Newsletter – Term 1, Week 10, 2021

We have come to the end of term 1. It has been such a treat to have an (mostly) uninterrupted Term 1. All the students have settled into the new year with ease and have achieved so much. It has been a joy to get to know all of our new Prep students this term.
This morning I have walked through our classrooms and observed the wonderful work being undertaken by our students and would like to acknowledge all of the hard work put in by our amazing teachers. I also enjoyed seeing all of the bunny ears!
We have achieved so much this term. I am looking forward to the rest of the year (hopefully with no interruptions).

We are excited to announce that Kelly Architects have been appointed the architects of the Capital Works project for the school. Early next term we will be advising parents of an interactive session with the architects – stay tuned!

School Council would like to say a massive thank you to the parents who have assisted with the veggie garden – THANK YOU.

We would like to thank our outgoing School Council members – Kate Matthews, Paul DiStefano, Tim McGinness and Terry Meyer. We appreciate all their efforts over a number of years.

NEW SCHOOL COUNCIL – this year our School Council members are as follows –
o President – Angela Sormaz
o Vice President – Leigh McCorkell
o Treasurer – Olivia Johnstone
o Secretary – Ben Raidme
o Members – Ben Craven, Emily Dalton, Derek Dobson, Jamie Westhorpe, Kate Esam, Kristy Lazic, Lauren Dolheguy and Steve Knuckey.

I look forward to working with our new School Council.

What a wonderful day for our Year 3 – 6 students. Thank you to Mr Canny, Mr Thomas and Ms K for the work with setting up the course in the morning and Mr Canny for organising. It was a wonderful morning and it was great to be able to hold the event this year. Our Prep – 2 students will undertake their fun run next term (TBC).

Congratulations to Scarlet (Yr 6) who won gold in two relays at State level last weekend. Unfortunately, she can’t go to Nationals due to Covid but it was a fantastic achievement. Capree (Yr 6) won gold in her two swimming events at the Regional event. She will now be heading to the State Championships. Congratulations on your fantastic achievements!

We are excited to share the news that our Year 6 student, Page Punsalang, has been cast to share the role of Young Princess Elsa in the Melbourne season of ‘Frozen’. Disney’s Frozen is playing at Her Majesty’s Theatre from June to September 2021. From all of us at Bellaire PS – congratulations Page! We can’t wait to see you on stage.

We hope to welcome Parent Helpers back on-site next term (fingers crossed). Information about a Parent Helper information session will be sent out early in term 2.

Next term we welcome all parents to our assemblies. Assemblies are held every second Friday on the blue basketball court near the front of the school.
We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Easter holiday break. We look forward to seeing everyone in Term 2 – please don’t forget the first day is a Curriculum Day so students resume term 2 on TUESDAY 20th APRIL.

Principal

5 ways to make sure your kids are safe while gaming online

As online gaming continues to rise in popularity, more and more kids are joining in on the fun. But like anything on the internet, online gaming comes with serious security risks, so teaching your kids how to game responsibly is more important than ever.

Here are some measures you and your child can take to make sure their gaming experience is safe and fun!

Review games before downloading.

 The first and most important step parents can take is establishing a review system with their kids before they download games. There are tons of resources online (Common Sense Media is a great one) that break down specific games and let parents know if they are safe and appropriate for kids. A bit of research can go a long way when it comes to finding good games for your kids.

Make sure devices are updated and secure.

Make sure all security measures are up-to-date on all the devices your child uses to play. Whether your kids play on a phone, tablet or gaming console, you should check in periodically to make sure the software is updated. Parents should also make sure that their kids’ passwords are secure and strong, and make sure their username doesn’t have any personal information, like their real name or birthday.

Set up parental controls.

Most devices and consoles have parental control options. Parents can set time limits, filter out mature language, turn voice chat off and even restrict the players that your child can interact with, so they just play with people they know. Obviously, these restrictions depend on the age of your child, but all parents should become familiar with the control options before their kids start playing.

Teach your kids about internet etiquette.

Gaming is a great entry point for learning about proper internet behavior. Even if you take the above measures, there’s a solid chance kids will still come across inappropriate behavior and cyberbullying. Most games and consoles have options to report users who display inappropriate behavior, so teach your kids how to ignore or block players who make them uncomfortable.

Join in on the fun!

There’s no reason to stay on the sidelines! Get involved in your kid’s gaming experience. Ask them questions, watch them play and even make a character of your own and join in! Most of these games are also fun for adults, and gaming together is a great bonding activity. Plus, the closer you are to the situation, the more sure you can be that your child is being safe online.

Article taken from Yahoo Finance, In The Know.

We have had quite a few days of sporting fun, with our Seniors taking part in Lightning Premiership in various sports, our Senior Girls football team having a kick, and of course, our Cross Country taking place in fabulous sunshine.  Well done to everyone!

Our on-site Beleza Uniform Shop will be open on Tuesday 20th April from 8.45am to 10am.

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