PRINCIPAL'S REPORT

Dear Parents/Carers,

Every time I sit down to write the newsletter, I always look back at the previous edition and as I looked back this morning, it was a stark reminder of how much things have changed in the past fortnight. There is continued speculation that this lockdown will be extended later in the week, with the growing active case numbers in the community. This speculation has been deflating for Victorians who have endured significant periods of lockdown in the past year. I found myself feeling a bit flat last night, coming to terms with the looming extension. But at this stage, it is just that, looming. Nothing is confirmed and we can either spend our time worrying about what might happen or focus on the good things that we have happening at the moment.

Earlier today, I managed to get myself online with the Year 1s, Year 2s and Year 4s during their morning meeting. The children all had smiles on their faces and were engaging with their teachers and peers. Our Year 2s had just finished their morning dance routine and were sharing stories about their favourite ‘mugs’ or drinking vessels. It was great to see James had his Richmond cup on hand. Visiting these sessions made me think how lucky we are to live in a digital world during this pandemic. It also made me think about how lucky we are to have enough computers and iPads to ensure all St Agnes’ students can be learning online with their teachers and peers (see some screenshots below). 

The last time we were in lockdown, we learnt about the importance of connection. We know our students love the social interaction of onsite learning and it is hard for them to be missing this. This is why we have ‘stepped up’ the contact online each day from Prep to Year 6, compared with the 2020 version of remote learning. Our Prep and Year 1 students are now starting the day with a whole class Google Meet, where there are things like ‘Show and Tell’ and other short wellbeing activities, before the teacher explains the day’s learning. Following this, the students move off to either complete some of the independent learning tasks or into a small group with a staff member. From Year 2 to Year 6, our students are in online lessons with their teachers from 9am through until 1.30pm, with some independent work to be completed in the afternoons. Being our older students, they are more able to sustain being online for extended periods of time. The most important thing we can do for our students' well-being at this time is to keep them connected and make every effort to help them progress their learning.

As well as connection, the other important element for children is routine. Getting up on time, getting dressed properly, setting up learning areas and being ready for the day will go a long way to their success in remote learning. Maintaining routine with bed times, eating healthily and getting plenty of exercise will also help your child to operate at their best during the day. We have included a ‘Tip Sheet’ from the school’s psychology support, Minds That Matter on the Student Wellbeing page.

Our teachers have once again adapted very well and are continually looking for ways to improve their online practice. The longer this lockdown stretches, the more we will look to increase the small group teaching that occurs each day, particularly in Reading and Mathematics. These two areas are a significant focus in our school’s four-year strategic improvement plan and therefore the areas we will be concentrating on most. Should this lockdown be significantly extended, our teachers will get in touch next week to set up a conversation between parent, child and teacher to discuss how your child/family is travelling. Please ensure you reach out to your classroom teacher if you have any questions or concerns in the meantime though.

Regarding school events, there are a number of different happenings scheduled for the next couple of weeks and we will update you as required with changes, postponements or cancellations.

CyberSafety Evening

As has been communicated in previous newsletters, we have a CyberSafety evening planned for next Tuesday, the 8th June. Given the circumstances we currently find ourselves in, never before has cyber safety awareness been so vital for parents. It had previously been planned as an onsite Family night, which students and parents would attend. However, we have decided to move this to an online parent workshop and it will be facilitated by Liz Wheeldon from ySafe. This practical, strategy-rich session will cover the most important points that all families need to know about online safety, including key information about social media and gaming, screen time recommendations and step-by-step instructions on how to set up a cyber safe home for kids of all ages. We ask that at least one parent from each family gets online for this, especially if your child is from Year 3, 4, 5 or 6. The video link for the meeting, which will commence at 7.30pm on Tuesday 8th June, will be sent via Operoo next week.

End of Semester Reporting

On Friday 18th June, Semester One Reports will be sent home and made available digitally through our nForma Parent Portal (access details communicated later). Student Reports took a very different form in 2020, however in Semester One this year, we will return to a more standard reporting format. Student achievement will be reported on in all key learning areas, including Specialist programs. There will be an ‘Achievement’ comment from your child’s classroom teacher, as well comments regarding your child’s ‘Areas for Improvement/Future Learning’. The reports will be followed by Parent/Teacher Interviews on Tuesday 22nd June. School Will finish at 1pm on this day to allow this to happen.

Assembly

While we are in remote learning mode, we will be holding whole school online assemblies each Friday afternoon. These will kick off at 1pm and will include all of the usual - a presentation from one class, awards, birthdays and special announcements. Year 2 will be the first class to share their learning this week and if we are still in lockdown on the 11th June, it will be the Preppies turn. We will share a link later in the week, if the remote assembly is to proceed.

Have a good week, stay warm and stay well.

Kind regards,

Lachie