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Dear Families,

Dear Families,

We are very much looking forward to the transition back to onsite learning by students and staff from Monday October 18. Please see below for the timetable that explains when each year level is onsite. The return dates may be different for students and staff who are currently in quarantine and notified as primary contacts.

As we prepare to return to school over the next two weeks, we thought we would communicate some important information about the different processes and procedures that will be in place when your child/ren returns to school. Please note that all information in this notice (attachment below and emailed to families) is current but Catholic Schools in Melbourne are yet to receive updated protocols about returning to school from the Victorian Government.

Students will start to return to school in a staggered way starting next week:

Wellbeing

Transitioning Back to School

Covid-19 has had a big impact on families over the past year as we have adapted to the complexities of learning from home, students and parents have had to adapt to significant change over this period of time. The transition back to school will be another big change for students. Many students will be excited to return to school; however, the thought of face-to-face interactions with peers and teachers may lead to some feelings of apprehension or anxiety for some children.

Here are some strategies that may help the transition back to school to run smoothly!

Routines

Start to get back into the routines you had prior to homeschooling; you may need to adjust bedtimes and mealtimes. Talk to your children about any school day routines that you will return to: “Soon we will be walking to school in the morning.”

Information

Share as much information as you can with your child around the return to school, when the kids are returning, the other Year levels who will be returning at that time, safety precautions that will be taken by the school. Include things like, “Mum or Dad will be dropping you at the gate; this is one of the strategies to help keep you and all the other kids safe.”

Listen

Ask your child how they are feeling about returning to school. If they are feeling anxious or have any concerns, acknowledge and normalise those feelings. Children absorb their parents’ anxiety, so model optimism and confidence for your child.

Problem-solving strategies

Discuss any concerns your children may have and assist them to problem-solve and come up with some solutions to help manage the concern. Come up with a variety of solutions together and let your children choose the one/s that will work best for them. It is important that your children are part of the process as this helps them feel like they have some control over the situation. 

Reinforce your child/ren’s ability to cope! Share a previous positive experience where your child has overcome adversity, and the strategies they used.

Be Positive

Remain calm and positive. Encourage your child to talk about the things they enjoy about school. All children will like different things about school; generally, it will include things like seeing my friends and teachers, playing games, learning and interacting face-to-face with the class.

Playdates

Some children may have had very little contact with their friends over the past couple of months. It would be helpful where possible to arrange a playdate with friends prior to returning to school; this could be a physical (if restrictions allow) or virtual play. Friendships give your child a sense of belonging and help to build self-esteem. Therefore, it is important that your child is reassured that the friendships they have established still remain.

What we might observe during the transition

Children often communicate their feelings through behaviour. Anxiety is often misread as anger and opposition. Children can find it difficult to articulate their feelings effectively and at times cannot recognise what they are feeling.

Tips

• Get back into the school-day routine at least a week early – waking up, eating, and going to bed at regular times.
• Get your child involved in planning out their lunches and snacks for the first week back.
• For anxious kids, plenty of detail can be calming. Talk through the steps of getting to their classroom: "And then we hang up our bag on our hook; we say hi to our friends; we find our seat...etc"
• Stick to familiar routines as much as possible. Try to have a calm evening and allow more time to settle before bedtime if your child is feeling excited or nervous about school.
• Help your child pack their bag the night before. A visual checklist can help them remember what they need to take. Layout their clothes so everything’s ready for the morning.
• Allow some extra time to get ready on day one so you’re not rushing.

And finally, check your own behaviour

Returning to school will be a  nervous time for parents as much as kids, but it’s important to try and keep your own anxiety levels under control. The more you can stay calm and present school as a fun, positive experience – rather than a necessary evil – the better.

 Student Learning 

This week 2E has been exploring nonfiction texts. We learnt about the respiratory system and how the lungs work. We used our scanning skills to find technical vocabulary and created a diagram to help us understand how we breathe.

Year 5 have been learning about the Solar System, identifying the different types of planets and other celestial bodies in our Solar System. We have been writing an information text about a planet, researching the surface of the planet and have even found out that on one planet, astronomers suspect that it rains diamonds! Can you guess what planet it is?!

Prep 2022 Transition

Transition number 4 for Prep 2022 students will be online next Thursday 21st October. The link will be emailed to families next week.

Book Club

Issue 8 of Scholastic Book Club is out now. Browse the catalog HERE and place your order through the Loop App. Orders will close on Thursday 28th October.

Best wishes,

Simon Millar (Principal)