extend is offering a Winter School Holiday Program, Monday 24 June to Tuesday 16 July.

For timetables, activity descriptions, and to book visit: extend.com.au or phone 1300 366 437. Bookings close on Friday the 14th of June.

Free Workshop – Plus 5 weeks’ free introductory membership!

Saturday 8th June 10am-3pm, followed by 5 consecutive Tuesdays at 7pm.

St Jude’s Parish School Hall

30 Warrandyte Road, Langwarrin

Enquires: Judy 9775 4464, Christine 5971 2231. Bookings Essential.

What: Spanish Feast, Soiree & live floor show, highlights from “Man Of La Mancha” & “Carmen”with Melb City Opera’s Lucy Nicolson as Aldonza & Michael Laity – Baritone as Don Quixote with Dave Bell on Flamenco Guitar.

All proceeds go to ‘Connections Skills’ Adults with a disability in Frankston.

Where: Rocotillos 36 Wells St Frankston

When: June 22nd 6.30 – 10.30pm

Tickets: $65 a head. Drinks at bar prices. All proceeds to “Connecting Skills Australia”

Enquiries & Booking: phone 97831631 or email rocotillos@yahoo.com

The Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery is proud to be the only venue in Victoria to be presenting the Archibald Prize in 2013 and 2014. The Archibald Prize was established at the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 1921 to foster portraiture and perpetuate the memory of great Australians. The winner of this year’s Archibald Prize is Del Kathryn Barton for her portrait of Hugo Weaving. Other faces you may recognise in this year’s exhibition include Offspring actress Asher Keddie by her artist partner Vincent Fantauzzo, Naomi Watts by Abbey McCulloch, Toni Collette by Alexander McKenzie and Anthony Mundine by Abdul Abdullah.

The exhibition runs from 8 June – 7 July at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Civic Reserve, Dunns Rd, Mornington.

Entry: $10 for adults, $8 concession, $5 for children 5–12 years old.

Pre-book tickets online at www.visitmorningtonpeninsula.org/archibald

Image: Hugo, by Del Kathryn Barton, 2013 Archibald Prize Winner, Image courtesy of Art Gallery of NSW

This is a company that helps pair people with one another – a networking forum – where parents may find other parents who live along the same school route and are therefore able to come to a car pooling arrangement for getting their students to and from school.

Your trip starts here

Both speakers will present for 90 minutes and the morning will end on a high with a 30 minute Question and Answer session with both speakers. There is an early bird rate of $55 if registered before 14th June.

Full details VIP_Saturday_Flyer

STS has placed many students from all around the world with Australian host families over the last 25 years. We have a number of exchange students who are arriving in July 2013 and are very keen to become part of an Australian family.

The celebration will be held at the kindergarten on Saturday 1st June 2013 10am-12noon.

There will be some fun activities for the children, a Sausage Sizzle and birthday cake to share.

The Department of Health has issued the following letter of advice for parents and guardians of children attending Swimming Lessons or Swim Clubs:

An outbreak  of cryptosporidium infection  (also referred  to as ‘crypto’) is affecting  Melbourne and many parts of regional Victoria.  The Department of Health is requesting  that  parents  and guardians of all children  who attend swimming lessons or swim clubs in Victoria be provided with  information on how to protect themselves  and others  when swimming.  This letter does not  indicate a problem with  the facility your child attends - it is being provided  across the  State and contains advice that  is important all year round.

Crypto  is a parasitic  infection  that causes gastroenteritis, with the most common symptoms being diarrhoea, stomach cramps and nausea. Symptoms  may last for weeks and have serious consequences  for people who have weakened immune  systems. During  swimming, people  can become infected  by swallowing  water which has become contaminated by human faeces, usually from tiny  amounts that cannot be seen.  Crypto can also be spread from person to person, especially in settings such as childcare  facilities  and in households where there  are cases.

All swimming  pool patrons are able to become infected if the pool is contaminated with crypto because crypto  parasites are not killed  by the normal  levels of chlorine  used in swimming pools. Without  realising, people with crypto  infection  can contaminate pool water up to 14 days after  their diarrhoea  has stopped. Pool operators  have taken steps including  decontamination of water where appropriate  as a protective measure, but this cannot break the cycle of crypto infection without  the help of patrons.

To prevent the  spread of disease, parents/guardians should ensure they  and their children take  the following actions to protect themselves and others:

•    Do not swim  if you have  diarrhoea or if you have  had diarrhoea in the  past  two weeks;

•    Shower  and wash thoroughly with  soap before entering the pool;

•    Wash your hands with  soap after going to the toilet or changing  a nappy;

•    Avoid swallowing pool water.

For more general information on avoiding  Crypto and other infectious  diseases while swimming, please go to: http://health.vic.gov.au/water/recreational/cryptosporidium.htm

If you have any concerns about your health or the health of your child, please consider seeking medical advice.   A simple stool (poo)  test is available  to diagnose crypto infection  if your doctor considers that crypto may be a cause of symptoms.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Dr Rosemary Lester

Chief Health Officer