CNPS Bulletin 2025 | Issue 1 February

Parent Handbook – Your Guide to Our School

To help families navigate the day-to-day operations of Coburg North Primary School, we have created a Parent Handbook, which was sent via Compass Post last week. You can also find it anytime under the Documents section on Compass (located under the People icon).

This handbook contains everything you need to know about how our school runs, including:

• Key policies and procedures
• Important school routines
• Communication guidelines
• Support services available for students and families

If you notice anything missing or have suggestions for additional information that could be included, please let us know—we are always looking to improve this resource for our families!

Our Communication Process – Who to Contact & When

At Coburg North Primary School, clear and respectful communication is key to ensuring that concerns are addressed effectively. To support this, we have a structured communication process that parents should follow when reaching out to staff.

For Classroom Concerns

• Step 1: Contact your child’s classroom teacher first. They know your child best and can address most concerns directly.
• Step 2: If the issue is not resolved, contact the Assistant Principal for your child’s area: Foundation – Year 2: Kiran Money; Year 3 – Year 6: Pat Lynch
• Step 3: If further support is needed, contact the Principal.

Respectful Communication

We understand that school-related matters can be emotional, but all interactions with staff must remain respectful. The Department of Education’s Respectful Behaviours within the School Community Policy states that aggressive, intimidating, or inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated. We expect all communication—whether in person, by phone, or via email—to be polite, professional, and constructive so that we can work together effectively for the benefit of all students.

Important Reminder About Teacher Emails

Our teachers prioritise student learning and spend most of their day teaching, planning, and supporting students. While they do their best to respond to emails, please only contact teachers with essential information.

For general queries, please check Compass or our school’s website first.

📌 More information about our communication process and respectful behaviours can be found on our website in the Parent Section and Policy Section. Alternatively you can click on the button below for direct access.

By following this process and communicating with respect, we can ensure efficient communication and the best possible support for our students.

How we Communicate at CNPS

Schools use a variety of methods to communicate with their communities. At CNPS, we strive to ensure our parent/carer community has access to all the necessary information. We communicate through the following channels:

Parent Payments

We are committed to providing high-quality learning experiences for all students. While government funding supports many aspects of our school, it does not cover everything, and parent contributions play a crucial role in enhancing the educational programs we can offer.

Parent Payments – Every Bit Counts

Parent payments directly support classroom resources, technology, specialist programs, and extracurricular activities that enrich student learning. Without these contributions, many of the programs and resources that benefit students would not be possible.

We strongly encourage families to make payments where possible to ensure we can continue offering the best possible education for all students. If you need assistance with payment options, please contact the office—we are happy to discuss flexible arrangements.

📌 Payments can be made via Compass or at the school office.

Uniform Policy – Wearing Our School with Pride

Our school uniform is an important part of our identity, promoting a sense of belonging, equality, and school pride. All students are expected to wear the correct uniform every day. Hats are required in Term 1 and Term 4 as part of our SunSmart policy. Hats must be in good condition and must not be torn around the edges. Please label all uniform items to help prevent lost property.

Second Hand Uniform Donations

The CNPS P&F and the Sustainability Group are after any donations that are part of the official school uniform and in excellent second hand condition.

Please send items to school with your children on Friday 14th February. Donations will be collected from their classroom during the day.

School Calendar on Compass – Stay Up to Date!

Keeping track of important school events, key dates, and deadlines is easy with the School Calendar on Compass. This is the best place to check for upcoming activities, student-free days, excursions, and other important information throughout the year.

Why Use the School Calendar?

• Stay informed about school-wide events and important dates
• Plan ahead for student-free days and term breaks
• Get real-time updates for excursions, incursions, and special events
• Avoid missing key deadlines for permission forms and payments

We encourage all families to regularly check the Compass Calendar to stay up to date with everything happening at Coburg North Primary School. By staying informed, you can ensure your child doesn’t miss out on exciting opportunities and important school events.

