Coronavirus Update #5

NPS Update Friday 3/04/2020

The following information is being provided to the community to communicate our current position in preparing for term 2. 

School for Term 2

At this point in time I can only inform the community of the facts. Currently we have heard that other education providers maybe planning to provide students with a remote school option in term 2, long term. Government schools to date have not been informed officially or otherwise that government schools will be going to this model. We can all spectulate, that's easy, but currently we must deal with the facts.

Newlands Remote Learning - Update

Thank you for reaching out and making contact in regards to usernames/passwords to prepare for online learning.

The school will be closed during the school holidays as per usual. Families can email the school email address during this time, but management will not review the correspondence until the Tuesday 15th of April.  

We know that this is time is difficult, but please be assured you will receive all the information you will need on the first day of Term 2 (If we need to move to online learning).

What we are doing as a school

We hope you enjoyed the video. The production house of Cass & Jose was an inspiration and we hope it brought a smile of enjoyment to you and the kids. 

So, what do we know and what has changed.

* Lock down - We are now in significant lock down which is certainly curtailing the freedom to move with reason, which is a good thing. If we are to get back to normality as quickly as possible then currently this is the only option available.

*Tuesday 14th April - Is still a Curriculum Day. Based on current information all staff are expected to be at school on this day. As a school we will be preparing and developing resources for the possible implementation of Remote School Learning.

*Wednesday 15th April - Students are still expected to return to school on this day. Unless DET continues in lock down. As the Premier recently announcement about bringing the holidays forward, he will announce in good time if students are to return to school for term two. In which case I will inform the community via both the newsletter and SENTRAL immediately

*If lock down continues indefinitely -  If lockdown continues indefinitely and there is an expectation we would be open for Essential Service workers to send their children as required we will provide that service unless directed otherwise. This would possibly include Before and After School care, but only for Essential Service parents, but this needs to be clarified.

* Student and Family support - DET has indicated that some form of support will be available to families who are stressed or for children who may be anxious. I will provide greater clarity once it has become clearer to us as a school what that support looks like.

* Remote School Learning - At this point in time DET has not provided information other than we must develop our resources to implement Remote School Learning for students. I can assure the community that Newlands teachers have been proactive in developing an alternative learning resources to support students. I hope you have familiarised yourselves with the recent email sent outlining our strategy to implement remote school learning for our Newlands students.

In the meantime do the following:

* Continue listening to informed sources not ‘expert’ friends. If the information has not been confirmed by the school then it's not fact yet.

* Regularly check DET website for updates, advice and ideas to possibly help parents at this time.

* Keep in contact with your family. Now's the time to get all the family tech savvy around video call.

* Don’t speculate. It serves absolutely no purpose at all.

* Minimise travel. Remember there are very significant fines if you cannot justify your travel reasons.

I hope this has been helpful, and I will update the community further if there is any change of circumstance.

Remember as the experts are saying remember to get your Flu jab. Chemists can now provide the jab to children as young as 10 years of age.

And finally, keep positive, and enjoy a laugh or share a laugh - humour does help!

Keep safe