A message from the Principal

Corona Virus Update

Obviously we are all in quite a new and confusing situation at present, with so much public concern, scrutiny and media opinion regarding the spread of COVID-19 among the community.

As much as possible, we want to maintain business as usual for our students and avoid creating a sense of dread or panic that they struggle to process. That said, reiterating and emphasising good hygiene practice and sensible responses when somebody is sick will be important both at school and home.

The reality is that as long as schools are open, they are a place of mass gathering - the links between students and across classes and year levels, not to mention the interaction between teachers means that there is a chance of an infection spreading, if present. If your child is sick, please keep them at home and follow any instructions given by medical professionals.

There is a lot of speculation and competing schools of thought about what might happen next, the facts as we have them currently are outlined below.

I have received information from the department this morning regarding possible responses if a student or staff member is confirmed to have the virus.

In the event of a confirmed case in the school:

* The school will close initially for 24 hours. In this time, the Departments of Health and Education will work with the school to trace the virus and make further decisions.

* It is possible that a school would then be closed for a further period of time, as determined by the departments.

* During this period of closure, teachers would continue to work on teaching and learning, however there would obviously be differences and restrictions in delivery and access to learning for students.

* For short periods of closure, I would expect that children will be provided with work to continue on with at home.

* For longer periods, I would anticipate that either recorded sessions or the use of existing recordings would accompany work for students to complete. We do have access to live web conferencing platforms, Google Suite for Education and other digital resources but the nature of work required will determine whether or not these are required. I suspect initially it will be more efficient for teachers to work through email to parents and Edmodo for students in older classes.

Parent Resources

The following articles from our school's Parenting Ideas subscription offer interesting perspectives on some current issues for some parents.

Separation Anxiety can be a frustrating phenomenon that sometimes can pop up at the most unexpected time with certain children. This article provides some suggestions for trying to address it earlier rather than later.

Separation Anxiety

http://bit.ly/2QbxtZs

Recent events have only further highlighted the need for our communities to address respectful relationships between boys and girls. Helping boys to avoid particular pitfalls in thinking and behaviour that can later manifest into violent behaviour is something we should all be invested in trying to achieve. This article explores briefly the role of parents in influencing this behaviour change.

Respectful Relationships

http://bit.ly/3cUGvUo

Colour Splash

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far to the Colour Splash next week. We are yet to meet our target that will, at the very least, cover costs for the day.

Remember anything earned beyond $5 per student will go towards the landscaping and play options around the new building. We are hopeful of adding yet another bright, creative and imaginative play space to our school grounds that will benefit all students.

Thank you to our top fundraisers so far - Year 2 students are doing an outstanding job!

Get friends and family to donate at this link!

Family Festival 2020

Helpers