WHEELERS HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL

Principal's Report

22nd May 2020 

Welcome to our third and final edition of the “Learning from Home’ Newsletter! Thank you again for all your support over the last few weeks. I am looking forward to seeing all our students back at school over the next few weeks. 

 

Return to School Updates

We are heading back to school! Please make sure you are aware of the information below regarding our return to school next week. 

 

KEY POINTS

  • DO NOT COME TO SCHOOL IF YOU ARE UNWELL. THIS APPLIES TO STAFF, PARENTS AND STUDENTS
  • ADULTS ARE TO MAINTAIN A SOCIAL DISTANCE OF 1.5 METRES. SOCIAL DISTANCING DOES NOT APPLY TO CHILDREN
  • REGULAR HANDWASHING AND SANITISING

DROP OFF and PICK UP ARRANGEMENTS

The school has been advised to stagger drop off and pick up times and locations. This is to minimise the interactions between adults and to assist with social distancing guidelines. Prep parents will be the ONLY parent group allowed onto the school grounds. In all other year levels (unless authorised) parents will be asked to stay in, or by their cars at drop off and pick times. Please ensure you maintain 1.5 metres between other parents and avoid congregations and groups. Leadership and additional staff will be rostered on in the mornings and afternoons to assist this process. 

 

PREP (from May 26th) 

Prep children will be delivered by ONE PARENT ONLY directly to their classroom via the external classroom doors where they will be met by the teachers. Parents will not enter the classroom. DO NOT USE THE MAIN PREP ROOM ENTRANCE.

 

Prep parents and prep students will be asked to enter and exit the school entrance on Whites Lane by the prep building. 

 

PAB and PLDwill be dropped off at 8:45am.

PDB, PRG and PAR will be dropped off at 8:55am.

PAB and PLD will be picked up at 3:15pm.

PDB, PRG and PAR will be picked at 3:25pm.

 

Leadership and additional staff will be rostered on in the mornings and afternoons to assist this process.

 

Prep parents who are picking up prep students earlier, will need to wait outside the school grounds (at the Whites Lane entrance by the prep building) for any older children who are finishing at 3:30pm.

 

YEAR ONE (from May 26th)

Parents can drop off their children at the Whites Lane entrance by the BER between 8:45 and 9:00am and pick them up at the same entrance at 3:30pm. Students will need to walk down this entrance directly to the Year 1 classrooms where they will be met by their teachers. Leadership and additional staff will be rostered on in the mornings and afternoons to assist this process.

 

YEAR TWO (from May 26th) and THREE (from June 9th)

Parents can drop off their children at the Threadbow Crescent entrance between 8:45 and 9:00am and pick them up at the same entrance at 3:30pm. Both gates will be open at this location.  Students will need to walk directly to and from their classrooms from this point. Leadership and additional staff will be rostered on in the mornings and afternoons to assist this process.

 

YEAR FOUR (from June 9th)

Parents can drop off their children at the Rostella Court entrance (behind the gym) between 8:45 and 9:00am and pick them up at the same entrance at 3:30pm.  Students will need to walk directly to and from their classrooms from this point. Leadership and additional staff will be rostered on in the mornings and afternoons to assist this process.

 

YEAR FIVE and SIX (from June 9th)

Parents can drop off their children at the Whites Lane entrance by the OSHC room between 8:45 and 9:00am and pick them up at the same entrance at 3:30pm.  Students will need to walk directly to and from their classrooms from this point. Leadership and additional staff will be rostered on in the mornings and afternoons to assist this process.

 

OLDER SIBLINGS

Older sibling/s can be picked and dropped off from the youngest sibling’s location. For example with a Year 1 and a Year 4, both students will be dropped off and picked up at the Whites Lane entrance by the prep building. For a Year 3 and a Year 6, both will be picked up and dropped off at Threadbow Crescent. For a Year 4 and 6, both can be picked up and dropped off at the Rostella Court Entrance. 

 

OSHC and CARE and SUPERVISION PROGRAM

Prep students in the OSHC program will be taken to and from the prep building by the OSHC staff. Other children in OSHC will make their own way (as they usually do) to and from the OSHC room to their classrooms. Parents will still need to sign their children in and out if they are part of the OSHC program. 

 

Children who are involved in the care and supervision program can enter and exit the school via the OSHC room. Their parents will still need to sign their child in and out of this program. 

 

OTHER INFORMATION

Students (age appropriate) are also encouraged to walk or ride their bikes to school as well to minimise congestion and assist with adult social distancing. 

 

Students and families who are walking to school from home can access the school from any of these entrances that are closest to their home, irrespective of their year level.

 

Students who ride their bikes to school will need to enter and exit via the entrance by the OSHC room on Whites Lane. 