If you have any questions about accessing Compass, please contact the school office for assistance.

Student Free Days – Plan Ahead

To support staff professional learning, curriculum development, and student assessment, there will be four upcoming student-free days. On these days, students do not attend school.

• Tuesday, 22 April – Curriculum Day (First day of Term 2)
• Monday, 2 June – Assessment & Reporting Day (Friday before King’s Birthday holiday)
• Monday, 21 July – Curriculum Day (First day of Term 3)
• Monday, 3 November – Professional Practice Day (Day before Melbourne Cup holiday)

📌 Please mark these dates in your calendar to assist with planning.

On student-free days, staff will be engaged in professional learning, curriculum planning, and assessment tasks to ensure the best outcomes for students.

School Policies – Key Highlights

At Coburg North Primary School, our policies ensure a safe, supportive, and inclusive environment for all students. Below are brief summaries of key policies for parents to be aware of. For full details, links to each policy are provided.

Sun Safety Policy

To protect students and staff from harmful UV exposure: Hats are required when UV levels are 3 or above (mid-August to the end of April). Students are encouraged to wear sunscreen and protective clothing. Outdoor play areas include shaded spaces, and students without hats may be asked to remain in shaded areas.

🔗Sunsmart Policy

Yard Duty and Supervision Policy

Supervision is provided: Before school: From 8:45 am (gates open) to 9:05 am. After school: From 3:25 pm (gates reopen) to 3:40 pm.

Students must not arrive before or stay beyond these times unless enrolled in TheirCare, our Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) program. For emergencies or early/late arrivals, parents will be contacted to make alternate arrangements.

🔗 Supervision Policy

Student Dress Code Policy

Our uniform policy promotes equality, safety, and school pride: Uniforms must be clean, in good condition, and labeled with the student’s name. Hats are required outside when UV levels are high. Jewellery is limited to a watch and stud or sleeper earrings. Uniforms are available from A Plus School Wear and second-hand from the school.

🔗 Dress Code Policy

📌 For complete information, visit our school’s website or click the links above. By understanding and adhering to these policies, we can work together to ensure a safe, well-managed, and respectful school environment.

School Council Elections 2025 – Get Involved!

We are excited to announce the 2025 School Council Elections and encourage parents to consider joining this vital group that shapes the direction of Coburg North Primary School.

Positions Available

• 6 Parent Positions
• 1 Department of Education (DE) Position

Election Timeline

• 3 Feb: Notice of Election and Call for Nominations
• 10 Feb: Closing Date for Nominations
• 17 Feb: If the number of nominations exceeds positions, Ballot Papers will be distributed. If nominations equal the positions, members will be announced. If there are fewer nominations, School Council may invite parents to join.
• 24 Feb: Close of Ballot. School Council Vote Count. Declaration of Poll
• 26 Mar: First School Council Meeting with New Members. Election of Office Bearers, Sub-Committee, and Working Party Members.

Why Join School Council?

School Council plays an essential role in decision-making at our school, ensuring the best outcomes for students and the broader school community. This is your chance to make a meaningful impact!

📌 For more information on School Council and how to get involved, visit the school's website.

We look forward to welcoming new members to the 2025 School Council and thank you for your ongoing support!

School Review

This year, we will be undergoing a School Review as part of the regular cycle set by the Department of Education. This is an exciting opportunity to reflect on our achievements over the past four years and set clear priorities for the future.

What is a School Review?

A School Review is a process that evaluates how well a school is performing across key areas, including:

• Student learning outcomes
• Wellbeing and engagement
• Teaching practices
• School leadership and community partnerships

The review is conducted by an external Department of Education-appointed reviewer and includes input from staff, students, parents, and School Council members.

What Will It Look Like for Our School?

The review process will involve:

• Analysing school data and evidence to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
• Hosting focus groups and interviews with students, staff, and parents to gather insights and feedback.
• Observing teaching and learning practices in classrooms.
• Collaborating with the reviewer and School Council to reflect on our current School Strategic Plan and guide the development of a new plan.

