WELCOME BACK

How exciting to all be back onsite learning together. Our year 3 and 4 students are fortunate that they have been able to travel to Mount Evelyn for their school camp. Year 4 students are currently on camp and year 3 students will commence their camp tomorrow. The challenges of running a camp during a pandemic are large and we are grateful that these students are able to have a camp experience. Amanda and I will each visit one of the camp groups this week. We know students are making the most of all of their activities.

We are currently unable to hold face to face assemblies and so have returned to our Monday morning WebEx assemblies for the time being. The link will be shared with families each Monday morning until further notice.

COVID 19 GUIDELINES

We received updated Covid-19 guidelines from the Department of Education. Please read the dot points below for items relevant to you, as parents and carers.

1. If you need to enter the school office for an essential reason, please ring the doorbell, then check in with our QR code. QR code check ins are required to be used by all parents and carers who enter school buildings. QR codes are not required for parents who are coming onto the grounds for drop off or pick up.

2. Face masks are necessary for parents and carers within our school grounds.

3. Parents and carers should not congregate in the school grounds either before or after school. Please practise physical distancing. We encourage families to make their way home promptly at the end of each school day.

OLYMPIC GAMES

As I sat down to watch the opening ceremony on that cold Friday evening, I thought about the courage of our athletes who are in Tokyo representing Australia at these very different Olympic Games. Even the motto has changed to “Faster, Higher, Stronger, Together.” We hope the athletes are able to pull together even if they are not physically able to spend much time with athletes from other countries or do not have their friends and family cheering them along in the stands.

Watching our athletes represent us across a multitude of sports is a privilege. We are fortunate that we have technology that allows us to connect and watch these people who are at their peak. They who have trained for many years in their chosen field, represent us as a nation and we have much to learn from them. They display perseverance, effort, and most of all resilience. Resilience is an important value we teach our students at Carnegie PS. Having the ability to keep going, when the going gets tough is extremely important and will stand us in good stead if we practise it during these difficult times. Watching athletes proceed through heats and make it to the finals is another teaching point for our students as they learn that it takes time and repetition to reach heights and gold medals. It also takes courage for the minority of athletes who are unable to compete to confirm to the media that they need to withdraw for a range of reasons. We wish them all well. I hope you are able to take some time to enjoy the spectacle that is the Olympics.

MORE LOVELY NEWS TO SHARE WITH FAMILIES

The great news at Carnegie Primary School keeps going and we would like to congratulate Rebecca Batten and Joel Pollard. Rebecca and Joel shared with us the lovely news that they are going to become parents early in 2022. We wish them all the best at this exciting time.

CONGRATULATIONS

REFLECTING ON REMOTE AND FLEXIBLE LEARNING

Over the past 2 weeks our teachers and students again showed their flexibility and took to remote learning with enthusiasm and vigour. Teachers planned and increased live sessions and were pleased that students participated more fully in their learning. Our students’ ability to utilise their learning platforms grew and the effort they have put in to completing their learning tasks increased. Staff continued to keep an eye out on the well being of all of their students and created opportunities for students who chose to participate in well being sessions such as our year 5 cooking class, prep crafternoons, dance groups etc. These opportunities gave students a chance to talk to each other on a different level from the interactions that took place during formal learning time. Thank you to all the parents who continued to support and encourage their children during the last lockdown.

PYJAMA DAY

This year Pyjama Day was celebrated with a difference. Friday 23rd July was a bleak and cold day and the perfect opportunity for our whole community to spend some extra time in their pyjamas and Ugg boots. We are thrilled to share some of the photos from that day. Thank you to the Junior School Council for arranging this special event.

WORDS OF WISDOM

Don’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the further you get. – Michael Phelps Olympic swimmer

Amanda Miller & Karen Bentata-Grimm

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