Appreciations

How often have you taken a moment to reflect on how strange is now normal? We have individually coped with the most unusual and perhaps most challenging time we have experienced in our life times and while we know there is still more to negotiate, perhaps we can look forward to some semblance of normality returning within the next month or so. As this long and distanced term is about to conclude for two weeks of stay-at home holidays, I do wish to express my profound appreciation to our students, staff and parent and carers for the level of consideration, perseverance, good grace and resilience that you have shown. I do hope you all have some relaxed time at least over the next fortnight. School will finish at 2:30pm tomorrow.

This week

Planning for term 4 has been occurring this week. We hope that your children, had (or have) a successful learning day focusing on the Specialists’ curriculum when it is their grade’s turn for planning. Teams have planned initially for the continuation of remote learning, but for instance the P-2 team are working on the expectation that they will be teaching the children in person from the beginning of week 2 of next term (12th October). As a staff we are already planning practically for the physical return of the students, while considering what will be similar to our previous return (following the first period of remote learning) and what will need to change - for instance an expected requirement to daily test the temperatures of all students on entrance to school. We will inform our community of what we have planned in advance through our usual methods.

Prep 2021 letters of welcome were posted to families this week.

School Council met by video format on Monday evening. Some main points of discussion included; reflection on this extended period of remote and flexible learning at home, return to school considerations, adjustments and changes in term 4, the proposed change of communications application, planning considerations for 2021 and the viability of a senior school Canberra tour in 2022. As parent members of Council have also had no choice but to take on the role of substitute teachers, while in many cases maintaining a full time job, we were keen to hear from them. What worked out well? What was, or became very challenging? Did the remote teaching support provided by our school meet their needs? Our parent councilors are strong and positive representatives of the parent electorate and they were able to share and reflect on successes and difficulties, many that you may have also experienced. We also discussed the effectiveness of Parent/Teacher interviews and Student Led Conferences. There was a general agreement that the online format worked very well, in particular for the Parent/Teacher interview format. Perhaps a blended model could be offered at mid-year in the future? Much of the meeting was spent considering the ongoing effects of COVID-19 restrictions may/will have on school operations in term 4 and in preparation for 2021.

Keeping generations together

A few weeks ago the school captains initiated the FWPS MailBox. The collaboration between FWPS and the team at Maribyrnong council has resulted in beautiful colourful picture messages and craft created by the children at FWPS, being shared with residents, and local residential care facilities to brighten up their day. Please keep these works of art coming!

During term 4

We wish to provide as many in-class experiences to the children as we can when they return. We know they will also be keen to attend specialist classes and play and chat with their classmates. Consequently, we wish to maximize this time together.

There will not be a Footscray West Cup held this year. We see it as a community event and as parents, carers and grandparents will not be able to enter the school grounds for the foreseeable future it loses much traction.

This year the day prior to Melbourne Cup day will not be a student free day. Normally this ‘student free day’ is provided as time in lieu for additional hours worked by our teachers when reporting to parents. This time was not accrued this year. We also believe that with families suburb bound, the concept of the extended long weekend holds little allure. We will understand that some students may not attend school on that day.

We do however anticipate that (strangely) the public holiday prior to the grand final will be held on Friday, 23rd October. As this public holiday normally occurs late September during the term 3 holidays, it usually has no effect on school operations. However, with the AFL centred in Queensland and the grand final being held about a month later, a public holiday has been gazetted for the third Friday of term. As our students in grades 3-6 are still anticipated to be learning remotely, the most significant effect will be for parents with students in P-2.

In line with standard restrictions, a Grandparents/Special person’s day will not be able to be held this year.

Prep 2021 orientation will look very different this year. With our newest recruits unable to be accompanied onsite during the period this is usually held, the Prep team are creatively applying the skills learnt during flexible learning to provide remote opportunities for the children and their parents and carers to be informed and connect with their new school.

Transition for the year 6 students, as well as across the school may also be different.

Grade 6 graduation will also need to be a very different experience this year. The senior school team have met with leadership to canvas creative ways to mark this important step in our senior student’s lives.

Fundraising has been significantly reduced in 2020. School Council has managed our finances systematically over many years, however with such an unexpected reduction in locally raised funds there has been direct implications on 2020 facilities’ planning.

Facilities

In the newsletter earlier this year, I referred to sub ground and foundation subsidence concerns affecting our 105-year-old, Wallaby building. The Victorian School's Building Authority, who have contracted the site-specific management to Haskell Architects, is overseeing the project management for these repairs. The work required is both complex and time consuming. This complexity compounded by COVID-19 restrictions. While we initially anticipated work to start during term 2, we are nearly in term 4 and we have no firm time frame for this to occur. However, when it does, it will be a major challenge, as all of us who use the Wallaby building will need to move into temporary buildings. When the project kicks off, the first evidence will likely be the fencing off a large area of the oval (again). We will have reduced space to play, as well as a further dislocation to the 6 classes who are located there, as well as specialist music, all administration, leadership, student services, staff room and adult toilets. As with all our challenges we face, we will plan with the needs of all our students and staff in mind. We will collaborate when planning and communicate prior to activity. We can anticipate that while we would love for most of the work to be managed over the January holidays, the reality is that the project will be occurring well into the 2021 school year. While we are not looking forward to managing this at the busiest time, during this most unusual year, we know the work is necessary and we are very grateful that significant funding has been sourced for this purpose.

As working bees have not been able to be held and only employees and contractors allowed onsite, we have managed important maintenance, repairs and garden and orchard improvements utilising these established resources.

Painting maintenance of the eaves and roof guttering and first and second storey windows of the Wallaby building has been occurring at a time when we have had the unexpected opportunity for this to be safely achieved during the term. While major work will need to done on the Wallaby building this finicky painting maintenance will not be adversely affected by the forthcoming works.

Due to our school’s reduced income, COVID-19 restrictions and anticipated major Wallaby building repairs, our much awaited climbing wall and solar panel projects are currently on pause. We hope to return to these during 2021.

Staffing changes – We were pleased and proud of Anne-Marie Boyd who learnt early last week that she had been successful in obtaining a dream role in a newly created Leading Teacher position in the outer western suburban growth corridor. Anne-Marie will manage a shared role at Doherty’s Creek and Truganina South primary schools, starting at the beginning of next term! We agree that is not a suitable time frame, but we realise (even more this year) that some things are out of our control. We are pleased that Lauren Baker, who has contributed to the Prep, Junior and Senior school in the short term and part time roles during the second semester this year, was a suitable candidate for this unexpected role. To support an effective handover, this week Lauren has taught online in partnership with Anne-Marie and joined the team for planning day. Unfortunately, to achieve this, Lauren has had to relinquish the role of teaching 5HL on Thursdays and Fridays, a position she took on at the beginning of this term following her predecessor, Laura Montebello going on family leave. Unusually, this teaching role has occurred (entirely) remotely. We are pleased that former FWPS teacher, Rita Makridis, is available and will step into Lauren’s shoes in 5HL at the beginning of term. We are pleased that Anne-Marie will return to the class to say a personal good bye on the very first day the students return from remote learning.

Congratulations to Suzanna from TheirCare on the birth of baby Elias.

Next term

We will keep you informed of the guidelines that we are working with when released and we have had the chance to plan for their outcomes. As outlined last week, we currently expect that all students grades P-2 will return to remote learning for the first week of term 4 when school returns on Monday, 5th October. We believe it is likely that the students in grades 3-6 may return the week starting Monday 26th October.

All the best,

Brendan

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