What You Can Expect

We’ll keep our school community informed throughout the process. Over the coming months, you can expect:

• Updates via Compass posts and newsletters about the progress of the review.
• Invitations to participate in parent feedback sessions or surveys—your voice is crucial in shaping the future of our school!
• Insights into how the review findings will shape our new School Strategic Plan, which will outline our key goals and focus areas for the next four years.

The School Review is a collaborative and forward-looking process that will help us continue to grow and provide the best possible education for all students.

📌 For more information about School Reviews, visit the Victorian Department of Education’s website or contact the school office.

We are excited to embark on this journey and look forward to working with our community to shape the next chapter for Coburg North Primary School!

See you around at school,

Monika

Shoutout to Our Awesome Foundation Students!

On Thursday the 6th February, our Foundation students kicked off their learning journey with so much enthusiasm! They spent the day exploring, discovering, and making new friends, all while showing our school values of Respect, Responsibility, and Resilience.

Even though it was a hot one, they handled everything like champions, and we were so impressed by how quickly they settled in. They even got to visit some specialist classes on their very first day!

We’re so proud of you all. Keep up the great work, and we can’t wait to see all the amazing things you’ll achieve this year!

Stay tuned for the next newsletter to see photos of what we’ve been up to.

From Lucy, Annemie, Michael & Hannah

Grade 2 2024: In case you missed it…

At the end of Term 4 last year, the Grade 2 students and teacher worked hard to create a cohort mural on an exterior wall of the Ganbu Wilam (previously “Cream Brick”) Building.

The mural was designed by the Grade 2 cohort of 2024 to show the 24 character strengths that help us to work together to belong and grow as a community.

We hope it will be around for many years to come.

2025 ANAPHYLAXIS Information

Anaphylaxis is a severe and sudden allergic reaction when a person is exposed to an allergen (or trigger). The most common allergens in children are eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (e.g. cashews), cow's milk, fish and shellfish, wheat, soy, certain insect stings and medications. Anaphylaxis is a serious health issue for a percentage of the population and the school recognises the key to preventing an anaphylactic reaction by a student is knowledge, awareness and planning.

The last couple of years at Coburg North Primary we have had an increase in students who suffer from Anaphylaxis. The DEECD Legal unit was contacted for advice on this. Below is an excerpt from the advice we received:

The guidelines state that it is not recommended that schools ban food or other products known to cause anaphylaxis because:

• It can create complacency amongst staff and students
• It does not eliminate the presence of hidden allergens
• It is difficult to 'ban' all triggers: not all triggers are limited to peanuts and nuts.

It is preferable that the school raise awareness about anaphylaxis in the school community so that there is an increased understanding of the condition. The school may also wish to help parents/carers to identify more suitable food options for their children.

At CNPS this means we do not ban foods being brought to school, but we do have a rule of “NO sharing food”. Also, we ask you consider choosing to send something else, or, if you send foods which are allergens, how you send them, and that you discuss with your child how they can ensure other children are safe. Some ways of doing this include:

• Reminding children that they are not to share food at school
• Keeping any products with nuts in a safely secured container
• Talking to your children about allergies.

The following is an updated list of grades that have students with anaphylaxis and what they are allergic to (what their triggers are). Note that students do sometimes have snack or lunch eating times sitting with other grades, possibly in their year level, and also sometimes with other year levels.

• Foundation: FB (1) nuts, FD (2) nuts
• Grade 1: 1A (1) nuts & egg, 1C (1) white fish
• Grade 2: 2A (1) nuts
• Grade 3: 3A (1) nuts and (1) nuts & sesame
• Grade 4: 4A (1) nuts, 4B (1) passionfruit
• Grade 5: 5B (1) nuts, egg & kiwifruit, and (1) nuts, coconut & kiwifruit, 5C: (1) bee stings, (2) nuts and (1) dairy, sesame & egg
• Grade 6: none

Note: There is an Anaphylaxis Policy for the school on our CNPS website, for more details about Anaphylaxis.

