A Warm Welcome to our Weeden Heights Community

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Congratulations and well done on your amazing effort of making it through term 3 with remote learning!!! You have all done incredibly well and the teachers and staff have most definitely appreciated all of the support that you have provided at home in allowing your child to access remote learning. I would also like to also thank the staff for going ‘above and beyond’ to make remote learning as successful as it possibly can be for all of the students.

We cannot wait to have the students back onsite at school but our direction comes from our State Government. As you are now well aware, the details of our road map out of Stage 4 was delivered in the Premier’s announcement last Sunday. I have been busy trying to develop a Weeden Heights PS return plan however, I do know things could or might change. To highlight the key aspects you need to be aware of:

Until the end of term and the first week back (5 – 9 October) of fourth term:

All schools will continue to provide remote and flexible learning
On-site supervision for children of permitted workers and vulnerable students will continue to be provided consistent with existing guidelines

From the 12th October (Week 2 of Term 4)

Students in Prep to Grade 2 return to full-time on-site schooling. The existing remote learning program will not continue for these year levels
At this point, the year 3’s from our grade 2/3 will not be able to return with the rest of their class. This is different as we were allowed to keep a class together last time around. Remote learning will continue for the room 4 year 3’s.
We will have a staggered finish to the school day as we had earlier in the year. We will follow a similar model: 3.20pm – prep and prep/1, 3.30pm 1/2 and the grade 2’s from the 2/3 class in room 4
Remote and flexible learning will continue for all students in Year 3 to Year 10, except for children of permitted workers and vulnerable students.

After 26 October when:

The daily average number of cases in the last 14 days is less than five state-wide and there are less than five cases with an unknown source in the last 14 days (state-wide total), then: "Schools will see a potential staged return for onsite learning for Grade 3 to Year 10 subject to public health advice."

Basically, our Years 3 to 6 will not be back on site until 26th October at the earliest, depending on COVID-19 cases. That is Week Four of Term Four. We do need to keep in mind that anything can change over the holidays depending on the number of cases but that direction will come from the State Government.

As we receive more information I will keep you informed. At the moment I can say:

Hand sanitiser will be used for entering and exiting the building. It will also be used when students use equipment at school. By keeping hands clean, the equipment will stay clean
Temperatures will be checked on entry to the school and during the day
12 year olds in year 6 will not have to wear face masks while on the school ground but will as they walk home etc.
Parents will wait outside to collect or drop off their children as we have done previously. They must wear face coverings and social distance at all times
School cleaning will be increased again to accommodate the increase of students on site and the day cleaning of the high touch surfaces will continue
Playgrounds are open for our students only. They will be cleaned before play and lunch
The only visitors to the school will be deliveries and school services for maintenance or repairs
There will be term 4 reports that reflect progress in all learning areas. Mathematics and English will be marked against the Victorian Curriculum and other subjects will have a comment or 5 point rating
OSHC will be running in some capacity which will be confirmed for P-2 students and those Year 3-6 students who have been approved for onsite attendance in the remote classroom.

Year Six Graduation

The Year Six Graduation is firmly in our thoughts at the moment and I have met this week with both of the Year 6 teachers already to brainstorm. We are trying hard to think of different ways to be able to give the students a worthy celebration. We clearly need to work around the restrictions that will be in place in December but the Year 6 teachers will be in contact with you and will work with the students for suggestions and ideas.

Potentially, it could be a videoed ceremony or live streamed with a picnic on the oval for students only. Maybe it may have to move to a daytime graduation and, at best, only one parent in attendance. We will be looking to hold the celebration in our hall but, if an outdoor venue enables more people to attend, we could consider socially distancing parents on the oval. We could potentially live stream the ceremony, still share some type of meal together with the students and, if it is held outside, a strong sound system in place.

We have also spoken about potentially having families in cars to view the ceremony at an oval or maybe even a guard of honour of parents in cars out the front of the school. We definitely will be doing our best to come up with a great solution to our 2020 Graduation Ceremony. If you have any suggestions that are worth considering then please forward them during the arranged process (the year 6 teaches will be in touch soon).

Workforce Planning

Our indicative budget for 2021 was released by the department yesterday so work will now commence on the school budget using actual figures and not estimated figures. Accurate information is critical in setting up the budget so we can accommodate for our students and their needs.

If you intend leaving Weeden Heights and your children will be starting at another school next year, can you please let me know, in writing, so that we can make the necessary adjustments to our calculations and the Weeden Heights PS budget.

Morning tea catch up

Over the holidays we are planning a couple of short morning teas for who ever can join. It is BYO tea and definitely cake over a Zoom or Webex. It would be a nice opportunity for parents to have a chat as well as I'm sure that you have all missed each other. Members of our PFA will be there and I will also come along. I am happy to answer any of your questions, listen to any of your ideas and definitely share a laugh. Look out for an email soon.

End of Term 3 Assembly

We will be having a final assembly in our Google Classrooms on Friday. It is a chance to celebrate some of our achievements this term and to say farewell for the holidays.

Please remember that the school will finish at 2.30pm. This is very important for the students that are enrolled in the onsite classroom so that the students can safely return home for the holiday break.

Please have a safe and enjoyable term break and we look forward to seeing you again on Monday 5 October for a week of learning from the remote classroom. Teachers will have the work up and ready for learning on the weekend so that students will be ready for their Google Meets on Monday morning.

Thank you!

Thanks again for all of your ongoing support. We are very lucky to have such a wonderful community who really pulls together in diverse situations. You truly have been amazing and I am very proud to be a part of this community.

Stay safe and well everyone,

Ms Kylie Campbell

Principal

Futures are Bright at Weeden Heights!

LIBRARY NEWS PREMIERS' READING CHALLENGE is CLOSING

LIBRARY NEWS

PREMIERS' READING CHALLENGE is CLOSING