It is hard to believe we are three quarters of the way through the year!  

It has been a wonderful year for our Barbreck community so far, with many events, activities, and achievements taking place.  

Last weekend our Barbreck Snowsports Team became Australian Champions, winning the Overall Girls Primary School Championship at the Australian Interschool Championships at Perisher in New South Wales. 

We extend our sincere congratulations to these highly committed and talented snowsports athletes, as well as their parents that support them so well. We also extend sincere thanks to Mr Tom Crebbin, Barbreck Coordinator of Sport and Miss Olivia Cody, Snowsports Coordinator, for leading and training the Team so effectively. 

Please click here to enjoy a full report on the Australian Interschool Championships. 

Our recent NAPLAN results were again of a very high standard. Our girls have worked hard and achieved well under the dedication and expertise of their wonderful teachers. Of note was the Year 3 Reading results with our girls’ mean score off the chart and in band 7!  

Our recent recitals, Arts Week activities and Band Blast performances have showcased the amazing talents of our girls and the diversity of our Arts program within Barbreck. Congratulations to the many girls involved and to Ms Kristen Dhono Isworo, Performing Arts Coordinator, and Mrs Virginia Guest, Arts Teacher for teaching the girls and providing so many enriching opportunities for them to participate and showcase their talents.  

A special thanks go to Ms Lucy Mason, St Catherine’s Speech and Drama Tutor, for being our Artist-in-Residence, during our Arts Week activities this week. I know all the girls enjoyed the many activities you designed along with the final performance held today.  

It has been a big term and I wish all girls and teachers a well-earned, safe, and happy break! 

CHILD SAFE STANDARDS 

On 1 July of this year, 11 Child Safe Standards came into force in Victoria. The Victorian Government introduced these Standards to promote the safety of children, prevent child abuse and to ensure effective processes are in place to respond to and report allegations of child abuse.  

As an organisation that works with children, all schools are required to comply with the Standards and need to implement all aspects of the 11 Standards. These Standards can be found at the end of this article. 

St Catherine’s School has always been, and continues to be, committed to Child Safety across all aspects and levels within our School, and as such we want our students to be and feel emotionally, culturally, and physically safe at School. St Catherine’s School has in place policies, procedures, and practices to support and promote child safety. These include but are not limited to: 

• Child Safe Standards Committee that promotes child safety and wellbeing throughout the School 
• Risk Management and Occupational Health & Safety Committees 
• Risk management strategies that focus on preventing, identifying and mitigating risks 
• Educational programs that reduce risk through students being informed 
• Staff training in child safety and wellbeing, including training in responding to, and mandatory reporting of, child abuse. 
• A zero tolerance for child abuse and commitment that all allegations and safety concerns will be treated seriously 
• A commitment to community engagement in, and community education on, child safety. 

Last week was National Child Protection Week with the theme ‘Shining a Light on Children Growing Up Safe and Supported.’ Our community, teachers and parents share a common cause in protecting our children and one of the ways is to know the types of child abuse (physical, sexual, and emotional) and how to identify abuse and neglect. While this is not a pleasant topic to write about, to help prevent child abuse we must bring it into the light, become better informed about abuse and be able to identify abuse.  

The following are some websites that parents may find useful: 

https://www.actforkids.com.au/about/ 

https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/sites/default/files/AG.DIBP.02.0033.001.0178_R.pdf 

THE CHILD SAFE STANDARDS

Standard One 

Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued. 

Standard 2 

Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance, and culture. 

Standard 3 

Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously. 

Standard 4 

Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing. 

Standard 5 

Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice. 

Standard 6 

People working with children and young people are suitable and supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice. 

Standard 7 

Processes for complaints and concerns are child focused. 

Standard 8 

Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training. 

Standard 9 

Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed. 

Standard 10 

Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved. 

Standard 11 

Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people. 

Together, we can be better informed and therefore more able to prevent child abuse and keep our children safe.