From the Assistant Principal 

Everyone wants to BEE at Kalinda!

As if we don't have enough excitement these days, some eager eyes spotted a bee swarm taking up residency in our beautiful gum trees this week! We know that bees are incredibly important to our environment and we certainly didn't want to rush to contact an exterminator. Did you know that the greatest contribution of bees and other pollinators is the pollination of nearly three-quarters of the plants that produce 90% of the world’s food? A third of the world’s food production depends on bees, i.e. every third spoonful of food depends on pollination! (Source: The importance of bees). 

Honeybees can often be safely relocated so that they can create a hive in a safer location so when we realised our buzzy friends were looking for a new home, we wanted to move them on as soon as possible so that they don't move into walls and rooves where they often like to set up camp. We called The Yarra Valley Bee Group to find a volunteer to remove the swarm and lo and behold.... Phil C (dad of Isla, Poppy and Max) was on call! A huge thank you to Phil who spent Monday evening gathering up our newest residents and finding them a 'sweet' new home. 

If you ever notice a bee swarm or nest near your house, you can call on the The Yarra Valley Bee Group to help you out. Thanks Phil and YRBG!

Concerning online behaviours

We have witnessed a sharp increase in negative online behaviours lately and the consequential wellbeing and behavioural impacts on students at school. We strongly urge parents to continue exercising diligence in supervising their child’s use of technology and encourage families to consider their child taking a ‘Digital Detox’ over the coming weekend – allowing students a break from the relentless nature of social media and messaging. 

Please let your class teacher, Shaun McClare or Lauren Hopkins know if you have any concerns with these matters.

First Nations Bedtime Stories

Illness at school

Under new DET protocols, any student who is sent home with COVID compatible symptoms will be unable to return to school until they have a COVID test and provide the school with evidence of a Negative result andthey feel well. If your child has an ongoing condition that may mimic these symptoms (such as Hayfever) please provide written advice from a medical professional to that effect. Thank you for your understanding in this regard. 

Negative Covid test results can be emailed to kalinda.ps@education.vic.gov.au. (Whereas a positive result should be communicated with us as soon as possible, via the details shared on Mr. McClare's page.

Some children may feel some apprehension or uncertainty about having a Covid-19 test (although some may be old hand!) The team at Deakin University (including Kalinda parent Megan) have put together this fantastic video to share with children. The video stars one of our own - Lucien in 5/6D! Great job Lucien, your support for this project is a wonderful service to our community. 

Watch “Be brave, Get tested - how a COVID test is done on children” here.

Facemasks

The introduction of facemasks for students in Grades 3-6 (and highly recommended for F-2) is certainly not something we saw coming a year ago but we know that the science clearly points to their benefits in reducing the spread of Coronavirus in schools (see this CDC article for more information). However, we recognise that this causes uncertainty for some children and families. If you are concerned, please reach out to either Shaun McClare or myself for information on how we approach mask-wearing at Kalinda. 

I have copied the Department of Education's information to schools regarding mask wearing below for your information. 

• Face masks will now be mandatory for all school students in Grade 3 and above when indoors including at Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) programs unless a lawful exception applies. Face masks can be removed while outdoors at primary schools.
• Face masks are strongly recommended for Prep to Grade 2 students
• For students with a disability, parents and carers should speak to the child’s doctor or regular health professional and with their school about the best methods to encourage mask wearing. Students and parents can also contact the Disability Liaison Officer program for more information.
• Students with a medical condition that prevents mask use will not be required to wear a mask.
• Face masks are required for students in Grade 3 to Grade 6 unless an exception applies. Exceptions include students with a physical or mental disability where their disability means it would not be suitable. Parent/carers of a student/s who meet the criteria for an exception must provide their approval in writing for their child/ren to not wear a mask to the school.

Information on the correct ways to wear a mask are available.

We are kind. We are resilient. We are respectful.