Thursday 21st October

Dear families,

We have commenced our staggered return to school this week and it has been wonderful to see our students reconnecting with teachers/staff once again - hearing the sounds of the playground again. It has been missed.

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday we welcomed our Foundation students back to school. Kieran was very excited and really impressed with how well they quickly fell back into their routines and structures. The students loved seeing Luna too and could see how much she has grown.

Today Lilly, Matt and Sharae have welcomed back the 1/2 students. A comment overheard from a student was that 'it is nice not having to see you on a screen' when greeting Matt. This captures what we have been going through perfectly.

Tomorrow Justin and Hilary are looking forward to seeing their classes with students again as the 5/6 students come back for one day this week.

We have 2 more weeks of this staggered return to school so please mark the days so you can keep track, see Kate’s Compass post and/or the calendar in this newsletter.

Thanks to our parent community for staying at the gates for drop off and pick as at this stage, parents are not be permitted to enter the school grounds. Your support and understanding is greatly appreciated.

As was the case last year, guidelines will continue to adjust and we will communicate any changes as they occur. This also applies to our office area. Please ring the school if you think need to come onsite

Students at school next week (Oct 25)

Foundation - Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

Year 1/2 - Thursday and Friday

Year 3/4 - Tuesday and Wednesday

Year 5/6 - Thursday and Friday

from Week 5 (Nov 1)

Foundation - Monday, Wednesday and Friday

Year 1/2 - Thursday and Friday

Year 3/4 - Wednesday and Friday

Year 5/6 - Thursday and Friday

from Friday Nov 5 all students to be at school

Term 4 is important for our students, and our teachers will strive to deliver high-quality learning for everyone. Our focus for Term 4 is on making sure that every student is supported in their wellbeing, learning and transition needs. During Monday’s School Council meeting I shared this quote which I think sums up our reconnection to school for our students as we balance the social needs with the lens of needing to assess where our students are at.

"We have to recognise that our kids have been through huge trauma and many of them have forgotten that learning can be fun. Our major job this term is to get things back on an even keel ready for them to enjoy their summer holidays and be excited about starting back next year." - Andrew Fuller, clinical psychologist.

Face Masks

These are required for students in Years 3 – 6 and recommended for our younger students. Masks will be worn inside. Some students in all year levels will have an exception as per the guidelines. As a school we will be encouraging students as much as possible to wear a mask but are going to be mindful that this will be a significant challenge for many of our students.

Some of our students have significant medical conditions and by wearing masks we will help to ensure they can safely return to school.

Thanks to Jessie Evans who has made some masks for us to have spare.

Onsite supervision next week

If you are a ‘permitted/essential worker’ and you require onsite supervision for your child/ren from Monday October 25 – Friday October 29 please complete the Onsite Attendance Request Form using the link. Please also send your current authorised worker form to either my email address (dale.mcinerney@education.vic.gov.au) or the school’s email address (menzies.creek.ps@education.vic.gov.au) by 4:00pm tomorrow. You will be contacted if there is a problem.

This is required to be completed each week as we need to plan for staff supervision. If you have indicated that your child/ren are coming to school and plans change please let us know. With the staggered return it is important we can accurately keep track of student attendance. Thanks for your support.

For families in 3/4 wishing to collect a learning pack please complete the form. If your child is going to be absent during this staggered return then please complete the form but understand that the learning packs will be ready from 1pm Friday.

These will be available tomorrow at the school office. Students in Foundation have been sent home with a pack yesterday, our Year 1/2 and Year 5/6 will bring theirs home with them tomorrow.

School Uniform and being SunSmart

Students are required to be in full school uniform. This includes wearing of school hats. Please ensure these are labelled. No hat = no play outside, students will be directed to say under cover to avoid UV

World Teachers' Day

Menzies Creek will join the rest of Australia in acknowledging World Teachers' Day next Friday, to recognise the outstanding work and dedication of all teachers.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has continued to require teachers all around the world to change their routines and adjust how they teach, to ensure students have the support they need to continue learning. It’s reinforced the significant role teachers play in the lives of children and students, their families, and communities.

World Teachers' Day is an opportunity for our community to say 'thank you' to our teachers who continue to make such a profound difference to our students.

Planning for 2022

Planning is now commencing for the 2022 school year and families are very welcome to write to me outlining any relevant educational considerations for next year. I ask that written requests are based on educational grounds and reach me by Friday November 5th. Any request received will be carefully considered, but not guaranteed and specific teacher requests won’t be considered.

Transition for 2022

If you have a child starting Foundation please ensure you have completed their enrolment form as soon as possible. Additionally, if you know of a family in our local area who plan to send their child to Menzies Creek in 2022, please encourage them to enrol immediately.

This also includes our 3-year-old and 4-year-old preschool for enrolments.

Please see the flyer in the newsletter for our planned dates this term which are of course subject to change.

Preschool 2022

Communication will be shared tomorrow about our structure for our Preschool next year in 2022 as we have made some changes to reflect our enrolments.

Emergency Management

We ensure that we are well prepared in the event of a bushfire emergency.

Fire danger ratings and warnings are used in Victoria to provide clear direction on the safest options for preserving life. Schools and children’s services such as Menzies Creek Primary School are listed on the DET Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR) and will be closed when a Code Red fire danger rating day is determined in their Bureau of Meteorology district. Where possible, we will provide families with up to four days’ notice of a potential Code Red day closure via Compass and the school website. A Code Red day will be determined by the Emergency Management Commissioner no later than 1.00 pm the day before the potential closure. Once we are advised of the confirmation of the Code Red day we will provide you with advice before the end of the school day.

Once confirmed, the decision to close will not change, regardless of improvements in the weather forecast. This is to avoid confusion and help your family plan alternative care arrangements for your child. It is also important to note that:

No staff will be on site on days where the school is closed due to a forecast Code Red day.
Out-of-school-hours Theircare will also be cancelled on these days

What can you do?

Make sure your family’s bushfire survival plan is up-to-date and includes alternative care arrangements in the event that our school is closed.
Ensure we have your current contact details, especially if we need to send a SMS via Compass. We require the most up to date records to ensure we can contact you. If you have changed address, got a new phone number or changed employment could you please let us know.

With fire season fast approaching it is a good time to remind our families to ensure that all your details are up to date at the school.

Take care everyone,

Dale

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