More than 60 years now, VPC has worked tirelessly with Victorian school parents. That we are still here today is a testament to the hard work and support of parents, schools and parent associations across Victoria.
We are a not-for-profit, ACNC registered Charity Organisation and are driven by the commitment of a small group of volunteers.
You can be involved as a parent, guardian, school, teacher or business; we love to collaborate with all those who are passionate about supporting children through education, from babies through to adulthood and beyond.
If you like to join, don’t hesitate to contact us at vicpc@vicparentscouncil.vic.edu.au
Whether it's once a week or once in a while, we welcome your involvement.

 

 

Dear VPC Community

Welcome to Term 3!

As life with COVID continues, VPC is here to assist parents with the best information we can, to help you support your children through some very trying times.

We have been discussing Sleep! We all know how important sleep is, and parents have been telling us about the challenges facing families and children as they chase quality sleep. But is it really quality over quantity? Our sleep experts are telling us that quantity is critical. The challenges of last year, including much higher screen time and less time outside, really highlighted sleep as a critical factor in school performance, mental and physical health. This edition we are continuing our deep dive into sleep.

Sleep is critical to positive mental health, as explored in our VPC Live event with Lisa Maltman on Thursday 22 July 2021. Our events are free to attend, so jump in and register! LINK to EVENT

We are also thrilled to welcoming back Maggie Dent #VPCLive on Facebook on Monday 26 July 2021. Maggie will talk about the importance of play for our children and teens. REGISTER HERE

Current research opportunities for the VPC Community. We are proud to be community partner in the CLASS research project and encourage your year 7 student(s) to participate.

The CLASS-research project is being run by the Turner Institute at Monash University.  We are supporting recruitment for this exciting research project.  The team is looking for Year 7 students, living in Melbourne. Parents, please consider allowing your Year 7 student to join this study. They can join with a friend and there are incentives to be part of this important research work. If your Year 7 student is interested in science and research, this is a great opportunity to see how it all works from a participant’s viewpoint. Please click for more information including an expression of interest form.
Kindly note recruitment finishes on 27 July 2021

Victorian Parents Council, VPC, is collaborating with ‘researchers at the Monash University’ - Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, MCHRI, and leading international agencies, to learn more about the COVID- 19 pandemic and strategies to prevent infection, See further details below.

We are also delighted to have Martine Oglethorpe back as our guest blogger as she discusses the importance of sleep for young people. Take a look! Young people and the importance of sleep. Martine is the founder of The Modern Parent website and her work focuses on digital parenting.

If there are any topics you would like the VPC to address, please contact us directly at vicpc@vicparentscouncil.vic.edu.au –we love to hear from you!

We are an enthusiastic Committee and hope some of you like to join and share your talent(s) with us. We are looking forward to delivering what you need and endeavour to support you all as best as we can. As always, we look forward to continuing to work with all of the vibrant VPC Community on- and offline. We welcome your interaction and feedback.

Sincerely

Eveline Jona,  VPC President
vicparentscouncil.vic.edu.au
Victorian Parents Council – The Vibrant Parent Community Est. 1959

 

Upcoming VPC Live Events                 #VPCLive

Our events are free to attend, and registration is required. Please send your questions to vicpc@vicparentscouncil.vic.edu.au for our experts to answer your queries.

Sleep Works Wonders

Sleep for Better Health, Resilience and Performance - Lisa Maltman

Thursday 22 July 2021, 7.30-8.30 pm
Sleep is not only important for rest and energy, it is also important for physical and mental health and wellbeing. VPC has conducted a series of live events on sleep and its importance.  
Join us in our final event in the VPC - All About Sleep Series, join us with Lisa Maltman, founder and owner of The Sleep Connection, as we discuss the importance of sleep and Lisa shares some practical strategies. 

 

Play Matters                           

Play and Nature Play: Why They Matter So Much - Maggie Dent

Monday 26 July 2021, 7.30-8.15 pm
Children of all ages can benefit from play. Young children benefit from play by learning psychomotor skills and healthy brain development. Older children reap the benefits of physical development and exercising their imagination. Play also promotes social skills and building relationships in tweens and teens.
Join us with Maggie Dent, Australia’s “queen of common sense”, to talk about the importance of play for our children and teens.

