From Our School Leaders

Staffing Changes

We would like to inform the whole school community that Ms Kate Matthews is finishing up at Scoresby PS today. Kate has taken up a secondment to our regional office and will be working there for the next 3 years. Kate has been a fantastic member of our staff and will be very much missed. She is a passionate teacher and knowledgeable Learning Specialist, who has co-led our literacy work over the past 2 and half years. Kate has also led our Tutor Learning Initiative and has worked with students across our school in Literacy and Numeracy. 

I know our community will join me in thanking Kate for her work at Scoresby PS and wish her all the very best in her new adventures. 

Rachel Crofts will be increasing her time fraction and stepping into the 1/2K classroom for Mondays and Tuesdays to work in the 1/2 team, remaining in PE for Wednesdays and Thursdays. Rachel is an experienced junior school teacher who knows the school and the children. I am sure 1/2K will welcome Miss Crofts into their learning environment. 

Policies

At the last school council meeting our "Dogs at School" policy was discussed and ratified and will soon be available on our website. As part of this policy update, we would like to remind our school community that, as much as we love dogs, there are a number of children who find dogs frightening, and we kindly ask that no dogs come onto the school grounds during school hours.

Please note there is a Child Safety page, with information on new policies including the new Child Safe policies, later in this newsletter. 

Jeans For Genes Day - Friday 5th August

Raise money. Find cures. Jean-ius. 

Every minute around the world, 12 kids are born with a birth defect or a genetic disease. Kids just want to be kids, but instead of playing sports with their friends or catching butterflies on a sunny day, these kids are getting liver transplants, taking dozens of medications, or getting their next dose of chemotherapy. It shouldn’t be this way. You can help the scientists at Children’s Medical Research Institute find cures, so these kids can go back to being kids.

Scoresby Primary School is taking part in Jeans for Genes Day this year on Friday 5th August. 

We encourage everyone to join us - wear your jeans and bring a gold coin donation to support this fantastic cause. 

You can also visit JeansForGenes.org.au to buy some of their awesome products or get some great ideas to raise money to help find treatments and cures for kids with genetic diseases.

Out Of School Hours Care - Camp Australia

We have been in negotiations with Camp Australia over the past few months, in consultation with School Council,  and we have signed a new agreement with them to continue serving the community at Scoresby PS with provision of our Before and After School Care programs.

Through the negotiations we have agreed to: 

• Freshening up the OSHC space
• Cancellations - parents will not be charged for cancelling a session of before/after school care due to a medical illness for Term 3.  This will then be reviewed going forward.
• A reduced fee structure:

We are looking forward to continuing our working relationship with Camp Australia. Vaneetha will remain as our Program Supervisor. 

COVID Update

RA Tests 

We have plenty of RA tests available for families to come and collect if they need to be testing family members. TRA tests can be collected at the school office.

Masks

We know this has not been mandated by DET, but we do ask our school community to consider sending masks to school for their children. Children who are a close contact (ie. a family member has COVID) may continue to attend school, but are mandated to wear a mask while in attendance. 

Air Purifiers

We have received a batch of filters for our air purifiers, which have been working hard this term in all learning spaces. 

Ventilation

We are keeping doors open as much as possible in this cool weather. Teachers are opening windows during recess to allow fresh air into the rooms. Please send children to school with jumpers, coats, etc as we are doing our very best to balance the classroom climate in this winter weather.

Hand Hygiene

We remain vigilant about hand hygiene at Scoresby PS.  We have plenty of sanitisers in classrooms and children are reminded to sanitise/wash hands often throughout the day. 

SUE HARTLEY AND NICOLE RHEUMER

Scoresby Primary School Leaders