Principal's Report 

We're Back!

Squeals of delight in playgrounds, corridors and even our staff room.  Everyone is back on site after one week of term 4. Ms Ferguson and I visited into classrooms dressed in costumes - The Owl and the Pussy Cat. I have my fingers crossed with my wings and legs crossed that we do stay at school for the remainder of term 4.

Thank you for your support of home learning in such remarkable times. There have been some positives from this lock down period - exercising and playing together as a family, a quieter pace or just seeing how your child engages with their learning. I also recognise that there are some families under significant financial and/or emotional stress.

I am hoping that this first step of students returning to school helps you in some way. You may even be celebrating or cheering on this stage. It has been exciting watching and talking to students and teachers in their rooms adjusting to the return- learning to work and play together, all over again. This adjustment process will take a period of time, and it is similar to the start of the year so the teachers will take time to find out how the students coped with home learning and the necessary changes to being at school.

Term 4 Focus

As advised by DET (Department of Education and Training) we will be focusing on 3 main areas in Term 4:

• Student engagement with school and their mental well-being
• Student Learning – particularly in literacy and numeracy
• Supporting transitions – preparing our grade 6 students for transition to secondary, our incoming kinder students for transition to Foundation and all our other students to transition to the next level.

Parents 

As before, parents will need to say goodbye at the gates and teachers will be there to greet the students. We will use the same gates for year levels as we did on our last return to school. This went well on the first day and most children are on time ready for the day.

Foundation         Munro Street

Level 1                  Green Mile (base of the mile for drop off)

                                1BG & 1G top of the mile for pick up 

                                1D & 1A base of the mile for pick up

Level 2                  Churinga Ave

Level 3                  Verdale Street

Level 4                  Churinga Ave

Level 5/6              Munro Street 

All students except Foundation will start at 9am and finish at 330pm. 

Foundation will start at 905am and finish at 325. 

Students in levels 4, 5 & 6 may enter from any gate if they don’t need to have parents wait with them. They are to go straight to the correct gate to meet their teachers. 

Siblings may enter and leave via the gate for the youngest sibling so that the younger child is with their parent then the teacher. The older sibling can then walk through the school to their gate to meet their teacher. 

Any students riding bikes to school need to be on school grounds at 8:45am to walk their bike to the shed. They then go to their correct gate to meet their teachers. 

No students onsite before 8.45am – OSHClub operating for students before 8.45am

Staggered breaks through the day – we will not be running staggered break times but will instead be allocating separate areas of the playground for separate levels. 

Ask that all parents remember physical distancing rules. It is very important that parents / carers wear masks to drop off and pick up their children and follow physical distancing rules. 

Playgrounds

These areas will be reviewed during the week. 

Temperature  testing

There will be non-invasive thermometers to be used in classrooms and the sick bay as needed. However, following advice from DET, temperature testing will not be undertaken as a procedure for entry to the school

Masks

All of the adults at school will be wearing masks. Teachers do not have to wear a mask while directly teaching although some may choose to do so. None of the students are required to wear a mask but they are welcome to do so if they choose. 

Physical distancing

Students do not need to be physical distancing at school as they do not carry the viral load. All of the adults at school will be physical distancing. Classrooms will look the same we will not be separating the desks out. We ask that parents practice physical distancing at pick up and drop off. 

Drink taps

As before, there will be no drink taps open. All students to use personal drink bottles. 

Cleaning

There are additional hours of cleaning provided by Spotless throughout the day. They use disinfectant and detergent. 

We will have a schedule of cleaning works to high tough areas and some equipment which will occur throughout the day. This will include for normal cleaning times;

• doors (door handles, handrails and guardrails)
• kitchenettes including sinks
• student tables, chairs and lockers
• electrical fixtures and appliances (switches, printers, photocopiers, fridges etc)
• bathroom areas
• classroom waste bins
• teaching and non-teaching area floors (hard floors and soft floors)

For progressive throughout the day cleaning times;

• high-touch surfaces (including all entry and exit points, shared surfaces including chairs and desks, benchtops, hand sanitising units, drinking troughs and fountains)
• bathrooms (including toilets, washbasins, soap dispensers)
• classroom waste bins
• high-touch areas in playgrounds

Hand Washing

Students will wash their hands at the start of the day, before eating and before going out to play, after coming in from play and before coming home. 

Hand sanitiser will be available in classrooms and in specific locations throughout the school. Students with allergies are encouraged to bring their own soap. 

All adults onsite will be using hand sanitiser and hand washing regularly. 

Students who are unwell

Any unwell students will need to go home. Please keep your child at home if they are displaying any signs of illness – cough, runny nose, temperature. Staff who are unwell will also be staying home. 

Families that choose not to send children to school 

Remote learning will finish on Friday 9 October. If a child is unwell and unable to attend school, please contact the classroom teacher for support with their learning. 

Specialist Classes 

The specialist classes will operate from Monday with some modifications as advised by DET. PE lessons will be held outdoors. Library books can be borrowed but at this stage the books will have to stay at school. Choir and some musical instruments are not permitted. Some activities have to be modified, for e.g. dance has to be outside. We have different entry and exit points for library, art, music, digitec and PE. Hand washing and sharing of resources guidelines will be followed.

Nude Food

There will be no sharing of food at school including lollies and treats. They can't be distributed and then taken home.

We ask that students bring nude food where possible. They will not be taking their lunchboxes into the yard beyond the eating time. I saw many examples of nude food in classrooms.

OSCH Club

Our wonderful before and after school care program – OSCH Club is operating from 7am to 6pm for all Rangeview students. Done forget to book in!