Principal

Welcome back!

Our hearts were filled with joy on Monday morning as we welcomed all of our students back to school. I am sure all of our parents and carers had hearts filled with joy and lots of relief that their children were back at school. 

Our students have settled well, staff are focusing on wellbeing and connection activities this week to support our students as they re-establish their friendships and connections with class mates. Having visited all classrooms we have noticed the eagerness of our students, for many the chance to see friends again has been a highlight. They are all focused on their learning and have dived back into life at school. 

The focus this term will differ to the usual Term 4, with a suspension of the requirement of implementing all eight key learning areas. This will enable flexibility to support students to catch up on learning they may have missed in the key areas of literacy and numeracy. The focus on physical activity will also remain in Term 4. 

Like all schools we will be establishing where our students are academically and working to provide additional assistance or extension within our classroom program to ensure they continue to learn. 

Mental health and wellbeing

Our highest priority is the mental health, safety and wellbeing of every student and member of staff. We will be encouraging and sustaining motivation for learning and supporting the development of personal and social capabilities of students as part of the curriculum. We will be re-engaging students and families and implementing targeted strategies as required.

As a school we will also ensure support for our school staff, who have sustained efforts through multiple transitions in modes of teaching and learning delivery this year.

Learning

Some students have been able to more quickly progress in their learning in the remote and flexible learning environment, others have maintained their rate of progress, and some have, despite their best efforts and those of their families and teachers, fallen behind.

As a school we will ensure those who have fallen behind can catch up and those who have progressed significantly can continue to be extended and stretched in their learning.

Our focus will be to support every student in our school. 

Literacy and numeracy across the curriculum remain a core focus, we will adapt our teaching and learning program in Term 4 to enable this to occur.

Transitions

Term 4 is a critical period, particularly for the children moving from kindergarten into Prep, from Grade 6 into Year 7. Students in other year levels will also prepare for a change of teacher and new classmates. 

A key focus of Term 4 will be to make every effort to ensure each of these end-of-year and beginning-of-year transitions occurs as successfully as possible. As a school we are working on how to appropriately conduct orientations and end-of-year celebrations and ensure transition is successful. More details on these areas will be provided in coming weeks. 

Continuing to stay safe

Thank you to everyone for their support with drop off and pick up each day this week. 

It has been great to see everyone social distancing and reducing congestion around the gates. Thank you for ensuring your child enters via their allocated gates, we know for some this adds to your journey each day but we appreciate your assistance.  

A reminder do not send your child to school if they are unwell. We are reintroducing our students to the routines of hand washing and sanitizing regularly throughout the day. 

As a community we will continue to ensure our safety by following some basic health advice. These are the principles we will be following as a school. 

Tutoring program 

The Government is providing $250 million to Victorian schools to enable additional tutors to be employed to ensure every student has the support they need to catch up on learning missed during the period of remote and flexible learning.

Schools and teachers have done extraordinary work during remote and flexible learning. Most students maintained good progress in learning, and a significant number thrived and made greater progress than would have been expected. Some students, however, often because of circumstances beyond their control or our capacity to influence, did miss out on learning.

As a school it is critical we ensure every effort is made to enable these students to catch up, just as it is critical we continue to stretch those who thrived. 

This week the school should receive details on the funding for the tutor program for 2021, this will enable us to engage tutors next year. 

2020 Parent Opinion Survey

We would like our parents to tell us what they think!

We are conducting a survey to find out what parents think of our school. The Parent Opinion Survey is an annual survey offered by the Department of Education and Training. It is designed to assist schools in gaining an understanding of parents’ perceptions of school climate, student behaviour, student engagement and experiences of remote and flexible learning. Our school will use the survey results to help inform and direct future school planning and improvement strategies. 

This year all families will be invited to participate in this year’s survey. All responses to the survey are anonymous. The Parent Opinion Survey will be conducted from Monday 12th October to Friday 13th November.

The survey will be conducted online, only takes 20 minutes to complete, and can be accessed at any convenient time within the fieldwork period on desktop computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones. 

The online survey will be available in a range of languages other than English. These include: Arabic, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Chin (Hakha), Hindi, Japanese, Somali, Turkish, Punjabi and Greek. Please contact me via the office if you would like more information. 

A message with your invitation to participate will be sent via Sentral today. This message will give you the link to the survey. We ask that only one member of your household complete the survey. 

Traffic concerns

School is back and so are the speed zones around schools, please remember to move appropriately in the streets around the school. 

If you are running late, it is better to be late and safe than to rush and put yourself and others in danger. 