 

If you do not drop off or pick up your child (e.g a grandparent) please communicate this information to them. Also please talk through the new pick up and drop off arrangements with your children so they know and aware what to do before school recommends. You may also wish to come to the school to practice dropping off and picking up with your child before they restart school. 

 

PARENT ACCESS TO SCHOOL

Access of parents onto the school grounds will be limited to parents unless:

  • You are a late arrival or picking up your child early from the office
  • Are a prep parent dropping off or picking up your child
  • Have an appointment that has been approved by a member of the principal staff

If you are on school grounds and are not in any of the categories above you will be asked to leave. Teachers and staff will maintain communication with parents via email, WebEx and phone calls. Please do not go directly to classrooms. The only point of contact with the school at this stage is the office. 

 

UNWELL CHILDREN

Please do not send your child to school if they show any cold like symptoms, cough, fever or chills. If you child presents at school with any of these symptoms you will called and must pick up your child immediately. Your child will be isolated from other staff and students until the time they are picked up. Staff at school will have access to PPE to manage these children. Your co-operation with this is vital. 

 

CONTACT DETAILS 

Please check your details on compass and ensure they are up to date so we can quickly contact someone if your child is ill. Contact the office if you need any assistance with this. 

 

PERSONAL ITEMS from HOME

Please don’t send any personal items from home to school such as birthday lolly bags and cakes, show and tell items, toys, sports equipment and games until further notice. 

 

TAKE HOME READERS

Students will be taking home readers and other items from school such as key ring words. We ask that only your child handles these items and that they sanitise or wash their hands before and after they use them at home.

 

TEMPERATURE CHECKS

Students who present at sick bay will have their temperature checked. The Department of Education does not recommend students and staff entering the school have their temperature checked. 

 

LIBRARY

Students will still visit the library but books will not be allowed to be taken home until further notice.

 

CANTEEN

Canteen will resume on Tuesday 9th June. 

 

HYGIENE

Each class will have a number of sanitisers pump packs and wipes. Students and staff will be asked to sanitise every time they enter and exit a classroom and before and after they use shared equipment, such as music, maths or sports equipment. As always, students will wash and sanitise their hands before eating snack and lunch. Students will also be reminded of the correct hand washing techniques regularly.

 

Students will need to bring a full water bottle to school each day as the drinking taps are not in use. Parents and authorised visitors will also need sanitise each time they visit the office. 

 

EXTRA CLEANING

The school has been provided with an extra cleaner who will clean and sanitise the school during school hours, including the playgrounds. Our regular cleaners will continue their regular shifts at the end of the school day. 

 

RECESS and LUNCH BREAKS

Students in different year levels will be restricted to play in only certain areas of the yard during break times to minimise wider interactions between students. 

 

CARE AND SUPERVISION PROGRAM

The care and supervision program is still available from the 26th May to 5th June for students in Year 3-6. Please contact me directly if you need information about this program:

 

Michael.Ramsey@education.vic.gov.au

 

REPORTS and PARENT / TEACHER INTERVIEWS

Student reports will available on to parents on Friday 19th June in a modified format due to the remote and flexible learning arrangements in Term 2 and the disrupted end to Term 1. Parent / Teacher Interviews will also be held in the last week of term via WebEx. More information will be sent out soon.

 

OSHC PROGRAM

Our OSHC program is still operation before and after school. Please contact the program directly if you wish to access this service. 

 

PUPIL FREE DAY

Monday the 25th May is a pupil free day to assist the teachers with their return to school and planning for our students. No children, including those in the care and supervision program are required at school this day.

 

COMMUNICATION

Digital communication between home and school is preferred. Please contact your child’s teacher via email or phone. Do not go to your child’s classroom as access is only limited to staff and students.

 

EXTERNAL PROVIDERS, EXCURSIONS AND INCURSIONS

Kids Unlimited and external providers such the Lego Club and Drama Club will not resume at this stage (and possibly into Term 3) and will offer online options to students in the meantime. Parents need to contact these organisations for further information. The school will not be offering excursions, incursions and camps until further notice.

 

ASSEMBLIES

Assembly will be held via WebEx from the 15th June. More information will be made available closer to the date.

 

Prep 2021 Enrolments

Prep enrolments for 2021 are still open. Information about enrolment and forms are available via our school website under the enrolment tab. You are welcome to scan and email the Enrolment Form and required documentation to: wheelers.hill.ps@education.vic.gov.au.

 

Alternatively you are also welcome to put the form and associated documents in a envelope and put them in the letter box at the front of the school.

 

If you are current family at school and are enrolling a Prep student for next year, I encourage you to do ASAP so we can confirm our numbers. 

 

Due to the Coronavirus we have cancelled all school tours. We will open more tours as soon as we can.

 

Michael Ramsey 

Principal