Principal's News

This has been a week of 'welcome back' to school for our students and staff. The smiling faces, the re-connection and the return to classroom learning has been almost indescribable. The welcome and farewells at the gate, the classroom activities, the playground banter and activity were all signals that school was back at CEPS. 

It has been great to see many of you at the gates and I would like to pass on my thanks, on behalf of the staff, for your ongoing support, patience, durability, kind words and gestures of acknowledgement that have been shared across the most recent lockdown episode. 

We have had many queries from families around COVID management and compliance at CEPS. We follow the directions of the Chief Health Officer and the Department of Education, provide clear entry points, comply with QR code requirements, provide sanitiser and comply with strict protocols for on-site visitors. Our classrooms are spaced out, windows opened and doors ajar. Activities have commenced outdoors where appropriate, students are supported and encouraged to wear masks. Staff follow these important directions and social distancing across the school. The safety of children and staff is a priority for us.  

As we return back to “normal” and the lockdown restrictions are eased or lifted, we must now be even more vigilant, compliant and focused on the protocols, strategies and expectations around being COVID safe. There are many local schools who have had, or are currently experiencing active cases and we need to do all we can to reduce the risk for our students, families and our school community. 

DROP OFF (Mornings) 

To minimise interaction of students and adults within the school and at entry points we will open entry points for students attending Cheltenham East Primary School. 

For the purpose of this return to school:  

Foundation - Gate 1 (Main Entry)  

Grade 1 - Gate 2    (Carpark gate entry)  

Grade 2 - Gate 3 – (BER)  

Grade 3 - Gate 4 - (Garden entry)  

Grade 4 - Gate 5 - (End of Avalon Court)  

Grade 5 - Gate 6 - (Bottom of Oval)  

Grade 6 - Gate 7 - (Crossing @ Silver St) 

COVIDSafe PLAN

The Safety Management Plan for COVID-19 (COVIDSafe Plan) applies to all schools, outlines the key health and safety risks and links to the latest guidance. It sets out the approach for managing safety risks in schools in accordance with the minimum requirements for COVID Safe Plans. The COVID Safe Plan has been updated to align with the changes to the advice set out by the Chief Health Officer. 

Children from Years 3-6 are required to wear masks, indoors on school premises, provided from home, unless they have an exemption. The masks need to be clearly named to ensure the student knows his/her own mask, be worn correctly and the mask should be re-useable and washable. Exceptions include students with a physical or mental disability where their disability means wearing a mask would not be suitable.   

The most important action school communities can take to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 is to ensure that any unwell staff, parents/carers and students remain at home and get tested, even with the mildest of symptoms, and that people who are unwell do not attend school sites. 

Some of the important changes are as follows: 

Summary of key operational requirements  

DEPARTMENT PRIORITIES REMINDER FOR TERM 4  

1. MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING  

Our highest priority will be the wellbeing, particularly the mental health, of every student and member of staff. This means effectively mobilising all available resources to support our most vulnerable students and enabling staff to access the relevant support services. 

2. LEARNING 

Some of our students have thrived in the remote and flexible learning environment, others have maintained their learning progress, and some have fallen behind, despite their best efforts and those of their families and teachers.  Our priority will be supporting both those who need it to catch up and those who have progressed to continue to extend their learning.

3. TRANSITIONS 

 We will make every effort to ensure successful transitions for children moving from kindergarten into Prep, the Grade 6’s moving into Year 7, and the Year 12s moving into employment or further education and training. 

This means the priorities of every Victorian government school in Term 4 will be to: 

• Begin the process of catch-up learning and continue to extend those who progressed well during remote and flexible learning
• Support students to re-establish friendships and class groups when back on site, and provide additional support where needed help every student prepare for 2022 with a sense of purpose and optimism
• Ensure students continue to develop their literacy and numeracy knowledge and skills, build their personal and social capability and are physically active.

WORLD TEACHERS DAY TODAY

World Teachers' Day is a chance to recognise and celebrate the incredible contributions teachers have made in Victorian communities. This year, Victorian teachers have continued to show their resilience, leadership and adaptability throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers have adapted their learning environments, supported their students and school communities, and continue to share their knowledge with students across the state. Our amazing teachers at Cheltenham East PS have strived to support not only the students but families as well throughout the enforced lockdowns we have endured. They have had to be flexible, resilient and innovative to cater for the ever-changing demands Covid has imposed on us. They have done it brilliantly and as a Principal I could not be prouder of their efforts during an extremely difficult time. 

World Teachers' Day 2021 is an opportunity to celebrate the teachers who are making, or have made, an impact on our lives. Whether you're a current student, have children in school, or have been out of school for many years, World Teachers’ Day is a chance to say, ‘thank you’.  Mrs Ward has sent out a thankyou card for families to write in a message to our teachers. 

Our wonderful CEPS staff

HANDYMAN JON 

Our resident handyman Jon has been busy putting up new signage around the school with our values prominently displayed. Jon has also put up signage at the front entrance way and all gateways into the school. Thankyou to Mrs Ward who organised the new signage for the school. 

Jon has also cleared a lot of the growth around the hall area and is working on the eaves of the art room so we can take the old shade cloth down. 

New blinds in the art room will help to cut down the sun’s rays during the Summer months. 

Over the next few weeks Jon will be re painting the stage areas and ground markings. His work has certainly helped to ensure our school looks great. 

 WORKS AROUND THE SCHOOL

Parents will have noticed the road works happening along the Coolac Street entrance.  The council have replaced curbing and guttering as well as the driveway into the school in Coolac St. This has meant no access for staff parking and deliveries. I am assured that it will be finished some time on Friday and it has certainly tidied up the entrance way into the school. 

POWER OUTAGE TODAY

With the wild weather last night and this morning we arrived to school with no power for the whole day.  The staff and students did an absolute marvelous job!  

We had the old school ringing of bells for the start and end of the day, including recess/lunch times, along with old fashioned fun and games with no technology.  A big thank you to all staff for their tireless efforts. 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Wayne Bach 

Principal