We have lots of works happening at the top of Almond Street, there are large trucks coming and going and all sorts of things happening. A concerned neighbour has called and thought we might like to avoid the top of the street to ensure our safety and to reduce delays. 

A reminder that the area in front of the school is a stop and drop, you should not get out of your car - you are risking a fine. 

Thunderstorm Asthma 

We are moving into thunderstorm asthma time of year again with grass pollen season (1 October to 31 December). During this time people may notice an increase asthma and hay fever. Grass pollen season also brings the chance of epidemic thunderstorm asthma.

Thunderstorm asthma is thought to be triggered by a unique combination of high amounts of grass pollen in the air and a certain type of thunderstorm. For people who have asthma or hay fever this can trigger severe asthma symptoms.

When a large number of people develop asthma symptoms over a short period of time, related to high grass pollen and a certain type of thunderstorm, it is known as epidemic thunderstorm asthma.

Preparing for epidemic thunderstorm asthma

Everyone in the community should know the signs and symptoms of asthma, and know the four steps of asthma first aid so they know what to do if they or someone is having an asthma attack.

Thunderstorm asthma can affect those with asthma or hay fever - especially people who experience wheezing or coughing with their hay fever. 

All people at increased risk of thunderstorm asthma should:

• learn about epidemic thunderstorm asthma and what you can do to help protect yourself and those in your care during the grass pollen season
• check the epidemic thunderstorm asthma forecast daily
• where possible, avoid being outside during thunderstorms from October through December – especially in the wind gusts that come before the storm. Go inside and close your doors and windows, and if you have your air conditioner on, turn it to recirculate
• have an asthma action plan (if you have asthma) and have practical knowledge of the four steps of asthma first aid
• have reliever medication appropriately available in grass pollen season and be aware of how to use it (ideally with a spacer)
• be alert to and act on the development of asthma symptoms as explained in your asthma action plan (if you have one), or if you don’t, use asthma first aid.
• If you have asthma symptoms see your doctor for advice

More information about protecting yourself if you have asthma can be found on the Better Health Channel.

What do the forecasts mean?

The epidemic thunderstorm asthma forecast will operate between 1 October and 31 December. It combines the forecasting of a certain uncommon type of thunderstorm and grass pollen counts across Victoria. 

It spans three days (today, tomorrow and the day after) and uses a colour-coded scale from low to high risk: green (low), orange (moderate) and red (high).

• A low risk (green) forecast means that the elements necessary for an epidemic thunderstorm asthma event are not expected and an event is unlikely.
• A moderate risk (orange) forecast means that one of the elements necessary for an event may be present (i.e. a high pollen forecast or a severe thunderstorm storm with strong winds) and there is a moderate chance of an epidemic thunderstorm asthma event occurring.
• A high risk (red) forecast means that a high pollen forecast and severe thunderstorm(s) with strong winds are likely to be present increasing the risk of an epidemic thunderstorm asthma event occurring.

Forecasts are not a formal 'warning' and are designed to inform people at risk that they should be prepared. The forecast only indicates whether the chance of an epidemic thunderstorm asthma event occurring is increased – a higher forecast does not mean that an event is certain to happen, nor does a lower forecast mean that an event will not happen.  

The forecasting system is also not designed to forecast the risk of individual's experiencing asthma and hay fever symptoms, which occur every year during the grass pollen season.

On a high risk day the department will issue up-to-date relevant advice and warnings on the  VicEmergency warning  platform.

The forecast for the current day is only updated once at approximately 12:30pm, any further updates (such as public advice and warnings) will be posted on the VicEmergency website and app. 

Is your child commencing in Foundation in 2021?

If you have a child due to start school in 2021 please contact the office with any questions, take part in our transition program as you can and download the enrolment form from our website and return as soon as possible. 

There is talk within many school communities about 2021 and student performance. We will have further information regarding this in coming newsletters. 

Is your child staying at BPPS in 2021?

It feels seems like 2020 started just yesterday but we have already commenced planning for next year. If you know that your child will be leaving BPPS at the end of 2020 please fill in the Google form to assist us with planning., 

Leaving Boroondara Park at the end of 2020

Virtual School Tour

Our Virtual Tour is finished and has been uploaded to our website. Take a look! 

Virtual School Tour of BPPS

If you know anyone who has a child starting school in 2021 share the tour with them. 

Foundation Information - flier - QR code to presentation. Please share with anyone looking for a place in Foundation in 2021. 

Stay safe, stay home, stay well!

Susanne Lowe

Principal