The term is ticking along nicely with everyone having settled into their new classes with their peers and staff.

Sounds Write lessons commenced week 3 across the entire school (excluding VPC) with a focus on improving reading and spelling fluency. These lessons are every day from 9.15- 9.45 and are part of our new structured literacy program. The idea of the program is to teach students to read, comprehend, spell and write. The program is tailored to meet the needs of the individual students. This program has been running for 7 years across the school and we have seen great results from the program.

We have introduced a 4^th class to our Terang campus after an influx of students to the school, Paul Lyons is now teaching a group of year 1,2 and 3 students. We thank the parents for their understanding with introducing the new group with a focus on keeping student numbers small.

We look forward to seeing you all at our welcome bbq that we are having on Wednesday 5^th March at both our Terang and Cobden Campus. We welcome all families and community members to attend the campus of their choice to have a tour of our new facilities, meet staff and see the hard work your students have been doing. The school will be open from 5-7 with free sausages and drinks. Hope to see you all there.

Take care,

Kylie Carter.

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All classes have started the year off well, as we settle into our newly renovated space!

Later Years have been busy with self portraits and our clean up event next week.

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Following the recent Student Support Group meetings, we know some families are looking for information and support with the NDIS. The NDIS can be complex, and we understand that families may need support at any stage. Our NDIS Navigator is here to help – whether you're just starting to explore options, working through an application, or managing an existing plan.

Meet Your NDIS Navigator!

Our Navigator is here to help you understand and use the NDIS. They can help with:

• Figuring out how the NDIS works, who's eligible, and what kind of support is out there.
• Getting through the application process – gathering paperwork and understanding all the steps.
• Making sense of your child's NDIS plan and finding the right service providers.
• Helping you sort out any issues or problems you run into with the NDIS.

NDIS: It Can Be Tricky!

We know that getting info and knowing what you need for an NDIS application can be a real headache. Here are some things that often trip families up:

• The NDIS can be confusing – there's a lot to learn!
• It's easy to feel lost if you don't know much about the NDIS.
• Applying can take time and effort – there are forms and documents to gather.
• It's not always clear who's eligible or what kind of support they can get.

How Can the Navigator Help My Family?

Our NDIS Navigator can help you:

• Find the right supports for your child.
• Understand and use your child's NDIS plan.
• Speak up for your child's needs and goals.
• Connect with other families and support groups.

Who Can Use This Service?

This service is for all families of students with disabilities at Hampden P-12!

Ready to Chat?

Want to learn more or book a time to talk? Reach out to Misty, who is available on Tuesday and Thursday throughout the Term.

Hampden P12 on (03) 5595 1995 or drop her an email at misty.goodwin@education.vic.gov.au

We're here to help all our students and families get the support they deserve!

More Helpful Stuff:

Here are some other resources that might be useful:

• NDIS Website: https://www.ndis.gov.au/ (All the official info!)
• Find NDIS Providers: https://www.ndis.gov.au/find-a-provider/ (Find support services near you)
• NDIS Help: https://www.ndis.gov.au/access-and-support-hub/ (Get help accessing and using the NDIS)

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The VPC students will be hosting our annual Clean Up Australia Day Event!

All students are invited to participate on Tuesday 25^th February from 11am. We will split into groups and clean up areas of Cobden and around our school. A free BBQ with sausages will be available for all students afterwards. Can all students please ensure that they bring a water bottle to school.

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We are currently calling for nominations for school council. 

We have the following vacancies;

• 2 parent positions
• 1 student member positions
• 1 community member position

Download and complete a form below and send it to the office by Friday 21st February to register your nomination.

Self Nomination Parent Category Form
Use this form to nominate yourself.

Parent Category Nomination Form
Use this form to nominate another parent.

The community member position is via co-option. The current School Council Members may wish to choose or elect a member of the community to join School Council. If you know a community member or you would like to know more about this position, please contact Kylie Carter.