Primary School Nursing Program

Supporting Your Child with School Reluctance or Refusal

By Eva Andropof, Psychologist and Parent

As a psychologist and parent, I understand the distress and frustration of facing school reluctance or refusal. It's a challenging situation that often pushes us to act in ways that feel counterintuitive. Here’s what you need to know if your child is struggling with attending school.

School Reluctance vs. School Refusal

• School Reluctance: Your child may show resistance to attending but still manages to go to school.
• School Refusal: Your child experiences significant emotional distress and may struggle to stay at school due to anxiety or fear.

Why It Matters

If school refusal continues, it can lead to:

• Missed learning and education.
• Strained relationships with peers and family.
• Increased family stress, including financial strain.

Warning Signs

Recognising early signs can help prevent the issue from worsening. Watch for:

• Emotional Signs: Anxiety, sadness, irritability, or fear about school.
• Behavioural Signs: Difficulty waking up, meltdowns, frequent requests to leave school early, or refusal to attend.
• Somatic Symptoms: Nausea, headaches, stomach aches, or dizziness that improve when staying home.

Managing Anxiety

School reluctance often stems from anxiety. While it might feel like letting your child stay home is a quick solution, it can worsen their anxiety in the long term. Gradual exposure to school, supported by coping strategies like deep breathing or mindfulness, is key to managing their fear.

Talk Positively About School

A powerful strategy in supporting your child’s transition is how you talk about school. Framing school in a positive light can greatly impact their mindset.

1. Focus on the Positives: Highlight things your child enjoys about school, such as playing with friends, participating in a favourite activity, or learning something new.
2. Set Realistic Expectations: Remind your child that everyone faces challenges, but these moments don’t define the whole school experience.
3. Be an Encouraging Role Model: Share your own positive experiences about learning and work to inspire them.
4. Avoid Negative Language: Avoid expressing frustrations about school in front of your child (e.g., “School is tough” or “I hated school too”).
5. Engage in School Activities: Be involved in school events and show your child that school is a positive and important part of life.

By maintaining a positive tone and attitude, you will help your child feel more confident and less anxious about school.

If any specific issues are identified by your child as being the trigger (i.e. bullying, friendships, difficulty with work etc), please speak to the school about these concerns so your child can be supported with these.

Handling School Mornings: Tips to Reduce Anxiety

School mornings can be particularly challenging for children with school reluctance. The stress of starting the day can heighten anxiety and make it even harder to attend. Here are strategies to make mornings smoother and reduce distress:

1. Establish a Consistent Routine: A predictable morning schedule can help your child feel more secure.
2. Keep Mornings Simple: Avoid non-essential activities during the morning rush.
3. Incorporate Calming Activities: Try calming activities like listening to soothing music or drawing before school.
4. Use Positive Reinforcement: Encourage and praise your child for completing morning tasks, even small ones.
5. Prepare the Night Before: Organize your child’s school bag, clothes, and breakfast ingredients the evening before.
6. Develop a Bedtime Routine: Ensure your child gets adequate rest by having a calming bedtime routine.
7. Help Them Visualize the Day Ahead: You can use social stories or discuss the positive aspects of the school day.
8. Offer Reassurance: Let your child know that it’s okay to feel anxious and that you are there to support them.
9. Set Up a Support System: If possible, allow your child to walk to school with a friend or meet a trusted adult at school.

Quick Drop-Offs: A Key Strategy for Managing Anxiety

When it comes to school reluctance, a quick and calm drop-off is a vital strategy. While it’s natural to want to comfort your child, long goodbyes can heighten anxiety and make the transition harder.

