The West Weekly  

Principal's Report 

Appreciations

  • I loved the combined appreciation message on page 5 arranged by Anne-Marie and the students in 1/2AB. This sums up our collective experience very well.
  • Congratulations to K-P transition coordinator Karri Sinclair who has done an extraordinary job remodelling our in person, onsite focus, initially planned for 2021 Prep Transition, into a detailed and relevant series of videos.  Supported by team members, the specialist team and the school captains, the information is comprehensive.  Each week through until the end of term, video responses will be uploaded to Vimeo. These can be accessed via the links included in the school website.

News – Return to school plans

As outlined last week, we were delighted to hear we could start planning for our students to return. Unfortunately, but understandably, this will occur in stages, with only the students in grades prep, one and two returning next week (from Tuesday).

 

Here are the basics:

Monday (25th May) – No school at all next Monday due to a curriculum day.  The Minister of Education last week announced that all government school teachers and staff would be back on site rather than working from home from Monday.  Teams will focus on preparing to return to face to face teaching on this day.  TheirCare will provide a full day program on this day for students in grades prep, one and two.

A video summary will be provided to parents and carers on Monday morning. 

Tuesday (26th May) – All students in grades prep, 1 and 2 are due to return to face to face teaching in their classrooms.  There are significant planning details relating to the staged start and end to the school day and the requirement that no parents are on the school grounds. 

Please note the detailed explanation of staged access in family groups noted in the Return to School - Stage 1 on page 2 in today’s West Weekly.

  • All students in grades prep to 2 who borrowed iPads from school are due to return them on this day. These will be collected in the classrooms. As per agreement we anticipate them being returned in good and clean condition. Receipt of returned iPads will be acknowledged.
  • From this time, remote and flexible learning at home support will cease for students in grades prep, 1 and 2.
  • All students in grades 3-6, who are able to learn from home, must continue to learn from home for the following two weeks.

Tuesday (9th June) – Students in grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 will be due to return to the classroom program. From this time, remote and flexible learning at home support will cease for all students.

 

General advice

Hygiene – Students will be reminded to properly wash hands with soap when they are able to do so and particularly after any toilet visits.  All students entering classrooms or specialist programs will be required to use hand sanitiser. 

Health – Any student exhibiting cold, cough or flu symptoms will be provided with a mask, isolated and parents will be called to collect them.  No one should be at school if they are showing signs of such illness, or return to school if they have been previously sent home having exhibited such symptoms. It is very important that parents and carers are supportive of this priority, even though it may be a considerable inconvenience.  All school communities are vulnerable to the effects of a COVID-19 outbreak, including the necessary and immediate temporary closure.

Drinks and food – All students will need to bring a labelled water bottle at school.  No drinking taps will be accessible for the foreseeable future. All students will need to bring fruit, snack and lunch from home each day.    The canteen will not operate at all during term 2.

Additional cleaning – All government schools will have access to their regular cleaning staff every day.  Areas of use will be cleaned throughout the day.

Play equipment … will be able to be used. It is impractical to clean sports and play equipment satisfactorily and regularly.  This underlines the importance of students using good hygiene, washing hands with soap thoroughly when they are able to and using hand sanitiser when entering, or returning to classrooms or specialist programs.

 

Loaned iPads – When students return from learning at home they are required to return any iPads that have borrowed to support the remote and flexible learning at home program.  As students transition back to school, all our iPads will be required daily.

 

R – Day (return to school day)

The advice to school communities is that the greatest chance of spreading COVID-19 is through adult to adult contact.  As a consequence, only staff members and required contractors will be allowed onsite. Parents or carers who have school business may attend the office provided they demonstrate appropriate social distancing.  Adult members of our community are encouraged to avoid attending the office at the start or end of the school day when it may be busy.  We encourage you to direct initial enquiries by phone or email.

 

Other news 

  • The Specialists learning program will start for students in grades prep – 2 returning to school next week. This is in addition to the specialists teachers continuing to manage their learning at home program for students in grades 3 – 6.
  • The Orchard to Plate cooking program starts back for the students in grades 2 on Thursday and Friday next week and will continue with the grade 2s for the first two weeks.  The program will then focus on the grade 1s for the final fortnight of term.  Strict hygiene and hand washing is a feature of this program.
  • Groundworks aimed to improve paths and surface drainage featuring in the newsletter and assembly last week were due to be completed by the end of this week.
  • Music over the PA system has been changed in time for the P-2 students to return next week.  Thanks to Yvonne for initiating this.

 

Best regards

Brendan