What is a school council and what does it do?
All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally constituted bodies that are given powers to set the broad direction of a school, in accordance with Ministerial Order 1280 Constitution of Government School Councils, and the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. In doing this, a school council may directly influence the quality of education for students.
Who is on the school council?
For most primary school councils, there are several possible categories of membership: A mandated elected parent member category – more than one-third of the total members must be from this category. Department employees can be parent members at their child’s school providing that they are not engaged in work at the school. A mandated elected school employee member category – members of this category make up no more than one-third of membership. The principal of the school is automatically one of these members. An optional community member category – members are co-opted by a decision of the council because of their special skills, interests or experience. Department employees are not eligible to be community members. A small number of school councils have nominee members.
For all schools with a Year 7 and above cohort, there is an additional category of membership: A mandated elected student member category, two positions.
Generally, the term of office for all members is two years. The term of office of half the members expires each year, creating vacancies for the annual school council elections.

Why is parent membership so important?
Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills and a range of experiences and knowledge that can help inform and shape the direction of the school.
Those parents who become active on a school council find their involvement satisfying and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.

Do I need special experience to be on school council?
Each member brings their own valuable skills and knowledge to the role, however, in order to successfully perform their duties, councillors may need to gain some new skills and knowledge.
It is important to have an interest in your child’s school and the desire to work in partnership with others to help shape the school’s future.

Code of conduct for school councillors
School councils in Victoria are public entities as defined by the Public Administration Act 2004.
School councillors must comply with the Code of Conduct for Directors of Victorian Public Entities issued by the Victorian Public Sector Commission. The Code of Conduct is based on the Victorian public sector values and requires councillors to: act with honesty and integrity – be truthful, open and clear about their motives and declare any real, potential or perceived conflict of interest and duty act in good faith in the best interests of the school – work cooperatively with other councillors and the school community, be reasonable, and make all decisions with the best interests of students foremost in their minds act fairly and impartially – consider all relevant facts of an issue before making a decision, seek to have a balanced view, never give special treatment to a person or group and never act from self-interest use information appropriately – respect confidentiality and use information for the purpose for which it was made available exercise due care, diligence and skill – accept responsibility for decisions and do what is best for the school use the position appropriately – not use the position as a councillor to gain an advantage act in a financially responsible manner – observe all the above principles when making financial decisions comply with relevant legislation and policies – know what legislation and policies are relevant for which decisions and obey the law demonstrate leadership and stewardship – set a good example, encourage a culture of accountability, manage risks effectively, exercise care and responsibility to keep the school strong and sustainable.

Indemnity for school council members
School councillors are indemnified against any liability in respect of any loss or damage suffered by the council or any other person in respect of anything necessarily or reasonably done, or omitted to be done by the councillor in good faith in:
a. the exercise of a power or the performance of a function of a councillor, or
b. the reasonable belief that the act or omission was in the exercise of a power or the performance of a function of a council.
In other words, school councillors are not legally liable for any loss or damage suffered by council or others as a result of reasonable actions taken in good faith.

How can you become involved?
By participating in, and voting in the school council elections, which are held in Term 1 each year. However, ballots are only held if more people nominate as candidates than there are positions vacant.
In view of this, you might consider: standing for election as a member of the school council encouraging another person to stand for election.

What do you need to do to stand for election?
The principal will issue a Notice of Election and Call for nominations in Term 1 of each year. Council elections must be completed by 31 March, unless varied by the Minister for Education.
If you stand for election, you can arrange for someone to nominate you as a candidate or, you can nominate yourself in the parent member category. You can only be nominated by another member of the same electorate that you are eligible for (e.g. a member of the parent electorate may only nominate another parent of that electorate)
Department employees with a child enrolled at a school where they are not engaged in work, are eligible to nominate for parent membership at that school.
Return your completed nomination form to the principal within the time stated on the Notice of Election. You will receive a Nomination Form Receipt via post, email or by hand delivery.
Generally, if there are more nominations than vacancies a ballot will be conducted in the two weeks after the call for nominations has closed.

Remember
Consider standing for election to school council. Ask the principal for instructions if you are not sure what to do. Be sure to vote if the election goes to ballot. Contact the principal if you are unsure about what is required at any stage of the election process.

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