Here’s why quick drop-offs are effective:

• Reduce Anxiety: Lingering at school can heighten anxiety. Quick drop-offs help your child focus on the school day ahead instead of prolonging the distress of saying goodbye. Short goodbyes make parting easier for both of you.
• Support Emotional Regulation: A brief drop-off encourages your child to start their day independently, helping them manage their emotions.
• Consistency is Key: Consistent, brief drop-offs help your child understand that school is predictable and that saying goodbye is part of the routine.

Though this strategy may feel difficult, especially when your instinct is to stay and comfort your child, quick drop-offs help reduce anxiety. When combined with other support strategies, such as a structured morning routine and positive school talk, and support for your child’s anxiety, you’re giving your child the best chance to build resilience.

Remember, while quick drop-offs may feel hard in the moment, the goal is to support your child in developing coping skills for their anxiety. Over time, these strategies will help them manage their emotions and feel more confident in their school journey.

What You Can Do

1. Talk to Your Child: Open, calm conversations can help identify the root cause. Ask open-ended questions and listen actively.
2. Work with the School: Connect with your child's teachers and staff to create a coordinated support plan.
3. Seek Professional Support: If the issue persists, consider seeing a psychologist or paediatrician for guidance.

For further support, feel free to reach out or look at the following resources from Travencore:

www.travancoresch.vic.edu.au/resources

When supporting your children's mental health, we know that the best outcomes happen when we work together.

The Resilience Project works with parents and carers in the school community, not only because wellbeing is relevant to them too, but because it helps to build the school-home connection. Significant evidence shows that building the school–home connection is crucial to improving educational achievement and student wellbeing outcomes. There is a correlation between parent involvement and various wellbeing metrics including school attendance, social skills, behaviours and further education.

A whole school approach is key to supporting student wellbeing. Coburg North Primary is excited to offer a face to face Parent/Carer session on

BUILDING RESILIENCE AT HOME

This session is designed to provide a way to connect the classroom to home, providing parents/carers with:

• Knowledge of the TRP program and how it is run in our school.
• Tips and strategies to support their child’s wellbeing at home through the GEM principles.
• Ideas on how to support their own personal wellbeing.

This session will take place on Wednesday 5th March at 6:30 pm. Stay tuned for more details!

DIBELS 8th Edition Whole School Benchmark Assessment

At Coburg North Primary School, we are committed to ensuring that every student develops strong foundational literacy skills. As part of our ongoing efforts, we conduct the DIBELS 8th Edition whole school benchmark assessment three times a year.

DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills) is a research-based assessment that helps us identify students who may be at risk of reading difficulties. It is a quick and reliable screener that provides valuable insights into students' reading development, including their ability to recognise letter sounds, decode words, read fluently, and comprehend text.

The benchmark assessment serves three important purposes:

• Screening for reading risk – It helps us identify students who may need additional support to develop their reading skills.
• Monitoring the effectiveness of teaching – It allows teachers to see whether their literacy instruction is meeting the needs of students.
• Identifying students for targeted intervention – It helps us determine which students may benefit from tier 2 (small group targeted classroom support) or tier 3 (small group intensive intervention) support to strengthen their reading skills.

By using DIBELS data alongside classroom observations and other assessments, we can ensure that every student receives the right level of support to become a confident and capable reader. If you have any questions about the assessment or how we support literacy development, please reach out to your child’s teacher.

Coburg North Primary School Participating in the AERO Phonics Study

We are thrilled to announce that Coburg North Primary School will be participating in the Foundation to Grade 2 AERO Phonics Study throughout 2025 and 2026! This is an exciting opportunity for our school to be part of important national research that will help strengthen early literacy teaching across Australia.

The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO), Australia’s national education evidence body, is leading this research project to explore the most effective ways to support teachers through high-quality professional learning. As part of the study, all our Foundation to Grade 2 teachers will engage in online professional learning focused on cognitive science and best practice phonics instruction—ensuring that our students receive the strongest possible foundation in learning to read.

To kick off our involvement in this exciting project, our Foundation to Grade 2 team spent their first day of Term 1, deeply exploring how students learn best, based on the science of learning. This professional learning will help us refine our teaching practices, ensuring that every child at Coburg North benefits from the latest research in literacy instruction.

