From Our School Leaders

As we make plans to reopen our doors to students in the coming weeks, I want to take the opportunity to thank our amazing Scoresby community for the support and dedication to our students.

The process of returning to school will look a bit different for us all, with staggered resumptions, new rules with regards to mask wearing and limitations of visitors on our school site. We recognise that different students and families will have had very different experiences during the lockdown period and will have varying levels of coping skills in dealing with those experiences. We would like to assure you that we will navigate this process in a supportive way.

How You Can Assist

The return to school after lockdown can be an uncertain time for students. Some suggestions to assist with this process are:

Conversation

Start talking to your child/children about the return to school and the daily routines.

Talk about issues that may arise and explore ways to manage worries.

Hand Hygiene

Remind your child/children of the basics of personal hygiene and hand hygiene and how important this is, especially during a pandemic.

Sleep Routine

Have your child/children return to a normal sleep routine, ready for the return to school.

Personal Belongings

With the need for all students to have their own drink bottle and lunch box, start to talk to your child/children about the responsible care of these items at school.

Look at the Positives

Talk to your child/children about the things they are looking forward to such as seeing their friends and using the playground again.

Back To The Classroom

One of the biggest contrasts likely to have been experienced in time away from school is a change in routine. Remote Learning has allowed many students to work flexible hours and engage in more self-learning.

The initial days of our return to school will involve students and teachers working together to re-establish school day structures and routines, revisit classroom guidelines and, most importantly, reconnect relationships. Belonging, connection and re-engagement with learning will be the priority in Term 4.

Despite the lockdowns, Remote and Flexible Learning has continued for our students and teachers. Our teachers know their students, their learning styles and capabilities and they will now re-establish a positive and supportive return to face-to-face learning.

We are so excited to welcome our students back to onsite schooling.

Masks

On returning to school, it is now a requirement that children in grades 3 and up wear masks inside. It is also strongly recommended that our younger students wear one as well. We know that this is another change and that some children will need time to adjust to this new practice. We have purchased light weight, child-size, disposable masks and DET have sent a shipment to schools as well. Please send your child to school with a mask, and talk over the benefits of masks wearing for our community.

Update from DET:

New rules for students wearing masks at school 15 October 2021

One of the most important and effective things we can do to help keep students in the classroom is to wear masks to help minimise COVID-19 transmission risk.

When worn properly, masks can play an important role in reducing the transmission risks of Covid-19 that could happen from common activities in school.

Students in Grade 3 and above

Students in Grades 3 to 6 are required to wear face masks from 18 October 2021. All other students who are required to wear a face mask must continue to do so from the first day they return to onsite learning.
Face masks will be required for all school students in Grade 3 or above, indoors including at Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) programs, unless a lawful exception applies. Face masks can be removed while outdoors at school for primary students.
Face masks will be strongly recommended for Prep to Year 2 students.
For composite classes of Grade 2 and 3 students, Grade 2 students will be strongly encouraged to wear masks like their Grade 3 peers.
For students with a disability, parents and carers should speak to the child’s doctor or regular health professional about the best methods to encourage mask wearing.
Students with a medical condition or disability that make wearing a face covering unsuitable are not required to wear a mask.
Face masks are required for students in Year 3 to Year 6 unless an exception applies. Exceptions include students with a physical or mental disability where their disability means it would not be suitable. Parent/carers of a student/s who meet the criteria for an exception must provide their approval in writing for their child/ren to not wear a mask to the school.

We will try to maximise outdoor learning where possible and offer more recreation and breaks wherever practicable to further support students.

We can work together to support students by having conversations around the importance of masks in preventing COVID -19 transmission and remind them that it’s only for a few days a week.

We have seen through Remote Learning that friendships are important. We can work together to remind students that wearing masks means they can see their friends and be at school together more often. We also protect our friends and keep them safe.

We encourage you to discuss wearing masks with your children to keep kids in the classroom and minimise COVID-19 transmission risk. The Raising Children Network has resources that can help you with having conversations with your children about wearing masks.

These new changes to wearing masks will come into effect when students return to staged onsite learning from 18 October 2021 in regional and metropolitan schools.

Photo Shoot For Our New Website

On Wednesday 17th of November, a team of photographers will be coming to Scoresby PS to take photos for our new school website. We are setting up scenarios throughout the day with our students and we will also be doing a couple of drone shots of the whole school together.

We are asking that families return the revised permission/consent form sent by Nicole Rheumer via COMPASS earlier this week. Children without consent for this work will not be included. Please return the consent form to your class teacher by Thursday 28th October.

2022 Intentions

Thank you to the families who have already notified the office that they are planning not to return to Scoresby PS in 2022. If you are not intending to return to Scoresby PS in 2022 but have not yet informed the office, we would appreciate it if you could notify us in writing as soon as possible as we move forward with plans for classes next year.

If you still have not enrolled your Foundation student for 2022, we would appreciate it if you could send through your enrolment as a matter of urgency as we are already planning and organising class groups and transition sessions.

2022 Grade Considerations

Forming grades for the following year is a very complex process. Teachers take into consideration, and attempt to balance, genders, support needs, social needs, learning needs and student friendship requests when forming the classes. If parents have any special educational considerations that the classroom teachers are not aware of for the placement of their child for next year, please put these in writing and send them to Sue Hartley by Friday 29th October. As making up the grades is very complex, all parental issues will be taken into consideration before this process is completed, however we do not make any promises that we will be able to satisfy them.

Neither verbal requests, nor requests submitted after Friday 29th October, will be considered.

Mandatory Hats

All students are required to wear hats in the playground during Term 4 when attending school onsite. Hats are available from the office or Primary School Wear.

Teeth On Wheels

During Term 4, Scoresby PS will be providing students with the opportunity to visit a mobile dentist - Teeth on Wheels.

Teeth on Wheels works with schools to provide high-quality, low-cost dental care. Their aim is to change the experience of visiting the dentist – reducing fear and anxiety, minimising pain and encouraging life-long oral health care for all of their patients.

With the assistance of the Federal government, Medicare has a Child Dental Benefits Schedule that provides financial support for basic dental care for children aged between 2 and 17 years.

Teeth on Wheels will be visiting Scoresby PS on Wednesday 1st December and Thursday 13th December and appointments are during school hours. They will also provide information to your child about the importance of maintaining great oral health.

If you would like to book an appointment for your child, please follow the following link:

https://teethonwheels.com.au/consent-forms/consent-eform/

For more information about Teeth on Wheels, please see the flyer below.

SUE HARTLEY AND NICOLE RHEUMER

Scoresby Primary School Leaders