From The Principal

ASSEMBLY

We look forward to another online assembly this week and would like to thank all our families for sending in photos. If we are unable to share them at this assembly, we will have another online assembly on Friday October 9, which will be the first week back after the holiday break, while we will all still be in remote learning mode.

We will have further details posted on Compass in the next week regarding how our return to school will work, with staggered starts and staggered play breaks, as we did during our last return cycle.

There has been some confusion about when school resumes next term and so, just to clarify, all classes recommence on Monday October 5 remotely with staff still not onsite.

The following week, on Monday October 12, our Prep- Year 2 students return to onsite learning while the Years 3-6 students and staff will still be offsite working remotely.

We know this is going to be another difficult time for some, and for many it also means some families have some children at school and some at home. Please be patient during this process,as the school itself does not make the rules. We know many of our families are eager to have this all as back to normal as possible and our staff feels the same way.

Be assured, we are looking closely at how we can support students again through this next transition stage and we feel for our senior students who will have to wait so much longer.

Please take care over the last week of term and during the break, I hope the sunshine and the onset of spring enables us to see the beauty in the world and appreciate what we can be grateful for.

WELLBEING

On Tuesday 15 September, the Department of Education and Training is repeating the free webinar for parents and carers by renowned child psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, on building family resilience during coronavirus (COVID-19).

Parents and carers play a vital role in helping children feel safe through uncertain times.

Dr Carr-Gregg’s webinar is aptly named Managing the Coronacoaster – Tips for building resilient families in the coronavirus era.

In this webinar, Dr Carr-Gregg provides tools and strategies for parents and carers to help manage the lockdown and remote learning. Topics include:

· your supportive role

· setting the emotional tone

· focusing on what you can control

· how to deal with disappointment

· further resources and where to get help.

Dr Carr-Gregg’s presentation will run for 45 minutes. This will be followed by a 15-minute question-and-answer session in which parents and carers can ask Dr Carr-Gregg questions.

Webinar details

· When: Tuesday 15 September

· Time: 7:30pm

· Duration: 45-minute presentation followed by 15-minute questions and answers session

· Format: online via Webex

· Cost: free

How to register:

Please use this link for your families to register: 

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/managing-the-coronacoaster-tips-for-building-resilient-families-registration-117927100131

ENROLMENTS

All scheduled face-to-face tours have been cancelled; however, we have been conducting virtual school tours. For Preps in 2021, we are now finalising our enrolments and will be planning Prep Orientation differently to previous years, when we have been able to invite children and parents on-site. 

Information will be emailed directly to families who are enrolled to commence school in 2021, once we have finalised our transition programs.

If you are in another year level and you are not intending to return to Murrumbeena next year, can you please call or email the office as we begin planning our grade structure and staffing for next year.

Please do not leave this until the last minute, as we need to also know this information for class placements.

RAISING LEARNERS PODCAST

The Department of Education and Training has funded a 10-episode podcast series through the Raising Children Network called ‘Raising Learners’. It features parenting experts from organisations including the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Career Education Association Victoria, as well as the Australian eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman-Grant.

Raising Learners provides parents with practical advice, tips and ideas for supporting children’s health, wellbeing and engagement at school and at home. Topics include how to connect with your child’s school and community, how to best support your child’s learning, what to expect for VCE and VCAL students and how to keep your child safe online.

These topics were drawn from common questions that parents raised with the Department’s coronavirus (COVID-19) hotline and Parentline.

The first three episodes became available this week, and the rest throughout Term 3 and 4. Raising Learners can be accessed via podcast apps and Raising Children Network website.

OUR TEACHERS

Upcoming Level Teacher Team Planning Day & Professional Practice Days

As you may already be aware, in the later stages of each term, our teachers undertake a planning day in preparation for the following term. This enables them to work collaboratively with their teaching team, and, for part of the day, alongside our fantastic Learning Specialists and PYP coordinator, Angela Houghton and Rick Damaiano. 

Staff discuss, plan and prepare the curriculum overviews and units of work for the upcoming term.

Each term, our teachers also undertake a Professional Practice Day. This is a Department of Education and Training entitlement, and each teacher is entitled to a one day per term release from their scheduled duties, including teaching, to focus on the improved delivery of high quality teaching and learning. Teachers spend the professional development day examining assessment of student learning, team collaboration, curriculum development, peer feedback and reflection.

Our classroom teachers will all have their Professional Practice Day this Friday September 11 while specialist teachers will have this on Wednesday September 16.

Planning days will be next week. Please find the days listed below so that you are aware of the slightly different online format for your child on that day.

Planning for teaching and learning in advance is crucial, and ensures the delivery of classroom program that meets the needs of our students as they move in to Term 4.

· Monday September 14: Year 3 teachers and Mrs Gabby Grant

· Tuesday September 15: Year 5 and Year 6 teachers

· Wednesday September 16: Year 1 and Year 4 teachers

· Thursday September 17: Year 2 and Prep teachers

· Friday September 18: Specialist teachers

On both planning day and Professional Practice Day, learning tasks will still be posted online by the teacher for your child to access, but teachers will not be available online to run class video calls or to answer questions or provide feedback on these days.

CONGRATULATIONS

Congratulations to Thomas Gregory in 4G

If you did not receive the Glen Eira news last week, you may have missed a wonderful article celebrating Thomas’s work and the book he created with the support of his neighbours.

I know the article made everyone who read it feel very proud and shows how student actions can have such a positive outcome in so many ways. 

Congratulations Thomas, well done. http://gleneira.smedia.com.au/news/#

I hope our Year 6 students, as they begin their exhibition planning, read the article to see a wonderful example of what can be taken on by students.

OSHC

After a very lengthy process, the Murrumbeena Primary School Council has decided to outsource the Out of School Hours Program and has entered into a contract with TheirCare. https://theircare.com.au/

We will be working with Theircare in term 4 to ensure a smooth transition for their management of the program. School Council has listened to the community and believe this will provide a service to our school families, which will enable longer hours, a school holiday program, online and transparent booking processes and online payments.

In coming weeks, Theircare will be meeting our current staff and I know many are eager to work with our new providers.

Booking information for 2021 will be sent out to all families next term and we look forward to them running a program that engages all students and families.

Lynne Foster