To measure the impact of this professional learning, AERO will track reading progress trends across participating schools. This will help build a clearer picture of what works best in early literacy education, benefiting students here at Coburg North and across the country.

As part of the study, we are seeking Foundation to Grade 2 parent/carer consent for their child’s data to be included. Please refer to the Compass post or the link below for further information. If you have any questions, feel free to contact Myu Thompson.

We are so excited to be part of this important initiative and look forward to seeing the impact on student learning!

https://edresearch.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1YYLck8DkfSwmxw

We have had many students ask when work will start on the toilets. The VSBA (Victorian School Building Association), has been in contact with us and has provided a timeline for the project. The completion date will be in at the very end of the year. We will keep you posted throughout the year on the progress.

If you're returning to school, we hope you had a wonderful break. If you are new to the school, welcome! The CNPS Parents & Friends (P&F) Association is made up of volunteers from within the school community. Our vision is to nurture and grow a welcoming community while coordinating fundraising activities within the school.

Keen to get involved? Everyone is welcome to join our monthly meetings and the first meeting for 2025 will be held at 7pm on 10th February at the school. Please join us to find out more about what being a member of P&F is all about, our fundraising goal for 2025, the events we have planned and how you can help. It is also a great opportunity to get to know our school community. If all of that is not exciting enough, there will also be snacks!

Meetings (except for in winter) are held in person in the Italian Room - if you don't know where that is yet, enter from the school car park gate on Bishop Street and you'll see some signs pointing in the right direction (next to TheirCare). To find out more or if you have any questions, please email us at pf.cnps@gmail.com

February

• 12th February: Meeting the Teacher, 12:30 pm – 7:00 pm
• 18th February: District Swimming
• 18th and 20th February: Classroom Volunteer Workshops
• 26th February: School Council, 7:00pm
• 27th February: Parent Workshop, School Refusal, 4:30pm - 5:30 pm

March

• 5th March: Parent Workshop, Building resilience at home 6:30pm
• 7th March: Open Streets
• 10th March: Labour Day Holidays
• 12th March- 14th March: Grade 6 Camp
• 17th March – 24th March: NAPLAN
• 25th March: Harmony Evening 5:30pm – 7:00pm
• 26th March: School Council 7:00pm

Their Care - Term 1, Week 1&2 Newsletter: "Get to Know Me Week"

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Welcome back to another exciting year at Their Care! We hope everyone had a wonderful break and is feeling refreshed and ready for a fun and productive term ahead. To kickstart the school year, we’ve been having a fantastic time with our "Get to Know Me Week" during the first week of Term 1. Our goal was to help the children get to know each other better, celebrate their individuality, and start the year with a sense of belonging and kindness.

Here are some of the activities we've enjoyed so far:

Self-Portraits

The children had a wonderful time creating self-portraits that reflect their personalities and interests. Each student had the chance to draw themselves in their own unique style.

These self-portraits have been proudly displayed, giving everyone a glimpse into each child’s individuality.

All About Me Worksheets

In our "All About Me" worksheets, the children had the chance to share important details about themselves, such as their Favorite foods, hobbies, and what makes them happy. This activity not only encouraged self-expression but also helped the children learn about their peers' likes and interests. It was a great way to open conversations and make connections!

All About My Culture Wall

To celebrate the diversity within our group, we’ve been working on an All About My Culture Wall. Each child has contributed something that represents their cultural background – whether it's a traditional symbol, a family story, or a special cultural activity. The wall is a beautiful reflection of the experiences and traditions our children bring to Their Care.

Kindness Wall

This week, we’ve also been building a Kindness Wall in our space, where children can add positive messages and compliments to share with their peers. Whether it’s a kind word, an encouraging note, or a friendly gesture, the Kindness Wall serves as a reminder of the power of kindness and how small acts can make a big difference in making our school community a happier and more supportive place.