse.

At Bonbeach Primary School, we are committed to establishing an inclusive and culturally safe school where the strengths of Aboriginal culture, values and practices are respected.

We have developed the following strategies to promote cultural safety in our school community:

· Assemblies and events begin with an Acknowledgement of Country as a standing agenda item.

· The Aboriginal flag is flown on school grounds on school days.

· Signs acknowledging Country and Traditional Owners are displayed on the main school entry gates.

· Aboriginal history and culture curriculum is taught at all year levels. Local Aboriginal groups are consulted to ensure any content of a sensitive nature is delivered accurately. · All staff have completed Community Understanding Safety Training (CUST).

· Zero tolerance of racism. We ensure that racist speech or actions are always dealt with, and the culture of the school works to prevent incidents from occurring.

· Provide resources for staff to support the inclusion of Aboriginal content across the curriculum. · Implement the Department of Education Koorie Education Policy.

· Recognise key events including Harmony Day, Reconciliation Week and Naidoc Week.

Child Safe Standard 2: Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in leadership, governance and culture

This standard emphasises the vital role that school leaders and governing authorities have in establishing:

· a culture where child abuse and harm is not tolerated

· effective systems and processes to implement child safe policies and practices and manage child abuse risks.

Schools must take deliberate steps to promote child safety and wellbeing and protect children by

· embedding and promoting a child safety culture at all levels of the organisation

· school leaders actively modelling such a culture

· ensuring transparent governance arrangements.

At Bonbeach Primary School, we have a School Council approved Child Safe Policy and Child Safety Code of Conduct which clearly outlines the expected behaviours of staff, visitors and volunteers in the school, and the role and responsibilities of school leadership, staff, volunteers and School Council.

Our principal and child safety champion (Assistant Principal) are the first point of contact for child safety concerns or queries and for coordinating responses to child safety incidents.

· The Assistant Principal is responsible for monitoring the school’s compliance with the Child Safety Policy. Anyone in our school community should approach the Assistant Principal if they have any concerns about the school’s compliance with the Child Safety Policy.

· The Assistant Principal is responsible for informing the school community about this policy, and making it publicly available

Other actions taken by the school under this standard include:

· Regular, scheduled review of all policies and documentation relating to Child Safety.

· Development and yearly review of risk management strategies.

· Ensure that all records are securely stored and meet Department policy for records management.

· Training and induction processes for staff and volunteers. All Child Safe related policies can be found here on our school website.

We are committed to continuous improvement in our approach to child safety and wellbeing and welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on ways we can further strengthen our child safety policies, procedures and practices.

Life Education

From the 28^th July-5^th August, our school will be participating in the Life Education Program. All classes will be scheduled to participate in a session during this time.

Students in Years Prep-2 will participate in a 1 hour session and students in Years 3-6 will participate in an 1 hour 30 minute session. As part of the program’s Covid safety plan, sessions this year will occur in the STEM room in the school instead of in the traditional 'Life Ed Van'.

Students will engage in the following modules:

Prep – ‘My Body Matters’ -This module focusses on things children can do to keep themselves healthy including: The importance of personal hygiene, choosing foods for a healthy balanced diet, benefits of physical activity and sleep, and ways to keep safe at home, school and in the community.

Year 1/2 – ‘Growing Good Friends’ – This module provides students with opportunities to explore what health messages mean, identify safety signs, recognise how physical activity and nutrition contribute to a healthy lifestyle and explore how positive friendships benefit our health and wellbeing.

Year 3/4 – ‘Mind Your Medicine’ – This module develops students understanding of medicines and their safe use, positive communication, strategies for managing conflict, stress and bullying, and explore how feelings influence the choices that we make.

Year 5/6 - 'Decisions’ – Students explore the decision making process and improve decision making skills by looking at choices, consequences, responsibility, facts and influences whilst exploring what is a drug and how drugs are classified, effects of drugs on the body, strategies and skills to be safe.

To celebrate what the students have learnt in the session and bring it all together, the Life Education visit will finish off with a ‘Live Healthy Harold’ appearance at our school assembly on Friday 5h August.

