Principal's Message
By Jenny Hassett
Welcome Back
Welcome back everyone!
We have a number of new students who have moved into our area over the school holidays. We welcome these students as members of our Rollins community and hope they really enjoy the wide range of experiences we provide.
In 2021 we have some new and returning members of staff. We welcome back Josh Westwood( Grade 5/6) and Natalie Wynne (Grade 2) who are both well known in the Rollins community. We also welcome Suzi Powell and Emma Raju (Education Support Staff). Nathan Freind has also been employed 3 days a week in a teaching and Student Welfare capacity.
Sunsmart- Hats
As a Sunsmart school we ensure that all our students are protected from the harmful rays of the sun. Students must wear their broad brimmed hats during Terms 1and 4. Students without a hat will need to stay indoors. Please ensure your child has a hat that is clearly labelled. We suggest hats stay at school to prevent students leaving them at home.
Canteen
The canteen will reopen on Monday 8th February. Days for canteen lunch orders will be Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays during Term 1 and $ icy poles will be for sale for $1. All proceeds will go to beautifying our school grounds.
School Council Elections
All government schools in Victoria have a school council to assist with the smooth running of the school. They are legally constituted bodies that are given powers to set key directions of the school within state guidelines. In doing this, a school council is able to directly influence the quality of education that a school provides for its students.
The term of office is usually 2 years.
In 2021 we will have 3 school based parent vacancies at Rollins. If you are interested in becoming a school council member please contact the office for a nomination form. Nomination forms will be available from Monday 8th February and will close on Monday 15th February at 4pm. If you would like more details please feel free to contact me for additional information.
COVID-19
Many thanks to all the parents for supporting the COVID-19 Guidelines. Parents have been exceptionally supportive of the guidelines set by the Education Department. Hopefully, in the coming weeks, restrictions will continue to ease.
A reminder that parents and students can enter and exit via any of the 2 gates that is most convenient. Please try and arrive at school in time for your child to visit the bathroom and spend some time with their friends. Arriving on the bell means your child may be unsettled and anxious about getting organised before the instruction session begins. We will no longer be sanitising children as they enter the gate but all students, staff and visitors must sanitise each time they enter classrooms. Mr Callaghan and I will still remain on before and after school duty to say hi to families.
In line with the Department of Educations Operations Guide assemblies will still be held on line until the further easing of restrictions. As soon as we can we look forward to the return of a normal schedule of assemblies in the Multipurpose room.
Any visitors to our school must wear a mask indoors as per Government guidelines. If you enter learning areas or the office then we ask that you adhere to these measures until further notice.
Many thanks.
Contact Tracing App and drop off/pick up reminders
At this stage, all indications and information from the Education Department is that we can have parents on site to drop off and pick up. If you are staying more than 15 minutes then you will need to complete our COVID tracking information (QR code will be located on the fence near each entry gate). You will require the Services Victoria app to be downloaded prior to scanning.
If you are coming into the school during school time please still come to the office gate further up (heading towards Ward St) on Wolseley Grove as gates at Ernest St and Wolseley Grove will be locked.
After school, we ask for families to exit the school grounds in a timely manner via the gates so that they can be locked. Jumping the fence is not permitted at any time.
Curriculum Day
Just a "heads Up" for parents. Monday 8th March is a public holiday( Labor Day). We have elected to have one of our designated Professional Learning Days on Tuesday 9th March. The school will be closed on this day. We have specifically selected this day to follow the public holiday in case families the opportunity to go away for a short holiday and return on a day when there is less traffic. Hopefully, by this date, we will have some travel options! I hope this is suitable for our community.
Assembly
Our first Assembly of the year will be held tomorrow via YouTube @3pm. The link you require to access this is available here or by clicking the pic below. If you can't watch it live, don't worry. If you have the link you can watch our assemblies at any time that is more convenient to you.
Meet and Greet Parent/Teacher Interviews
Parents/Carers are invited to come to the school on Wednesday 24th February (2pm-6pm) or Thursday 25th (2pm-5pm) to meet with your student's teachers for 10 minutes to follow up on how the year has started and we can best support each other to ensure your child/ren has a positive year of academically and emotionally.
Bookings will be made available on Compass from Friday, 5th (tomorrow morning) and the app/website will walk you through the booking process. If you have any questions or issues please don't hesitate to contact our school office during regular hours on 5278 3022. Please note that Batesford campus students will have their Meet and Greets at that campus so please allow time for travel between campuses if necessary.
We look forward to seeing you at one of our "Meet & Greet" afternoons.
Bike/scooter riding to school
We had a concerning report this week that one of our students, who rode to school, crossed a number of streets without looking. We ask that parents talk to their children about the importance of road safety. Some links have been added below for your convenience We are surrounded by narrow and heavily congested streets so road safety awareness is paramount. Children in the younger years (P-2) must be accompanied by an adult, whereas upper students (3-6) can do so independently.
Better Health Bike Safety link
Vic Gov health warning on mosquitoes and Ross River virus in south-west Victoria
Residents and visitors to the Surf Coast, Geelong and Bellarine Peninsula areas of Victoria are being warned to protect themselves against mosquito-borne diseases such as Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus.
Ross River virus has been detected in mosquitoes in Anglesea.
These viruses can cause symptoms including joint pain and stiffness, headache, fever, rash and fatigue.
The best protection from these diseases is to avoid mosquito bites. Protective measures include:
* regularly using mosquito repellent containing picaridin or N, N-Diethyl-m-toluamide (DEET) on all exposed skin (for children it’s safer to spray or rub insect repellents on their clothes rather than directly onto their skin)
* wearing long, loose-fitting clothes when outside
* ensuring accommodation, including tents, are properly fitted with mosquito nettings or screens
* limiting outdoor activity at dusk and dawn when mosquitos are most active
* removing stagnant water from around your property at least every week. This includes in flowerpots, pet bowls, bird baths and buckets.
A range of information about protecting against mosquito bites is available on the Better Health Channel’s Beat the Bite web page.
Bushfire Preparedness Relocation and Closure Procedures
Coming into summer and the fact our Batesford campus is regarded as being in a bushfire zone it is important to update parents of our procedures should the event of closure be required at Batesford due to a Code Red Fire warning. Communication regarding a campus closure and/or the need for student relocation will be released to concerned parents via Compass, Dojo and Facebook.
For detailed information regarding this potential emergency please read the Risk assessment located in the attcahed 2021-2022 Emergency Management Plan for Batesford.