VCAA - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority 
NAPLAN 
●      The VCAA manages the printing, delivery, return, scanning and marking of the tests in Victoria, and the reporting of NAPLAN results to parents and schools
●      Some schools are part of the NAP-ICT Literacy sample assessments happening 11 October – 5 November. Your school will have more information if they are part of the studies
●      New in Victoria this year: NAPLAN Certificates of Achievement are being introduced for Year 9 students in 2021.
●      All schools are expected to transition to NAPLAN Online in 2022
●      For more information regarding NAPLAN 2021 result, visit the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) National Assessment Program (NAP) website

VIT - Victorian Institute of Teaching
●      Yearly, all teachers in a Victorian school and early childhood service are required by law to be registered with the VIT by 30 September. The annual registration process, starts 2nd of August, provides for the safety and wellbeing of children by ensuring teachers maintain recency of practice and also remain suitable and fit to teach.

CCYP  - Commission for Children and Young People
●      Victoria’s New Child Safe Standards – 1 July 2021.
●      New Child Safe Standards are coming to better protect children and young people from abuse.
●      The Victorian Government has announced that the new Standards will commence on 1 July 2022, giving organisations time to plan, prepare and comply. 
●      The new Child Safe Standards will replace the current seven standards. You can find the new eleven standards here.

VRQA - Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority
●      Children have the right to be safe and protected, including at school. It is important that you feel confident that your child is safe and well while in the care of their school.
●      The Child Safe Standards have been introduced in Victoria to achieve a zero-tolerance approach to child abuse
●      Currently schools have to meet the minimum seven child safe standards
●      Victoria’s New Child Safe Standards per 1 July 2021 – these must be implemented the latest by 1st July 2022
●      What information should your school provide to you? Choosing a School: Thinking about Child Safety

Some special dates ahead
(mental health & wellbeing events/days and international days)

While many schools utilise these special dates as springboards for classroom learning and discussion, they also present a wonderful opportunity for dinner table discussions at home. Helping our children to understand the importance of such days for our wider community supports them in becoming kind, compassionate and aware global citizens.

• R U OK? Day:
The virtual launch for RU OK Day 2021 will be 15 July 2021.
Register: find out all of the information and how you can be involved for
RU OK Day on Thursday 9 September 2021, when we ask R U OK? It is a day to stay connected and have meaningful conversations that can help others get through their struggles in life.

• International Day of Friendship 30 July
• International Youth Day 12 August
• Wear It Purple Day 27th August
• Indigenous Literacy Day 1 September
• Father’s Day: Sunday 5 September
• International Day of Charity 5 September
• Women's Health Week 6th - 10th September
• International Literacy Day 8 September
• World Suicide Prevention Day 10th September
• International Day of Sign Language 23 September

What Have You Been Reading?

Two of our favourite authors and long-time friends of VPC have new books out

Steve Biddulph’s Fully Human: A New Way of Using Your Mind pivots away from his regular parenting books. Instead, Steve explores how to understand and tap into our deepest feelings as he unfolds this concept of our ‘super-sense’, May 2021.

Maggie Dent’s Parental As Anything focuses on the hot topics of parenting, such as raising resilient children in the digital world, sole parenting and co-parenting, childhood anxiety and managing tantrums or meltdowns. July 2021

VPC COVID-19 COLLABORATION GLOBAL RESEARCH - iCARE  SURVEY 11

This is the next Survey invitation. Most of you received VPC emails inviting you to participate in this important international research project iCARE - Study. If you haven’t signed up yet, the study is still welcoming participants. Victorian Parents Council, VPC, is collaborating with ‘researchers at the Monash University - Monash Centre for Health Research and Implementation, MCHRI, and leading international agencies, to learn more about the COVID- 19 pandemic and strategies to prevent infection. The following link will bring you to an information page, where you can complete a short 20-minute survey*, www.mbmc-cmcm.ca/covid19
The goal for this study is to understand more about how people are dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak in order to learn how we can individually work to slow the spread in our own community. As always, we are looking toward the future, where we overcome this difficult time for us and for our children. Our hope is that we can come out of this stronger than ever. We are all in this together.
You can now find the first Survey results, iCARE - Cumulative Results from Survey 1 to 7
*Please note; all responses are de-identified so no one will be able to align survey responses to individuals