It has been another really positive week at DPS. Our teachers, students and school community have adapted to school life and fully settled in to their new classes and routines. It is hard to believe we are already half way through Term One.

Swimming

We congratulate Adaliah Smith 6J who made her way to the Division Swimming event after a stellar butterfly performance in the district event. Well done Adaliah!

Hockey

Last week, we had a hockey clinic onsite. Lots of classes were lucky enough to participate in these clinics and learn the basic skills involved in playing hockey. I watched a few sessions and the students adopted a positive attitude and really put in a wonderful effort. It looked like a lot of fun.

COVID - 19

If your child is isolating due to COVID , whether they have tested positive or are a household contact, DPS have implemented some procedures across the school. You can expect a wellbeing check in or two from the classroom teacher. Plus your child, may choose to access these activities:

Mathletics
Reading Eggs
Epic books
Write a journal / letter to their teacher/ letter to their friend
https://fuse.education.vic.gov.au/Primary (This is a department website with many activities relating to all curriculum areas: English, Maths, Science, Dance, History and Geography)

If students are absent for more than 7 days, the procedures change slightly. You can still expect a wellbeing check in or two from the classroom teacher. Plus you will be emailed a pack of activities, made by the teaching team at DPS. There is no expectation that your child will complete all of these activities, they are just there if required.

Tips for parents

Starting back at school can be tiring, especially for younger children. Adjusting to school routines takes time. At DPS, we have spent the first half of this term helping children reconnect with friends and teachers, follow classroom routines, and learn to work in peer groups again. In some situations, this has been even more important than learning activities. It means your child will probably have some ups and downs. That’s OK. The main thing is for your child to feel positive about being back at school. The rest will come with time and support. These tips can help when children first go back to school:

Make sure your child gets plenty of healthy food, physical activity and sleep.
Make time for doing something special with your child in the afternoon or evening. It could be something like going for a walk after work, doing a family puzzle or a cuddle and book before bed.
Keep your family routines predictable, and make time for family activities. For example, try to make time for family meals as often as possible, or have family games or movie nights on the weekend.
If your child is ready and has enough energy, get them back into some of their usual extracurricular activities.
Try to stop what you’re doing and listen when your child wants to talk about school. Be patient if your child wants to tell you all the details.
If your child doesn’t want to talk at all, try a conversation starter like, ‘Tell me one good thing and one bad thing about your day’ or ‘I noticed that you are extremely happy today. I wonder why that is?’
Help your child practise self compassion if they’re feeling tired or finding it hard to adjust. For example, they could say, ‘I’m trying my hardest. It’s OK if I can’t remember how to do that maths problem’.

Remember we are a team at Doncaster Primary School and there are always people who are happy to help. Please speak to your child's class teacher if you have any concerns about the way your child has settled into their new class.

Cards, Anyone?

Year 4 and 6 connecting