From the Principal's Desk

It Put a Smile on my Face!

After the last couple of weeks where community morale has bottomed out, there were three things that put a smile on my face as we entered a new week:

Thank you to those parents who reached out at the end of last week with ever so kind words of encouragement, as we endeavour to navigate through an extended 'learn from home' period.
Our Book Week Parade Video- If you are yet to view it, please take a moment out of your day to watch it. It was just beautiful to see our children beaming as they showed off their Book Week costumes. It reminds us why we do this job. Oh, and a special thank you to families for embracing the event!
The display of blossom as you enter the school driveway. You have to admit that it's a pretty impressive display!

And... It's wonderful to see the creative way our learning communities are embracing Book Week : Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds

Our Prep children are exploring some of the Children's Book Council of Australia's Shortlisted books
Our Year 1/2 children are 'travelling' through Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds, checking off their passport as they go.
Our Year 3/4 children have taken inspiration from the book Imagine a World and are creating and designing their own worlds; and
Our Year 5/6 children are jumping into the World of their choice, compiling activity points along the way

More detailed descriptions of each can be found on the Book Week 2021 and Learning and Teaching Pages of the Newsletter so please have a read.

Feedback

The past few weeks have been a testing time for everyone, and what started as a snap 7-day circuit breaker lockdown on Friday 6th August is still dragging on.

Over the past 18 months, as we have continually responded to lockdowns, our Continuous Learning Program (Remote and Flexible Learning Program) has developed over time, adjusting to the skills/needs of children, staff and parents.

What began as a teaching and learning program with pre-recorded lessons and associated tasks to be completed at one's own time has evolved into a sophisticated structured 'live' program involving children, including 5-year-olds, to attend timetabled video conferencing sessions (following the appropriate online etiquette) and to complete and submit a range learning activities. And... no matter how independent our children have become it still involves a significant component of parent input (while working and/or running a household) for it to succeed.

Feedback has suggested that our past responses to periods of lockdowns in terms of the Learning and Teaching program offered, including Student Wellbeing, has always reflected the needs at the time.

Now, however, as we head towards the end of week 3 of this 7-day lockdown (with no immediate end in sight) we have hit a roadblock and need to know what it is that families are looking for as we once again need to adapt our program. The model with which we entered this period of lockdown needs adjusting and we need your help. Do we need to increase or decrease the amount of 'live' meeting time? Do we continue with the current structure of the day? What can we do to enhance Wellbeing? Do we continue with the skill and drill practice of content already taught, or do we attempt to move forward through the curriculum knowing and understanding that some children will need a great deal of guidance at home?

These are just some of the questions that we are hoping to have answered.

So, how can you help out? Tomorrow, families will receive an email with a link to our Remote Learning Parent Feedback Survey which we invite you to complete. The first question asks you to identify which year level your child is in. This will allow us to adjust different programs accordingly. If you have more than one child, you are welcome to submit additional responses. We ask that those wishing to complete the survey do so by Sunday 29th August.

Obviously, we will never be able to 'get it right' for everyone yet completing the survey will provide an opportunity for all voices to be heard.

School Closure Days: Staff Professional Development Day

Could I please remind everyone that this Friday 27th August, will be a School Closure Day: Staff Professional Development Days so there will be no school that day, nor will there be anyone on site.

Have a wonderful week

God bless

Anthony Hyde

(Principal)