From the Assistant Principal

From Mrs Hopkins' office...

Aside from the obvious downside of having to dig out a less casual wardrobe once again, it has been such a pleasure having the Kalinda team return to onsite learning. Our F-2 students and staff have returned to learning with enthusiasm and great humour and it has been really lovely to see that the hard work our staff have done to prepare students for a calm and connected beginning has meant that it really seems like we never left!

One exciting part about returning to learning onsite has been the luxury of reviewing the highs and lows of remote learning and thinking about how it can inform our future teaching and learning. One absolute upside has been that all of our Junior students have returned with much more flexible understanding of using technology. As we learn 'how to be a learner' in Foundation, often technology takes a back seat as learning to log on and navigate devices can take precious time with smaller benefit for our junior students. Our Foundation teachers have already enjoyed the opportunity to use school ipads to differentiate learning with some students this week. As always at Kalinda, we use technology mindfully and only where learning outcomes can be enriched - but it is exciting to reap the rewards of remote learning in this respect.

School Counsellor

Our Counsellor Emily Bieber will be on leave for the rest of this term. We wish her and her family well and look forward to her return. If you have welfare concerns regarding your child or family that you would like to discuss, please do not hesitate to contact me in Emily's absence.

Preparing your child to return (reprint from last issue)

I hope your child enjoys our return to school video:

Many of us might be harbouring a little worry that our children will find it tricky to return to school. School won't be quite the same as we remember it, but staff are working hard to make your child's return a safe and joyful one. Over the next few weeks, you will notice that our focus is very much on the wellbeing of all Kalinda community members, a stronger focus on re-establishing a thriving learning community than rushing back into assessments and academic rigour. Academic growth of all our students is our ongoing priority at Kalinda - however in this time we believe it is far more important to nurture our community with a focus on engagement, relationships and mental health.

To help your child prepare for a successful return, we strongly suggest the following:

If your child has not left the house very often, plan some small trips or errands to help them re-acclimatise with being away from home.
Work now on re-establishing bedtime routines, including being ready for the day at a stress and rush free time.
Plan ahead to make sure that all your child's belongings are collected and packed to avoid last minute rushing. Don't forget that you are asked to bring an extra water bottle, hand sanitiser and personal reading books.
Talk about school in positive ways, don't dismiss worries - but do focus on the things that we can look forward to.
Try to minimise talk about your own potential worries but rather what we can all do to keep each other safe. If you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed, consider talking to a trusted adult friend or counsellor instead.
Talk to your child about what you will be doing while they are at school. Maybe you are heading to work or maybe you have jobs to do - either way you will see them again at the end of the day and look forward to seeing them then. Having this plan in their mind may ease some worries about where you are.
In the days leading up to school - visit the school and talk about where you will meet your child at the end of the day. Talk through a plan of who they will ask for help if they can't see you straight away. Staff will have high-vis vests on and easy to spot.

If you are particularly concerned, please contact your class teacher to let them know that your child may need some extra support.

Above all, be kind to yourself and others. 2020 has been quite the wild ride, and you are doing a magnificent job!

Lauren Hopkins