A message from the Principal

How school operations will change as wider restrictions are relaxed 

The whirlwind that has been 2020 has meant that, without realising it, we have ended up with only three weeks to go of the school year.

 

After the welcome end of remote and flexible learning, we have all been so determined to make up for lost time and catch-up on learning and events which were missed during terms two and three that the term has passed by in a blur.

 

The Education Department quite rightly provided the following advice for all schools when we returned to onsite learning in October;

  • Priority 1 – Mental health and wellbeing - Our highest priority is the mental health, safety and wellbeing of every student and member of staff.
  • Priority 2 – Learning - Our priority will be to ensure those who have fallen behind can catch up and those who have progressed significantly can continue to be extended and stretched in their learning. Literacy and numeracy across the curriculum remain a focus, with schools also adapting their teaching and learning program in Term 4 to be responsive to the needs of their students.
  • Priority 3 – Transitions - Term 4 is a critical period, particularly for the children moving from kindergarten into Prep and those from Grade 6 into Year 7. A key focus of Term 4 will be to make every effort to ensure each of these end-of-year and beginning-of-year transitions occurs as successfully as possible.

As a result our teachers have worked incredibly hard this term to maximise every moment in the classroom to teach and gain a strong understanding of the impact of this year on each child's learning whilst supporting children to deal with the social and emotional fallout of 2020. 

 

In addition we have also attempted to return to 'business as usual' - planning our graduation ceremony and a wide range of other activities for our departing Year 6 students, doing school photos, going on school camp, running our walkathon and school assemblies and welcoming our new cohort of Foundation children and their families to SKiPPS.

 

I have been so proud of the school staff all year in the way they have adapted and worked so hard to manage the changes forced upon us and how now, as things start to feel a lot more normal, they are working harder than ever to give these students the learning and end of year that they deserve.

 

This week, 16 days from the end of the year, we received news of a further relaxation of rules around schools from the Education Department based on the advice of the Chief Health Officer. This advice allows us to welcome parents and other visitors back into school and lose many of the other restrictions which have been in place since just before Easter.

 

We will digest this updated 'Operations Guide' and communicate exactly what this means in the coming days in relation to our staggered start and end times, year level 'bubbles' at break times, pick up and drop off arrangements, parent helpers in classrooms and school assemblies to name but a few. It may be that we choose to leave some arrangements in place as we are now so close to the end of the school year that there is little point in changing established routines at this point. 

 

We are however thrilled that our school community is on-track to being together again as the barriers that have kept up safe but separate all year are quickly being removed.

 

Thanks as always for your support.

 

Neil Scott