Dear Families,

What a fantastic week it has been here at Twin Rivers. We have been continuing to build our classroom libraries and students are reporting how much they love having books at their fingertips.

It has been exciting to celebrate home reading with students as well. Lots of students of a morning are sharing their Home Reading Diaries with teachers. We have lots of students counting down till they receive their books for 50 nights of reading and I heard a whisper some students are quickly approaching 25 nights!

One of our whole school foci is on reading, so it is lovely to see students being so engaged every day with their reading.

Parents Action Group (PAG)

The Parent Action Group (PAG) are excited to be organising events to raise much needed funds for the fantastic programs we have here at ETRS. If you would like to be a part of our PAG, please let us know via ClassDojo or simply call the office to express an interest. We encourage and support parent input as much as possible.

Newsletter

Thank you to all the families who have contacted the office and updated personal details, including email addresses. This ensures we can effectively communicate with all families. We are continuing to use the inewsletter platform to distribute news about the school fortnightly. Access Facebook, ClassDojo or the website on alternate weeks for our virtual newsletter.

Please contact us if you have any feedback about the newsletter. The newsletter will be published on a Thursday.

We will upload the newsletter to the website and Facebook each week.

If you require a paper copy please contact the office.

COVID 19 changes (and entry into the school grounds or buildings)

Parents / carers, we are very excited to see you accompany your child/ren during drop off and pick up times ‘inside’ the school grounds. Please feel free to bring your child/ren to the classroom door and collect from the grounds at the end of the day. If you need to be in the school for longer than 15 minutes or wish to enter the classroom, please make your way to the office to sign in and provide evidence of your vaccination status.

We still have QR Codes available to check-in at the gates and on the doors of all classrooms. Feel free to access the hand sanitiser from our gate staff when entering the school.

Welcome back 😊

Rapid Antigen Tests

Free rapid antigen tests are available for all students in Victorian schools for the first four weeks of Term 1 2022. Rapid antigen testing will be voluntary for all primary students and staff. It is recommended by the Department of Education that rapid antigen testing is done twice weekly, on school days. If you have not picked up your second box of RATs from the school, please visit reception.

Students will do the tests at home. Parents must report positive tests results through the Department of Health system, phone 1800 675 398. Parents must also notify the school of any positive results; this is so the school can support families, record that student’s will be absent while in 7-day isolation, and let the rest of the school community know there has been a positive case onsite and that they should monitor for symptoms.

Families with students who return a positive test result from a rapid antigen test should follow the latest advice at https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/rapid-antigen-tests.

Great Start Conferences - Thursday 17 February

Conferences took place this Thursday 17 February for every student in the school. This provides an opportunity for you and your child to meet with the classroom teacher and discuss their interests, strengths, medical or wellbeing needs and together set learning goals for your child. There will be an allocation of 15 mins per student. This can occur in person, or a phone call. This will not apply to our Prep students who will have had interviews already. Please contact your Prep teachers to determine the day for Preps.

We strongly encourage our students to attend these meetings. Students are to be in full school uniform and attend school for the interview time only.

We are looking forward to meeting with you.

Please note: students attend school for their conference only and must be in full school uniform. Schools Out is available on this day.

Traffic Management

This is a reminder that the drive through bus zone located at the front of the school is for the Echuca Twin Rivers Special School buses only. Please keep this zone clear for these services. Students can enter and exit the school at pick up and drop off time via the front gate (located to the side of the main building) and the back gate (located at the back of the oval, near the bike shed). Please park in the carparks provided, closest to the gate your child/ren enter and exit. Thank you for helping to keep our community safe.

SunSmart Policy: Hats On

All students are required to wear their broad brimmed hats, even when playing or participating in activities under any shelters.

Our SunSmart Policy is based upon the Cancer Council guidelines that hats should be worn when UV levels are above 3 on the index (usually around the beginning of September in each year). We source this information from the following website: www.bom.gov.au/products/UV/Bendigo_VIC.shtml

Please remember that only our school hats may be worn.

1st September… Hats Remember.

1st May… Hats off Day.

Respect, Inclusion, Resilience, Responsibility (Academic Excellence)

Enjoy the weekend!

Julie Hommelhoff Matt Saunders

Acting Principal Assistant Principal

From the Classroom

Preps have been busy for the first few weeks of school.

Grade 1/2's this week.

Grade 3/4 Swimming

Grade 5/6's open Water Learning