Roadmap impact

It's been great to see all our Yr3/4 students back on-site yesterday and today. We are very much looking forward to seeing all our Yr5/6 students tomorrow and Friday also.

Another week of staged returns for next week and then, hopefully we are all back together from Tuesday 26 October.

Students in Years 3-6 are required to have face masks from next Monday 18 October. Please comply with these restrictions, set by our Chief Health Officer and Minister, to protect us all.

Students are doing a great job of returning to regular routines but there is clear signs many of them are becoming tired and finding it difficult to concentrate for the extended periods of time they once did. Please establish consistent sleeping and eating habits, to support students in being at their best again.

It will take time to re-build and establish routines, habits and stamina.

With both home and school working together on these simple strategies, I'm sure we will succeed with our student growth in social & emotional and curriculum development.

2022 preparation

Preparations and planning for the 2022 school year are well underway. Please read the following very carefully, and help us to make the difficult process a success for all.

Our school is held in high regard for our process, and although difficult to get 100% correct, we do our best to support all students and staff each year.

Our priorities lie in considering the social, emotional and academic needs of each student. While friendships are also taken into consideration, we acknowledge that class time is primarily a time for working and that students have other opportunities throughout the day to socialise and play with friends. Students are remarkably adept at making new friends too!

We also take into consideration the special needs of students. If you think that you need to make me aware of ‘special’ considerations we are not already aware of, please make an appointment via our Office staff.

Classroom teaching staff, should not be approached, regarding 2022 Classroom Placements. As such, they will encourage you to make an appointment with me.

I ask that parents refrain from requesting specific teachers. I believe that all of our teachers are highly professional and demonstrate a high level of commitment to the students they teach. The unique style of each individual teacher means that each of them will offer something different & unique to their students.

We invest many hours into the development of a class list that we believe is the best choice for all of our students. The process we use to develop class lists is as follows:

1. Teachers use their current class list to develop a profile of each student which includes social, emotional and academic needs as well as friendships and those students who do not work so well together. Again, friendships are considered but class time is primarily work time not play-time. If students are not in class with their best friends, they will get to see them at play times and may in fact spread their circle of friends by making new friendships in their class;

2. Software is utilised to process key information on all students, as well as avoiding repeat teachers

3. PLC Leaders and I cross check the lists, making any necessary changes;

4. We leave these lists for a short period of time, and then check them again with the advantage of ‘fresh eyes’;

5. Classroom teachers make a final check;

6. Class lists come to the Executive Team for a final check. I then discuss any further changes with teachers, whilst considering any confidentiality issues; and

7. Class lists are published and disclosed at the National Transition Day (Tuesday 7 December)

This process is lengthy as well as thorough, and while decisions are made, in what we believe are the best interests of each student, there are approximately 380 students to be considered.

Essential school visitation

Anyone who has an essential need to enter the school grounds is permitted to do so. Whilst we are managing the volume and reasons for entering our site, under current restrictions, we welcome anyone who deems their need as essential.

Please ensure you are wearing a mask and exercise social distancing whilst within our school grounds.

It is imperative, anyone who enters the school site signs in at administration first.

Wellbeing & complaints process

We are all here to help. Please utilise our complaints process as required.

Should you have any concerns, queries or questions regarding a wellbeing issue or any matter that is upsetting or alike, please follow the below process of support:

Classroom teacher - always first port of call
Wellbeing coordinator - Michael Searl (Sarah Bigmore from week 3 onward)
Principal - Dale Power

You are welcome to contact via See-saw / Showbie (dependent upon year level), telephone, email or booking an appointment.

We all want our school to be a safe & happy place for all to enjoy and maximise student potential.

Assembly this Friday

We are very much looking forward to having our first Whole School Assembly from our new Kim barne Nitji gymnasium this Friday.

We will (hopefully) livestream the event - tech gods being with us!

Students will assemble in year level bubbles in our spacious new setting and enjoy the new audio / visual arrangements.

I hope to see many of you join us, and in particular, our Year 3/4 students who will be mostly at home in remote learning spaces.

Meeting number : 265 435 53137

Meeting password: iBimpMNu932

I acknowledge the First Peoples of the Wathaurong, who are the traditional custodians of the land and waters on which I work and live, and pay my respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.

Miners Rest Primary School

Organisation, Getting Along, Persistence, Confidence and Resilience

Issue 31 - Week 2 Term 4 copy · 13 Oct 2021

In this issue