The Life Education team offer complimentary Parent information sessions and resources as part of their visit. More information can be found here.

Consent for students to attend the session, must be provided. This can be submitted through Compass and is due by Monday 25^th July.

Year 3-6 Athletics

The Year 3-6 House Athletics Day is being held next Wednesday 27^th July at Dolomore Reserve, Queen Street, Mentone. This year, our Year P-2 house athletics day will be held at school later in the term. This will assist in ensuring that students in Years 3-6 have the opportunity to participate in all events on the day without running out of time.

Our Year 3/4 students will leave as soon as the roll is marked in the morning. Please make sure your child is at school on time on this day. They will have snack and lunch at the reserve and return to school in the afternoon.

Our Year 5/6 students will leave school at approximately 10:00am and return to school before the end of the school day.

Please make sure your child has appropriate clothing to participate in athletics, a water bottle and food for the day in a backpack they can carry with them. Students are encouraged to wear their house colours.

Consent and payment for this day is due on Compass by tomorrow (Friday 22^nd July). Any students who have not consented or paid by this date, will remain at school in a Year 1/2 grade.

Parents are welcome to attend.

Information regarding the Prep-2 House Athletics Day will be provided later in the term.

We look forward to a great day!

The Bonbeach Tuck Shop is providing lunch orders at school on Fridays.

There will be 2 deliveries; one at 12:20pm for the Preps - grade 2 and the other one will be at 1:20pm for grade 3 - grade 6.

Below are the ordering steps.

Step 1. Head over to their website: www.bonbeachtuckshop.com.au

Step 2. Select 'Lunch Orders'

Step 3. Select 'Bonbeach Primary School Lunch Orders'

Step 4. Choose child’s lunch from menu

Step 5. Go to checkout 

Step 6. Select time slot (Prep - grade 2 @ 12:30pm eating time) (grade 3 - grade 6 @ 1:30pm eating time)

Step 7. Input Child’s name and their class name

Step 8. Pay.

Note. At this stage you can only place one order per child, orders must be made by MIDNIGHT WEDNESDAY for your child to receive a lunch order on Friday.

School Lunch Order Menu

July 18th, 2022                                                                                
by Louise, Spencer and the TheirCare team



The Holiday Program, which was themed “Once Upon a Time…” was a huge success. The students participated in lots and lots of exciting activities, games, cooking, incursions, and excursions. In the first week, we made wacky Dr. Seuss characters and Mad Hatter Hats, got our chefs hats on, and whipped up delicious muffins and rice paper rolls. Pretending we King and Queens, we made crown jewels and had an amazing incursion where we got to learn about, and touch, lizards and snakes. We ended Week 1 by watching the Minions: Rise of Gru and enjoying some yummy popcorn at the movies. Week 2 was jam packed full of fun as well. Outside, we drew with chalk all over the Netball court and danced the afternoon away with Just Dance… Among us and Fortnite were the two favourite dances. Given it was very cold, we decorated backpacks, gloves and beanies and even made our own colourful scarves! Puppet shows were a huge hit throughout the holidays and the students enjoyed listening to Dreamtime stories. Our second excursion was to Archie Brothers Arcade in the Docklands where approximately 50 students got to enjoy one hour of unlimited fun with arcade games! The dodgem cars were very popular and the students behaved very impressively!

To our wonderful parents, if you have any suggestions for activities, games and/or menu items and that your children may love, we would love to hear your ideas to make their time even more amazing. Thank you all for your cooperation and we hope that Term 3 is the best one yet.

Much like other industries, TheirCare is facing staff shortages. You can help us by ensuring your child is booked in before arrival to assist with staffing ratio requirements. If your child is absent from school, please remove your booking or contact the service. This helps us in the afternoon by not needing to call you ask you about your child’s were abouts. *If you notify us by 9am that your child will be absent for After School Care, TheirCare will waive the late fee!

To our new families for booking please enrol your child at the TheirCare web site www.theircare.com.au. Also feel free to call us for any questions, we are always happy to help.

Email: Bonbeach@theircare.com.au                                                                        Phone: 0439 392 221