Principal's Report
Principal - Brea Terris
Assistant Principal -Anthea Mathers
Dear Families,
What another great week it has been for students engaging in remote and flexible learning. As challenging as it can be, we have now established so many tools to deliver curriculum and check-in with students to see how their learning is progressing. It is great to see the students work each week in the newsletter.
Each Monday night staff meet and discuss student learning and look at relevant data for the week. This ensures we are meeting the needs of our students. Thank you once again to all of our students, staff, parents, and community members for doing an amazing job during this time.
Echuca Specialist School Co-Location
We are very excited to announce that the formal sign off for Echuca Specialist School has been completed. The ESS will move across at the start of Term 4.
ESS has also been granted permission to change the school name to Echuca Twin Rivers Specialist School. It is a momentous occasion and one to celebrate.
Car Park Works
If you have driven past the school you may have noticed the two car parks being asphalted. We are very excited to have these works completed as part of the build.
Assembly
Due to technical issues onsite at school, this week's assembly will be uploaded on Goggle Classroom on Monday. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and appreciate your understanding.
Onsite Attendance
We understand that some families may require access to onsite attendance for children. There is a clear set of guidelines from the Department of Education and Training around this.
The most recent advice around students who can attend onsite attendance from DET states:
-Where there are two parents/ carers, both must be working outside the home for their children to be eligible for on-site provision.
-Single parents/ carers must be working outside the home for their children to be eligible for on-site provision.
-Children deemed vulnerable by the school, a government agency, funded family or family violence service. These students are assessed as requiring education and care outside the family home.
While school is open, we are running on a skeleton staff, trying to keep as many staff at home working remotely with your children. To keep doing this we need your support. Please, if you are working, only complete the onsite attendance forms if there is no other way your children can be supervised at home.
If you require onsite attendance at school, we ask that you contact the office and speak to Anthea or me.
If your child is eligible for onsite attendance, a form needs to be submitted online.
If you are unable to complete the online form, please email a copy of the onsite attendance form to brea.terris@education.vic.gov.au
This form needs to be submitted by 12pm on a Thursday for the following week. If the form is submitted after this time, it may not be accepted.
Please continue to remember that Echuca Twin Rivers School community, has a responsibility to our wider Victorian friends, in helping to get the numbers down. If we all 'sanitize, social distance, wear masks, and stay home’ we are playing our part in helping to beat this virus.
We know this can be very challenging for you, but ‘We are all in this together’. We are trying to minimise the interactions of people, and it is still recommended if you can learn from home, you must learn from home. The purpose of this is to stop people from moving around the community and ultimately to stop the spread of the virus. The Chief Health Officer says the best way to do this is to stay at home.
Attitude to School Survey
Each year the Department of Education and Training surveys students in Year 5/6 to collect valuable data about their experiences at school.
The survey is not compulsory; however, we would encourage students in Year 5/6 this year to participate in the survey.
The survey includes some questions about student health and wellbeing and student perceptions of COVID-19. Understanding student health and wellbeing needs have always been important, but especially so this year, and DET is providing this survey to allow schools to capture this information to support students. Students will be asked about their thoughts and feelings regarding their school, family, friends, and health and wellbeing.
If you would like your child to participate in this survey please contact me at:
Brea.Terris@education.vic.gov.au
After I receive your expression of interest I will forward you the survey details.
Attendance during Remote Learning
In alignment with DET policy student attendance will continue to be documented during remote learning. All students will be expected to confirm daily attendance via joining a daily Webex check-in, notifying their teacher through a Dojo message or messaging on Google Classrooms.
If students are unwell, we ask that parents/carers notify staff of this so it can be added to our daily attendance. If we haven’t been notified by 9:30 am, it will be marked as an unexplained absence. If you have more than one child and only one device, students can be marked present by attending the eldest sibling’s morning roll call Webex.
Crazy Hair Day
We invite all students to participate in Crazy Hair next Friday the 4th September. The staff will be excited to see the designs on your Webex morning meeting. Start planning your do! Thank you to the Student Action Group for organising this.
Foundation 2021 Enrolments
All enrolment documents are available to download from our website. You may also contact the school and we can send the information to you via email or the post.
If you know of any families who are interested in enrolling, please ask them to contact the school. Thank you to our families who are getting the good word out in the community about our school, word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising.
Unfortunately, until the health advice changes, we are unable to do school tours.
School Wide Positive Behaviour
See our dedicated page later in the newsletter which includes updates, videos, and of course features Wally.
Wishing everyone an enjoyable and safe weekend.
Brea and Anthea