Found - School Windcheater

A very new looking navy polar fleece windcheater (size 8) has been found in Lost Property. It has no name but if you think it may belong to your child please see Di.

A reminder to all families to please take the time to label your child's school uniform!!

Fairy Garden request

Do you have any fairies or fairy furniture that you could donate to the Fairy Garden? We would love some new fairies to play with.

We would also like things for the bases and for the mud kitchen.

Thank you! from the SRC (Student Representative Council)

A Note from Emily

Somehow, it’s already the end of term and what a whirlwind of a term it has been. As I have spoken about earlier in the term, this term's focus is ‘Engaged’, and I wanted to share a special way I have been engaging with students the past few weeks. On Mondays I run a small Art Club at lunchtime, and it’s been an incredible way to engage with students on a creative level. Our last project together was inspired by Monet’s Sunflower piece. Each student would create a flower, decorate it and together they would make a bunch of flowers. What I love about this project is that students were engaging in a collaborative piece. Each flower by itself is unique and beautiful, but together they become a piece of art, showcasing everyone’s creative mind. When we engage in something collectively it can have a far greater impact. Like with the flowers, one in the large vase would look out of place, but all of them together make up a bouquet of unique flowers. Just a reminder for today to find and engage in something that makes you smile, for that creates a huge impact for our own wellbeing, and the wellbeing of others around us.

I’ve been thinking a lot about mindfulness this week. We as a staff have been talking a lot about it over the past few weeks and I thought it might be a great topic for my note for this week.

What do you think of when you hear the word ‘mindfulness’? Is it something you're very aware of and a practice you do as often as you can, or is it a foreign concept to you? This week I just want to encourage you to bring your attention to your breath. Breathing is an important practice of mindfulness. It allows us to slow down, calm down and be present for a few moments.

Box Breathing is something I like to do with students I work with. I ask them to use their hand to make a box. How box- breathing works is; (see picture also) You breathe in for one side, hold, breathe out for the following side and then hold to finish. It’s an exercise that can be done anywhere, as many times as possible and has always brought calm when I have used it or have been using it with a child. This is my encouragement for you this week, I want you to bring attention back to your breath. You can try box breathing or another type of breathing exercise that may work for you and then check in with your body afterwards – how did it make you feel? Has there been any change in how you are feeling? I hope this practical and easy mindfulness tool can bring you a level of calm this week. Take care of yourselves.

Emily Morgan, Pastoral Care Worker

OSHC News

Hello all - just a quick reminder that we have vacation care fast approaching and still plenty of room on most days! (see link below for program). Please book in via WhatsApp or the OSHC phone so I can keep track of bookings in one central place! I am most excited for our "Build A Boat" competition, as we've been collecting so many boxes and making bits n bobs and I can't wait to see what everyone builds ... and whether or not they will float.

Also, please be aware our excursion day is capped at 25, so if you are keen to come that Wednesday the 20th, book now! See you all soon! - Andrew.

Vacation Care program

Entertainment Book Fundraiser

Hop into an eggcellent Easter with the family and enjoy a bonus eGift card! You will receive limited time Bonus Offers and a Bonus eGift card when you purchase your Entertainment Membership and support our fundraiser.

To help with the Easter treats this year the current Gift with Purchase campaign has been extended until 18th April 2022. Until then, when you purchase a Single City Membership, you can choose between a BONUS $10 Macpac, BCF or Woolworths eGift Card.

If you purchase a Multi City or a Multi City Plus Membership, you can choose between a BONUS $30 Macpac, BCF or Woolworths eGift Card. As well as the eGift cards the special bonus offers are still available as well!!!!

Click on the link to order. https://www.entertainment.com.au/orderbooks/16190k7

COVID restrictions

Here are the current recommendations from the Department for Education:

COVID safe measures

All students and staff must stay home if unwell, even mildly. If students become unwell at school, we are unable to care for them here and we will be contacting you to collect them asap. Please have a plan in place for someone who can collect your child within a half hour.
We will be maximising ventilation by leaving doors/windows open, using air conditioning and fans, and keeping doors and windows open. Please make sure your kids have a jumper - it might be cold in classrooms with the additional ventilation. We have had a number of students complaining about the cold, without a jumper in their bags.
Outdoor learning will be encouraged where appropriate.
Adults will practise physical distancing where possible.
We will do our best to minimise student/child intermingling across class groups inside for the time being – and spread kids out in the spaces we have available.
We have been asked to limit non-essential visitors on-site; allied health professionals, music teachers and student support services are an exception.
We will continue to practise and promote hand and respiratory hygiene. Hand sanitiser will be provided for regular use, and disposable masks.
Extra cleaning of the school daily will continue. This means that high contact areas of the school will be cleaned twice daily.
Students are being asked to fill up their drink bottles from taps in preference to drinking directly from the taps, so please make sure they have a labelled bottle every day.

Face masks

We will be requiring everyone to wear masks, to minimise the risk of infection.
Face masks are strongly recommended for students in years 3 to 6. We will be expecting all students in the Year 3-6 classes to be wearing a mask.
We have received a supply of smaller masks, and we encourage our younger students to wear masks. Children can bring their own masks from home as well.
Teachers will be wearing masks, except when it impedes the ability to teach.

Can parents and carers come into the buildings?

We have been asked to minimise the number of adults who come onto our site for the time being. Please send notes back to school with children rather than dropping them off yourselves, and contact us by phone or SeeSaw in preference to meeting in person.
However, if you need to see us, yes you are welcome! You just need to ensure you do a COVID-Safe check in when entering the building and practise physical distancing from other adults. If there is another adult in the front office area, please make your presence known to front office staff and then wait outside until called.
Please enter via the Kidney Street red door main entrance only.
Please note that all adults are required to wear masks when entering school or preschool buildings.

Pick up and drop off

In the morning please continue to drop children off at one of the entrances to the school grounds, and allow them to make their own way to their classrooms. If you need to speak to your child’s teacher, please make contact through the SeeSaw app.
In the afternoon please make a quick pick-up from the gate. Children are not allowed to play in the playground after school for the time being.

Assemblies

Assemblies are postponed until further notice, unless we can hold them outdoors. We will invite you to a Zoom Assembly on the Friday of every odd week at 2:40 with each class in their own classroom.

Flexischools App

We have taken on a new method of payments for the school. The Flexischools app allows you to pay for certain school services. Information is provided below. This is the preferred way to pay when available, but we will still accept cash and card. It is not available for all services, but we are hoping to streamline payments as much as possible. You can now pay your materials and services fees via the app, and soon instrument hire and book fees. Please call Sara on the school number if you have any questions.

Mon 11 Apr	Pupil Free Day
Thurs 14 Apr	Last day of Term 1. School ends 2.10pm
Fri 15 Apr	Good Friday

Important dates